N20568:7408
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.
LETTER XIV. From Mr. BRADFORD to Sir JAMES HALES, Knight, then Prisoner in the Compter.
THE God of mercy, and Father of all comfort, plentifully pour out upon you and in you his mercy, and with his consolations comfort and strengthen you to the end, for his and our Christ's sake.
ALTHOUGH, right worshipful sir, many causes might move me to be content with crying for you to your God and my God, that he would give you grace to persevere well, as he hath right notably begun, to the great glory of his name, and comfort of all such as fear him; as lack of learning, familiarity, yea, acquaintance, (for I think I am unknown to you both by face and name) and other such like things; yet I cannot content myself, but presume to ⟨p. 680⟩scribble something unto you; not that I think my scribbling can do you any good, but that I might declare my sympathy and compassion, love and affection I bear towards you, who are contented, yea, desirous with us poor sinners, to confess Christ's gospel in these perilous times and days of trial. O Lord God, how good art thou, which dost thus glean our grapes, I mean children for thyself, and brethren for Christ? Look, good master Hales, on your vocation; not many judges, not many knights, not many landed men, not many rich men, and wealthy to live as you are, hath God chosen to suffer for his sake, as he hath now done you. Certainly I dare say, you think not so of yourself, as though God were bound to prefer you, or had need of you, but rather attribute this […] all good things unto his free mercy in Christ. Again, I dare say that you being a wise man do judge of things wisely, that is, concerning this your cross, you judge of it not after the world and people, which is the great master of error, nor after the judgment of reason and worldly wisdom, which is foolishness to faith, nor after the present sense, to which it seemeth not to be joyous but grievous, as St. Paul writeth: but after the word of God, which teacheth your cross to be, in respect of yourself between God and you, God's chastising, and your Father's correction, nurture, school, trial, pathway to heaven, glory, and felicity, and the furnace to consume the dross, and mortify the relics of old Adam which yet remain, yea even the frame-house to fashion you like to the dearest saints of God here, yea to Christ the Son of God, that elsewhere you might be like unto him.