N20568:9420
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.
WHEREFORE do as you will: for as I would not if I could, so I cannot if I would, be noisome unto you; but yet I say I would my letters had been unwritten, if for no other cause, at leastway inasmuch as they cause me more writing, an occupation not fitting my mad head. And as concerning points which in my aforesaid letters your friends mislike, I have little leisure now to make an answer thereto, for the great business that I have in my little cure: I know not what other men have in their great cures, seeing that I am alone without any priest to serve my cure, without any scholar to read unto me, without any book necessary to be looked upon, without learned men to come and counsel withal. All which things others have at hand abundantly, but something must be done, howsoever it be. I pray you take it in good worth as long as I temper my own judgment, affirming nothing with prejudice of better. First, you mislike that I say I am sure I preach the truth, saying in reproof of the same, that God knoweth certain truth. Indeed God alone knoweth all certain truth, and God alone knoweth it as of himself, and none knoweth certain truth but God, and those who are taught of God, as St. Paul saith, for God hath made it plain to them: and Christ himself says, They shall all be taught of God: and your friends deny not but that certain truth is communicated to us, as our capacity may comprehend it by faith, which if it be truth, as it is, then there ought no more to be required of any man, but according to his capacity; now certain it is, that every man hath not like capacity, &c.
BUT as to my presumption and arrogancy; either I am certain or uncertain that it is truth that I preach. If it be truth, why may I not say so, to ⟨p. 858⟩encourage my hearers to receive the same mo•• •• dently, and pursue it more studiously? If […] uncertain, why dare I be so bold as to preach it▪ And if your friends, in whom you trust so greatly, be preachers themselves, after their sermon, I pray you ask them whether they be certain and sure that they have taught you the truth or no, and send me word what they say, that I may learn to speak after them. If they say they be sure, you know what followeth: if they say they be unsure, when shall you be sure, that have so doubtful and unsure teachers? And you yourself, whether are you certain or uncertain that Christ is your Saviour, and so forth of other articles that you are bound to believe? Or whether are you sure or unsure, that civil ordinances are the good works of God, and that you do God service in doing of them, if you do them for a good intent? If you are uncertain, take heed he i your sure friend that heareth you say so, and then with what conscience do you doubt, seeing, Whatsoever is not of faith is sin? But contrary say you, God alone knoweth certain truth, and you have it but through a glass darkly; and there are some who have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge: and to call this or that truth, it requireth a deep knowledge, considering that to you unlearned, what you take for truth may be otherwise, nor having a sense exercised to discern good and evil, as you reason against me, and so you do best to know surely nothing for truth at all, but to wander meekly here and there, with every wind of doctrine, &c. Our knowledge here, you say, is but through a glass darkly: what then? Ergo, it is not certain and sure.