N20568:7401
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.
WHEREFORE (my dearly beloved in the Lord) be not so dainty, as to look for that at God's hands, your dear Father, which the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, martyrs, saints, and his own Son Jesus Christ did not find. Hitherto we have had a fair way (I think) and fair weather also: now because we have loitered by the way, and not made the speed we should have done, our loving Lord and sweet Father hath overcast the weather, and stirred up the storms and tempests, that we might with more haste run out our race before night come, and the doors be locked▪ The devil standeth now at every inn-door in his city and country of this world, crying unto us to tarry and lodge in this place or that place till the storms be overpast; not that he would not have us wet to the skin, but that the time might overpass us to our utter destruction. Therefore beware of his enticements. Cast not your eyes on things that be present, how this man doth, and how that man doth: but cast your eyes on the mark ye run at, or else ye will lose the game. Ye know that he which runneth at the mark, doth not look on others that stand by, and go this way or that way, but altogether he looketh on the mark, and on them that run with him, that those which be behind overtake him not, and that he may overtake them that […] before: even so should we do, leave off looking at […] which will not run the race to heaven's bliss by the path of persecution with us, and cast our eyes on the end of our race, and on them that go before us, that we may overtake them, and on them which come after us, that we may encourage them the faster to follow.
WHEREFORE (my dearly beloved in the Lord) be not so dainty, as to look for that at God's hands, your dear Father, which the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, martyrs, saints, and his own Son Jesus Christ did not find. Hitherto we have had a fair way (I think) and fair weather also: now because we have loitered by the way, and not made the speed we should have done, our loving Lord and sweet Father hath overcast the weather, and stirred up the storms and tempests, that we might with more haste run out our race before night come, and the doors be locked▪ The devil standeth now at every inn-door in his city and country of this world, crying unto us to tarry and lodge in this place or that place till the storms be overpast; not that he would not have us wet to the skin, but that the time might overpass us to our utter destruction. Therefore beware of his enticements. Cast not your eyes on things that be present, how this man doth, and how that man doth: but cast your eyes on the mark ye run at, or else ye will lose the game. Ye know that he which runneth at the mark, doth not look on others that stand by, and go this way or that way, but altogether he looketh on the mark, and on them that run with him, that those which be behind overtake him not, and that he may overtake them that before: even so should we do, leave off looking at which will not run the race to heaven's bliss by the path of persecution with us, and cast our eyes on the end of our race, and on them that go before us, that we may overtake them, and on them which come after us, that we may encourage them the faster to follow.