N20568:5564
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being…
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.
NOW when he had thus continued in his profession the space of five years, king Edward died, upon whose decease queen Mary succeeded, and with her all kind of superstition crept in. Which thing being once perceived, Rawlins White did not altogether use open instruction and admonition, (as before he was wont) and therefore oftentimes in some private place or other he would call his trusty friends together, and with earnest prayer and great lamentations, pass away the time, so that by his virtuous instruction•, being without any blemish of error, he converted a great number, which number (no doubt) had greatly increased, had not the cruel storm of persecution been. The extremity and force whereof at last so pursued this good man, that he looked every hour to go to prison; whereupon many who had received comfort by his instructions, did resort unto him, and by all means possible began to persuade him to shift for himself, and to dispose of his goods by some reasonable order to the use of his wife and children, and by that means he should escape that danger, which was imminent over his head.
BUT Rawlins, nothing abashed for his own part, nor moved with these their persuasions, thanked them most heartily for their good will, and told them plainly that he had learned one good lesson touching the confession and denial of Christ; advertising them, that if he upon their persuasions should presume to deny Christ, Christ in the last day would deny and utterly condemn him: and therefore (said he) I will, by his grace, confess and bear witness of him before men, that I may find in him everlasting life.
NOTWITHSTANDING which answer, his friends were very importunate with him. Howbeit he continued still in his good purpose so long, till at last he was taken by the officers of the town, as a man suspected of heresy, upon which apprehension he was convened before the bishop of Landaff that then was, the said bishop being then at his house near Chepstow: by whom, after divers combats and conflicts with him and his chaplains, this good father Rawlins White was committed to prison in Chepstow. But this his keeping, whether it were by the bishop's means, because he would rid his hands of him, or through the favour of his keeper was not so severe and extreme, but that (if he had pleased) he might have escaped oftentimes.