N20568:9153
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.
NOW you have heard, that to these divers offences of ire and killing, punishments are appointed according to their degrees; for observe, as the offence is, so shall the pain be: if the offence be great, the pain shall be accordingly: if it be less, there shall be less pain for it. I would not now that you should think because that here are but three degrees of punishment spoke of, that there be no more in hell: no doubt Christ spake of no more here but of these three degrees of punishment, thinking they were sufficient enough for example, whereby we might understand, that there are as many pains as there are offences: and so by these three offences, and these three punishments, all other offences and punishments may be compared with each other: yet I would satisfy your minds farther in these three terms, judgment, council, and hell-fire. Where you might say, what was the cause that Christ declared more the pains of hell by these terms than by any other terms? I told you before that he knew well to whom he spake them; these' terms were natural, and well known among the Jews and the Pharisees. Wherefore Christ taught them with their own terms, to the intent they might understand the better his doctrine: and these terms may be likened unto three terms which we have common and usual amongst us, that is to say, the sessions of inquirance, the sessions of delirance, and the execution day: sessions of inquirance is like unto judgment; for when sessions of inquiry is, then the judges cause twelve men to give verdict of the felon's crime, whereby he shall be judged to be indicted: sessions of deliverance is much like council; for at sessions of deliverance the judges go among themselves to council, to determine sentence against the felon. Execution day is to be compared to hell-fire: for the Jews had a place of execution amongst themselves named Hell-fire: and surely when a man goeth to his death, it is the greatest pain in this world: wherefore you may see that there are degrees in these our terms, as there be in those terms. These evil disposed affections and sensualities in us are always contrary to the rule ⟨p. 821⟩of our salvation. What shall we do now or imagine to thrust down these Turks, and to subdue them? It is a great ignominy and shame for a christian man to be bond and subject unto a Turk:
•ay, it shall not be so, we will first cast a trump in their way, and play with them at cards who shall have the better; let us play therefore on this card. Whensoever it shall happen these foul passions and Turks to rise in our stomachs against our brother or neighbour, either for unkind words, injuries, or wrongs, which they have done unto us, contrary to our mind, straightway let us call unto our remembrance, and speak this question unto ourselves, Who art thou? The answer is, I am a christian man. Then further we must say to ourselves▪ What requireth Christ of a christian man? Now turn up your trump, your heart, (hear is trump, as I said before) and cast your trump, your heart, on this card, and upon this card you shall learn what Christ requireth of a christian man, not to be angry, nor moved to ire against his neighbour, in mind, countenance, nor otherwise by word or deed. Then take up this card with your heart, and lay them together; that done, you have won the game of the Turk, whereby you have defaced and overcome by true and lawful play: but, alas, for pity, the Rhodes are won and overcome by these false Turks, the strong castle faith is decayed, so that I fear it is almost impossible to win it again.
THE great occasion of the loss of this Rhodes is, by reason that christian men do so daily kill their own nation, that the very true number of Christians is decayed: which murder and killing one of another is increased, especially two ways, to the utter undoing of Christendom, that is to say, by example and silence. By example thus: When the father, the mother, the lord, the lady, the master, the dame, be themselves overcome with these Turks, they be continual swearers, adulterers, disposers to malice, never in patience, and so forth in all other vices: think you not when the father, the mother, the master, the dame, be disposed unto vice or impatience, but that their children and servants shall incline and be disposed to the same? No doubt as the child shall take disposition natural of his father and mother, so shall the servants apply unto the vices of their masters and dames; if the head […] false in their faculties and crafts, it is no marvel if the children, servants, and apprentices do join therein. This is a great and shameful manner of killing christian men, that the fathers, the mothers, the masters, and the dames, shall not only kill themselves, but all their's, and all that belongeth unto them, and so this way is a great number of christian lineage murdered and spoiled. The second manner of killing is silence. By silence also is a great number of christian men slain; which is on this fashion: although the father and mother, master and dame, of themselves be well disposed to live after the law of God, yet they may kill their children and servants in suffering them to do evil before their own faces, and do not use correction according to their offences; the master seeth his servant or apprentice take more of his neighbour, than the king's laws, or the order of his faculty doth admit him, or he suffered him to take more of his neighbour than he himself would be content to pay if he were in like condition: thus doing, I say, such men kill willingly their children and servants, and shall go to hell for so doing; but also their fathers and mothers, masters and dames, shall bear them company for so suffering. Wherefore I exhort all true christian men and women to give good example unto your children and servants, and suffer not them by silence to offend: every man must be in his own house, according to St.
