N20568:7429
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.
Nay, that were to make our obedience and worthiness the cause, and so to put Christ out of place, for whose sake God is our Father. But rather because he is our Father, we ought to be moved with shame and remorse for not being as we ought to be: and thereupon we should take occasion to go to our Father in prayer on this manner: "DEAR Father, thou of thine own mercy in Jesus Christ hast chosen me to be thy child, and therefore thou wouldst that I should be brought into thy church, and faithful company of thy children, wherein thou hast hitherto kept me, thy name therefore be praised. Now I see myself to want faith, hope, love, &c. which thy children have, and thou requirest of me, for the want of which the devil would have me to doubt, yea, utterly to despair of thy fatherly goodness, favour, and mercy. Therefore I come to thee as to my merciful Father, through thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and pray thee to help me, good Lord: help me, and give me faith, hope, love, &c. and grant that thy Holy Spirit may be with me for ever, and more and more assure me that thou art my Father; that this merciful covenant that thou madest with me in respect of thy grace in Christ and for Christ, and not in respect of any of my worthiness, is always to me," &c. ON this manner you ought to pray when Satan persuadeth you to doubt of salvation. He doth all he can to prevail against you. Though you are not so feelingly affected as you desire to be, yet doubt not, but hope beyond all hope, as Abraham did: for, as I said before, faith always goeth before love. As certain as God is almighty, as certain as God is merciful, as certain as God is true, as certain as Jesus Christ was crucified, is risen, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, as certain as this is God's commandment: "I am the Lord thy God," &c. so certain ought you to believe that God is your Father. As ⟨p. 684⟩you are bound to have no other gods but him, so are you no less bound to believe that God is your God. What profit would it be to you to believe this sentence, "I am the Lord thy God," to be true to others, if you will not believe it to be true to yourself? The devil believeth in this manner. And whatsoever it be that would move you no doubt whether God be your God through Christ, the same undoubtedly cometh of the devil. Wherefore did God make you, but because he loved you?