N20568:7293
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.
Volume 1 › Book 2 › Chapter 10 › Letter 2: LETTER II. From Mr. BRADFORD, to the CITY of LONDON.
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.
FOR albeit my manifold sins, even since I came into prison, have deserved at the hands of God, not only this temporal, but also eternal fire in hell, much more than my former sinful life, which the Lord pardon for Christ's sake, as I know he of his mercy hath done, and will never lay mine iniquities to my charge to condemnation, so great is his goodness, (praised therefore be his holy name) although, I say, my late manifold and grievous sins have most justly deserved all the tyranny that man or devil can do unto me; and therefore I confess that the Lord is just, his judgments be true, and I have deserved them: yet the bishops and prelates, instead of persecuting them in me, do persecute Christ himself, his word, his truth, and his religion. And therefore I have great cause to rejoice that ever I was born, and hitherto preserved by the Lord; that by my death, which I deserve for my sins, it pleased him to glorify his name, to testify and confirm his truth, and to overcome his adversaries. O good God and merciful Father, forgive my unthankfulness, especially herein.
AND you, my dearly beloved, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, I humbly and heartily in his bowels do now, for my last farewell in this present life, beseech you, and every one of you, that you will consider this work of the Lord accordingly. By me be admonished to beware of hypocrisy and carnal security; profess not the gospel with ⟨p. 663⟩tongue and lips only; but in heart and in truth frame your lives accordingly: beware God's name be not evil spoken of, and the gospel less regarded by your conversation. God forgive me that I have not so heartily professed it as I should have done, but have sought myself, and too much consulted my own ease therein. The gospel is a new doctrine to the old man; it is new wine, and therefore cannot be put into old bottles, without greater harm than good to those bottles. If we will talk with the Lord, we must put off our shoes and carnal affections; if we will hear the voice of the Lord, we must wash our garments and be holy; if we will be Christ's disciples, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him; we cannot serve two masters. If we seek Christ's kingdom, we must seek the righteousness thereof. To this petition, Thy kingdom come, we must join, Thy will be done, done as it is in heaven. If we will not be doers of the word, but hearers only, we miserably deceive ourselves. If we hear the gospel, and love it not, we declare ourselves to be but fools, and builders upon the sand. Deceitfulness the Lord abhorreth; if we come to him, we must beware that we come not with a double heart; for then God will answer us according to our own folly; and we shall deceive ourselves and others.