N20568:7402
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.
HE that shooteth at a mark, will not cast his eyes on these that stand by, but will rather take care of his aim, otherwise, he might shoot the wrong way: even so, my dear•• beloved, let your eye and your heart be fixed on the mark you aim at, even Christ Jesus, who for the joy set before him, did joyfully carry his cross, contemning the shame, and therefore he now fitteth at the right hand of the throne of God. Let us follow him; for this he did that we should not be faint-hearted: for we may be assured, that if we suffer with him, we shall undoubtedly reign with him: but if we deny him, he will surely deny us: for "He that is ashamed of me, (saith Christ) and of my gospel, in this faithless generation, I will be ashamed of him before the angels of God in heaven." O how heavy a sentence is this to all such as know the mass to be an abominable idol, full of idolatry, blasphemy, and sacrilege against God and his Christ, (as undoubtedly it is) and yet for fear of men, for loss of life and goods, yea, some for advantage and gain, will honour it with their presence, dissembling both with God and man, as their own heart and conscience doth accuse them. Better it were that such had never known the truth, than thus wittingly, and for fear and favour of man, whose breath is in his nostrils, to dissemble it, or rather (as indeed he doth) deny it. The end of such is like to be worse than their beginning. Such had need to take heed of the two terrible places to the Hebrews in the 6th and 10th chapters, left by so doing they fall therein. Let them beware they do not craftily beguile themselves, as some do I fear, who go to mass, and because they worship not, kneel not, or knock not as others do, but sit still in their pews, therefore they think they rather do good to others than hurt.
But, alas, if these men would look into their own consciences, there should they see that they are very dissemblers, ⟨p. 679⟩and in seeking to deceive others (for by this means the magistrates think them of their sort) they deceive themselves. They think at the time of elevation, that the eyes of all men are fixed upon them, to observe how they do. They think others, hearing of such men going to mass, do see, or inquire of their behaviour there. O if there were in those men that are so present at the mass either love to God, or to their brethren, they would for the one, or both, openly take God's part, and admonish the people of their idolatry. They fear men more than Him who hath power to cast both soul and body into hell-fire: they hasten on both knees: they serve two masters. God have mercy upon such, and open their eyes with his eye-salve, that they may see that they who take no part with God are against him; and that they who gather not with Christ, do scatter abroad. O that they would read what St. John saith will be done to the fearful. The advice given to the church of Laodicea, is good counsel for such.