N20568:5401
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.
45. ITEM, Since his ordinary visitation which was finished in July 1548, he hath neither preached, nor caused to be preached in the towns of Tinby, Pembroke, nor Haverford, being English towns, not much distant from the place of his abode.
46. ITEM, The churches appropriated to the bishop have no paraphrases in English, and few of them Bibles.
47. ITEM, The churches of the diocese for the most part, and the clergy almost every one, lack paraphrases, notwithstanding there hath been these two years, and yet be a great number of them to be sold in the diocese.
48. ITEM, To declare his folly in riding, he useth a bridle with white studs and snaffle, white Scottish stirrups, with spurs, a Scottish pad, with a little staff of three quarters long, which he hath not only used superstitiously these four or ••ve years, in conversation oftentimes boasting wha• countries he has compassed and measured with the same staff.
48. ITEM, To declare his folly in riding, he useth a bridle with white studs and snaffle, white Scottish stirrups, with spurs, a Scottish pad, with a little staff of three quarters long, which he hath not only used superstitiously these four or ••ve years, in conversation oftentimes boasting wha• •ountries he has compassed and measured with the same staff.
49. ITEM, He hath made a vow, that he will never ⟨p. 516⟩wear a cap: for he says, it is comely wearing of a hat, and so cometh in his long gown and hat, both into the cathedral church, and to the best town of his diocese, sitting in that sort in the king's great sessions, and in his consistories, making himself a mock to the people.
50. ITEM, He said that he would go to the parliament on foot: and to his friends that dissuaded him, alleging that it is not meet for a man in his place; he answered, I care not for that, it is no sin.
50. ITEM, He said that he would go to the parliament on foot: and to his friends that dissuaded him, alledging that it is not meet for a man in his place; he answered, I care not for that, it is no sin.
51. ITEM, Having a son, he went before the midwife to the church, presenting the child to the priest, and giving his name Samuel, with a solemn interpretation of the name, appointing also two godfathers and two godmothers, contrary to the ordinances, making his son a monster, and himself a laughing-stock throughout all the country.
52. ITEM, He daily useth whistling to his child, and says that he understood his whistle when he was but three days old. And being advertised by his friends, that men laughed at his folly, he answered; They whistle to their horses and dogs, and I am contented: they might also be contented that I whistle to my child, and so whistleth to him daily, all friendly admonition neglected.
53. ITEM, In his ordinary visitation, among other his surveys, he surveyed Milford Haven, where he espied a seal-fish tumbling. And he crept down to the water side, and continued whistling there the space of an hour, persuading the company that laughed at him, that by his whistling he made the fish to tarry there.
54. ITEM, Speaking of scarcity of herrings, he laid the fault to the covetousness of fishers, who in the time of plenty took so many, that they destroyed the breeders.
55. ITEM, Speaking of the alteration of the coin, he wished that what metal soever it was of, the penny should be in weight worth a penny of the same metal.
56. FOR a conclusion, The said bishop in all his doings, since he came to his diocese, hath behaved himself most unmeet for a man of his vocation, being for a minister of justice, an abuser of the authority to him committed; for a teacher of the truth, and reformer of superstition, a maintainer of superstition without any doctrine of reformation; for a liberal and hospitable, an insatiable covetous man; for a diligent overseer, wilful and negligent; for an example of godly wisdom, given wholly to folly; for merciful, a cruel revenger; and further, for a peace maker, a sower of discord. And so in all his behaviour a discrediter and slanderer of his vocation, and a deceiver of all men, that had hope he should do any reformation. For he yet hath neither brought into his diocese, nor hath belonging unto him, any learned preacher. But such learned preachers as he found in the diocese at his entry, he so vexeth and disquieteth, that they cannot attend to apply their preaching for the defence of their livings, against his quarrelsome inventions, and unjust pretensions.
AFTER these wrangling articles and informations were given up, then the bishop was called for to answer, the hearing whereof was committed unto Dr. Wotton, and sir John Mason, knight, who likewise received the bishop's answers to the aforesaid articles, the copy and effect of which answers hereafter follow.
TO the 1st article he says, That after lawful admonition in the king's majesty's name and authority, from the said bishop (being then at London) given to the chanter and chapter of St. David's, for visitation at a certain day there to be entered; the said bishop himself for such purpose coming into the diocese, knowing also that the chanter, and one of the canons of that church, and late before commissaries in that diocese, had not only by their own evil examples and winking at the faults of others, or neglecting to correct the same, left there among priests and others much detestable whoredom; but had also spoiled the cathedral church of crosses, chalices, and censers, with other plate, jewels, and ornaments of the ⟨p. 517⟩church, to the value of four or five hundred marks or more, for their own private lucre, (the church remaining even yet very vile, and in great decay) and had also made further under their chapter seal many blanks, to the number of twelve or more, vacant seats, without the king's majesty's licence or knowledge; therefore he brought with him one Edmund Farlee, bachelor of law, commended by Dr. Young and Dr. Nevison to him, as a man sufficient in faithful truth, and learning, to be his chancellor. To whom he granted and sealed a commission for that purpose, giving credit to him in his faculty, conce•••ng the draught and form thereof. But the king's majesty's stile of supremacy was fully set forth in the same commission. Whether there were any default of formal words in setting forth of the king's authority therein, he is not certain; for he committed the doing thereof to his chancellor, who was commended to him for a learned man. And the bishop says, that he never did ground the commission upon any foreign usurped laws or authority: neither did his said chancellor by force of such authority visit any deanery of the said diocese, nor gave any admonition to the chanter and chapter there, by force of that commission, for any like intent or purpose, but only offered in the king's majesty's name and authority (to the said bishop committed) to enter visitation of the chanter and chapter of the cathedral church, at another day to be executed by the bishop himself, for the reformation of the chapter church, and ministers there, according to the king's gracious ordinances and injunctions in that behalf.
TO the 1st article he says, That after lawful admonition in the king's majesty's name and authority, from the said bishop (being then at London) given to the chaunter and chapter of St. David's, for visitation at a certain day there to be entered; the said bishop himself for such purpose coming into the diocese, knowing also that the chaunter, and one of the canons of that church, and late before commissaries in that diocese, had not only by their own evil examples and winking at the faults of others, or neglecting to correct the same, left there among priests and others much detestable whoredom; but had also spoiled the cathedral church of crosses, chalices, and censers, with other plate, jewels, and ornaments of the
But the aforesaid chanter and canon of the church, before the fight of any commission, stubbornly answered the said chancellor, that they would not receive him, nor any other to visit them, except he were of their chapter. And further, desiring to see his commission, he delivered the same into their hands, who would not deliver it him again. And so it may appear that he did nothing by force of that commission.
But the aforesaid chaunter and canon of the church, before the fight of any commission, stubbornly answered the said chancellor, that they would not receive him, nor any other to visit them, except he were of their chapter. And further, desiring to see his commission, he delivered the same into their hands, who would not deliver it him again. And so it may appear that he did nothing by force of that commission.
