N20568:7403
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.
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.
BUT to return to you again, (dearly beloved) be not ashamed of God's gospel: it is the power of God unto salvation to all those that do believe it. Be therefore partakers of the afflictions, as God shall make you able, knowing for certain that he will never tempt you farther than he will make you able to bear: and think it no small favour from God to suffer for his truth: for the Spirit of God resteth upon you, and ye are happy; as one day ye shall see. Read 2 Thessal. i. Heb. xii. As the fire hurteth not gold, but maketh it finer, so shall ye be more pure by suffering with Christ, 1 Pet. i. The flail and the wind hurteth not wheat, but cleanseth it from the chaff. And ye (my beloved) are God's wheat; fear not therefore the flail: fear not the fanning wind; fear not the mill-stone; fear not the oven: for all these make you more meet for the Lord's own tooth. Soap, tho' it blacken, yet it soileth not the cloth, but rather at length maketh it more clean: so doth the black cross help us to more whiteness, if God strike with his battledore. Because ye are God's sheep, prepare yourselves to the slaughter, always knowing that in the sight of the Lord our death shall be precious. The souls under the altar look for us to fill up their number: happy are we, if God hath so appointed us. Howsoever it be, dearly beloved, cast your eyes wholly upon the Lord, with whom all the hairs of your heads are numbered, so that not one of them shall perish. Will we, nill we, we must drink God's cup, if he hath appointed it for us. Drink it willingly, and at the first when it is full, lest peradventure, if we linger, we shall, with the wicked, drink the dregs thereof, if at the beginning we refuse to drink with his children: for with them his judgment beginneth, and when he hath wrought his will on mount Zion, then will he visit the nations round about.