THE great occasion of the loss of this Rhodes is, by reason that christian men do so daily kill their own nation, that the very true number of Christians is decayed: which murder and killing one of ano•ther is increased, especially two ways, to the utter undoing of Christendom, that is to say, by example and silence. By example thus: When the father, the mother, the lord, the lady, the master, the dame, be themselves overcome with these Turks, they be continual swearers, adulterers, disposers to malice, never in patience, and so forth in all other vices: think you not when the father, the mother, the master, the dame, be disposed unto vice or impatience, but that their children and servants shall incline and be disposed to the same? No doubt as the child shall take disposition natural of his father and mother, so shall the servants apply unto the vices of their masters and dames; if the head false in their faculties and crafts, it is no marvel if the children, servants, and apprentices do join therein. This is a great and shameful manner of killing christian men, that the fathers, the mothers, the masters, and the dames, shall not only kill themselves, but all their's, and all that belongeth unto them, and so this way is a great number of christian lineage murdered and spoiled. The second manner of killing is silence. By silence also is a great number of christian men slain; which is on this fashion: although the father and mother, master and dame, of themselves be well disposed to live after the law of God, yet they may kill their children and servants in suffering them to do evil before their own faces, and do not use correction according to their offences; the master seeth his servant or apprentice take more of his neighbour, than the king's laws, or the order of his faculty doth admit him, or he suffered him to take more of his neighbour than he himself would be content to pay if he were in like condition: thus doing, I say, such men kill willingly their children and servants, and shall go to hell for so doing; but also their fathers and mothers, masters and dames, shall bear them company for so suffering. Wherefore I exhort all true christian men and women to give good example unto your children and servants, and suffer not them by silence to offend: every man must be in his own house, according to St.
Augustine's mind, a bishop, not only giving good example, but teaching according to it, rebuke and punish vice, not suffering your children and servants to forget the laws of God: you ought to see them have their belief, to know the commandments of God, to keep their holy days, and not lose their time in idleness; if they do so, you shall all suffer pain for it, if God be true of his saying, as there is no doubt thereof: and so you may perceive that there be many that break this card, "Thou shalt not kill," and playeth therewith oftentimes, at the blind trump, whereby they be no winners, but great losers; but who be those now-a-days that can clear themselves of these manifest murders used to their children and servants? I think not the contrary, but that many have the•• two ways slain their own children unto their damnation, were not the great mercy of God ready to help them when they repent therefore.
WHEREFORE considering that we be so prone and ready to continue in sin, le• us cast ourselves down ⟨p. 822⟩with Mary Magdalen, and the more we bow down with her towards Christ's feet, the more we shall be afraid to rise again in sin; and the more we know and submit ourselves, the more we shall be forgiven, and the less we know and submit ourselves, the less we shall be forgiven, as appeareth by the following example.
WHEREFORE considering that we be so prone and ready to continue in sin, le• us cast ourselves down ⟨p. 822⟩with Mary Magdalen, and the more we bow down with her towar•s Christ's feet, the more we shall be afraid to rise again in sin; and the more we know and submit ourselves, the more we shall be forgiven, and the less we know and submit ourselves, the less we shall be forgiven, as appeareth by the following example.
