N20568:9534
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.
Volume 1 › Book 2 › Chapter 12 › Bishop LATIMER'S Letter to a Justice of the Peace.
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.
I have in use to commit such trespass many times in a year with your betters, by two or three degrees, both lords and ladies, and the best of the realm, and yet hitherto I hav• not ⟨p. 876⟩heard that any of them have said in their displeasure, that they will not bear it at my hand. Are you yet to be taught what is the office, liberty, and privilege of a preacher? What is it else, but even to rebuke the world of sin without respect of persons: which thing undoubtedly is the peculiar office of the Holy Ghost in the church of God, so that it be practised by lawful preachers. You could but ill bear (belike) to hear your fault openly reproved in the pulpit, which cannot bear the same in a secret sealed-up letter, written both friendly, charitably, and truly; unless perhaps to rebuke sin sharply, be now to lack all charity, friendship, and truth. But Mr. N. if you will give me leave to be plain with you, I fear you are so plunged in worldly purchasings, and so drowned in the manifold dr••s of this deceivable world▪ that I believe you have forgotten your catechism. Read therefore again the opening of the first commandment, and then tell me, whether you have just cause to complain of me, or I of you, &c. ALSO, sir, you said further, that I am wonderfully abused by my neighbour, &c. How so, good Mr. N•? Wherein? or how will you prove it to be true, and when? So you said, that he had abused you, and given you wrong information; but the contrary is found true by the good testimony of Mr. Chambers, who heard as well as you what my neighbour said, and hath testified the same, both to you, and against you, full like himself. Mr. N. to forge and feign, (which argueth an ill cause) that is one thing; but to prove what a man doth say, that is another thing. A• though you were privileged to out-face poor men, and bear them in hand what you lift, a• may seem to make some maintenance for your naughty cause. Trust me, Mr. N. I was but very little acquainted with my neighbour when this matter began; but now I have found him so conformable to honesty, upright in his dealings, and so true in his talk, that I esteem him better than I do some others whom I have perceived and found otherwise. For I will flatter no man▪ nor yet claw his back in his folly, but esteem all men as I find them allowing what is good, and disallowing what is bad.