WHEN Christ was in the world amongst the Jews and Pharisees, there was a great Pharisee whose name was Simon; this Pharisee desired Christ on a time to dine with him, thinking with himself that he was able and worthy to give Christ a dinner: Christ refused not his dinner but came unto him. In time of their dinner, there happened to come into the house a great sinner named Mary Magdalen. As soon as she perceived Christ, she cast herself down, and called unto her remembrance what she was of herself, and how greatly she had offended God, whereby she conceived in Christ great love, and so came near unto him, and washed his feet with bitter tears, and shed upon his head precious ointment, thinking that by him she should be delivered from her sins; this great and proud Pharisee seeing that Christ did accept her oblation in the best part, had great indignation against this woman, and said to himself, If this man Christ were a holy prophet, as he is taken for, he would not suffer this sinner to come so nigh him. Christ understanding the naughty mind of this Pharisee, said to him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee: say what you please (quoth the Pharisee). Then, said Christ, I pray thee tell me this: if there be a man to whom there is owing twenty pounds by one, and forty by another, this man to whom this money is owing, perceiving these two men be not able to pay him, he forgiveth them both. Which of these two debtors ought to love this man most? The Pharisee said, That man ought to love him best that had most forgiven him: Likewise, said Christ, it is by this woman. She hath loved me most, therefore most is forgiven her; she hath known her sins most, whereby she hath most loved me; and thou hast least loved me, because thou hast least known thy sins; therefore because thou hast least known thine offences, thou art least forgiven. So this proud Pharisee had an answer to allay his pride: and think you not but there is amongst us a great number of these proud Pharisees, which think themselves worthy to bid Christ to dinner, who will perk and presume to fit by Christ in the church, and have disdain of this poor woman Magdalen, their poor neighbour with an high disdainful and solemn countenance;
and being always desirous to climb highest in the church, reckoning themselves more worthy to sit there than another, I fear me poor Magdalen under the board and in the belfry, hath more forgiven of Christ than they have: for it is like that these Pharisees do less know themselves and their offences, whereby they less love God, and so they be less forgiven.
and being always desirous to climb highest in the church, reckoning themselves more worthy to sit there than another, I fear me poor Magdal•n under the board and in the belfry, hath more forgiven of Christ than they have: for it is like that these Pharisees do less know themselves and their offences, whereby they less love God, and so they be less forgiven.
I would to God we would follow this example, and be like unto Magdalen. I doubt not but we be all Magdalens in falling into sin, and in offending: but we be not again Magdalens in knowing ourselves, and in rising from sin. If we be true Magdalens, we should be as willing to forsake our sin, and rise from sin, as we were willing to commit sin, and to continue in it; and we then should know ourselves best, and make more perfect answer than ever we did, unto this question, Who art thou? To which we might answer, that we be true christian men and women: and then, I say, you should understand and know how you ought to play at this card, "Thou shalt not kill," without any interruption of your deadly enemies the Turks, and so Triumph at the last by winning everlasting life in glory, Amen.
IT would require a long discourse to declare what a stir there was in Cambridge upon this preaching of Mr. Latimer. Belike Satan began to feel himself and his kingdom to be touched too near, and therefore thought it time to look about him, and to make out his men of arms.
FIRST came out the prior of the Black-Friars, called Buckneham, who thinking to make a great hand against Mr. Latimer, about the same time of Christmas, when Mr. Latimer brought forth his cards to deface belike the doings of the other, brought out his Christmas dice, casting there to his audience Cinque and Quarter, meaning by the Cinque five places in the New Testament, and the four doctors by the Quarter; by which his Cinque and Quarter, he would prove that it was not expedient for the scriptures to be in English, lest the ⟨p. 823⟩ignorant and vulgar sort, through the occasion thereof, might aptly be brought in danger to leave their vocation, or else to run into some inconvenience; as for example:
THE ploughman, when he heareth this in the gospel, "No man that layeth his hand on the plough and looketh back, is meet for the kingdom of God;" might, peradventure hearing this, cease from his plough. Likewise the baker, when he hears that a little leaven corrupteth a whole lump of dough, may perchance leave our bread unleavened, and so our bodies shall be unseasoned. Also the simple man, when he heareth in the gospel, "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee," may make himself blind, and so fill the world with beggars. These, with some others, this clerkly friar brought out, to the number of […], to prove his purpose.
THE ploughman, when he heareth this in the gospel, "No man that layeth his hand on the plough and looketh back, is meet for the kingdom of God;" might, peradventure hearing this, cease from his plough. Likewise the baker, when he hears that a little leaven corrupteth a whole lump of dough, may perchance leave our bread unleavened, and so our bodies shall be unseasoned. Also the simple man, when he heareth in the gospel, "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee," may make himself blind, and so fill the world with beggars. These, with some others, this clerkly friar brought out, to the number of 〈…〉, to prove his purpose.
MR. Latimer hearing this sermon of Dr. Buck••ham, came again in the afternoon, or shortly after, to the church to answer the friar, where resorted to him a great multitude, as well of the university as of the town, both doctors and other graduates, with great expectation to hear what he could say: among whom also, directly in the face of Latimer, underneath the pulpit, sat Buckneham the aforesaid friar, prior of the Black-Friars, with his black friar's cowl about his shoulders.
THEN Mr. Latimer first repeating the friarly reasons of Dr. Buckneham, whereby he would prove it a dangerous thing for the vulgar people to have the scriptures in the vulgar tongue, so refuted the friar, so answered to his objections, so dallied with his bald reason of the ploughman looking back, and of the baker leaving his bread unleavened, that the vanity of the friar might to all men appear, well proving and declaring to the people, that there was no such fear•nor danger for the scriptures to be in English, as the friar pretended; at least requiring this, that the scriptures might be so long in the English tongue, till Englishmen were so mad, that either the ploughman durst not look back, or the baker should leave his bread unleavened. And proceeding moreover in his sermon, he began to discourse of the mystical speeches and figurative phrases of the scriptures; which phrases he said were not so diffuse and difficult, as they were common in the scriptures, and in the Hebrew tongue are commonly used and known: and not only in the Hebrew tongue, but also every speech (saith he) hath its like metaphors and figurative significations, so common and vulgar to all men, that the very painters do paint them on walls and on houses.
AS for example (saith he, looking towards the friar that sat over against him) when they paint a fox preaching out of a friar's cowl, none is so mad to take this to be a fox that preacheth, but know well enough the meaning of the matter; which is to paint out unto us, what hypocrisy, crafts, and subtle dissimulation lieth hid many times in these friars cowl's, willing us thereby to beware of them. ln fine friar Buckneham was so dashed with this sermon, that he durst never after peep out of the pulpit against Mr. Latimer.
BESIDES this Buckneham, there was also another railing friar, not of the same coat, but of the same note and faction, a grey friar and a doctor, an outlandish man, named Dr. Venetus, who likewise in his brawling sermons railed and raged against Mr. Latimer, calling him a mad and brainless man, &c. To whom Mr. Latimer answering again, taketh for his ground the words of our Saviour Christ, Matt. v. Thou shalt not kill, &c. But I say unto you, Whosoever is angry with his neighbour shall be in danger of judgment; and whosoever shall say unto his neighbour Racha, (or any other like words of rebuking, as brainless) shall be in danger of council: and whosoever shall say to his neighbour, Fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.
BESIDES this Buckneham, there was also another railing friar, not of the same coat, but of the same note and faction, a gray friar and a doctor, an outlandish man, named Dr. Venetus, who likewise in his brawling sermons railed and raged against Mr. Latimer, calling him a mad and brainless man, &c. To whom Mr. Latimer answering again, taketh for his ground the words of our Saviour Christ, Matt. v. Thou shalt not kill, &c. But I say unto you, Whosoever is angry with his neighbour shall be in danger of judgment; and whosoever shall say unto his neighbour Racha, (or any other like words of rebuking, as brainless) shall be in danger of council: and whosoever shall say to his neighbour, Fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.
IN discussing of which place, first he divideth the offence of killing into three branches. One to be with hand, the other with heart, the third with word. With hand, when we use any weapon drawn, to spill the life of our neighbour. With heart, when we be angry with him. With word, when in word or countenance we disdainfully rebuke our neighbour, or despitefully revile him. Words of rebuking are, when we speak any opprobrious or unseemly thing, whereby the patience of our neighbour is moved, as when we call him ⟨p. 824⟩ma•• (said he) or brainless, or such like, which are guil•• •o council: words of spite, or reviling are, when we call him fool; which Christ saith is guilty of hell-fire.
