N20568:9556
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.
THEREFORE Christ said unto Peter, that upon this rock, that is, upon this confession, that he was Christ the Son of God, he would build his church• to declare, that without this faith no man can come to Christ: so that this belief, that Christ is the Son of God, is the foundation of our christianity, and the support of our church. Here you see upon what foundation Christ's church is built, not upon the frailty of man, but upon the stable and infallible word of God. NOW as touching the lineal descent of the bishops in the see of Rome, true it is, that the patriarchs of Rome in the apostles ••me, and long after, were great maintainers and •••ters-forth of Christ's glory, in which, above all other countries and regions, there especially was preached the true gospel, the sacraments were most duly administered; and as▪ before Christ's coming, it was a city so valiant in power, and martial affairs, that all the world was in a manner subject to it, and after Christ's passion divers of the apostles there suffered persecution for the gospel's sake: so after that the emperors, their hearts being illuminated, received the gospel, and became christians, the gospel there, as well for the fame of the place, flourished most, whereby the bishops of that place were had in more reverence and honour, most esteemed in all councils and assemblies, not because they acknowledged them to be their head, but because the place was most reverenced and spoken of, for the great power and strength of the same. As now here in England▪ the bishop of Lincoln, in sessions and sittings, hath the pre-eminence of other bishops, not that he is the head and ruler of them; but for the dignity of the bishopric (and therewith the people smiled). Wherefore the doctors in their writings have spoken most reverently of this see of Rome. IN like manner, I cannot, nor dare but commend, reverence and honour the see of Rome, as long as it continued in the promotion and setting forth of God's glory, and in due preaching of the gospel, as it did many years after Christ. But after that the bishops of that see, seeking their own pride, and not God's honour, began to set themselves above kings and emperors, challenging to them the title of God's vicars, the dominion and supremacy over all the world, I cannot but with St. Gregory, a bishop of Rome also, confess that place is the very true Antichrist, whereof St.
John speaketh by name of the whore of Babylon; and say, with the said St. Gregory, He that maketh himself a bishop over all the world, is worse than Antichrist. NOW whereas you say St. Augustine should seem not only to give such a prerogative, but also supremacy to the see of Rome, in that he saith all the christian world is subject to the church of Rome, ⟨p. 884⟩and therefore should▪ give to that see a certain kind of subjection; I am sure that your lordship knoweth, that in St. Austin's time there were four patriarchs, of Alexandria, Constantinople, Antioch, and Rome, which patriarchs h•d under them certain countries; as in England the archbishop of Canterbury hath under him certain bishoprics in England and Wales, to whom he may be said to be their patriarch. Also your lordship knoweth right well▪ that at the time St. Austin wrote that book he was then bishop in Africa. Farther, you are not ignorant, that between Europe and Africa lieth the sea called the Mediterranean sea, so that all the countries in Europe to him which is in Africa, may be called countries beyond the sea, Hereof St. Austin saith, All the christian countries beyond the seas and remote regions, are subject to the see of Rome. If I should say all countries beyond the sea, I do except England, which to me now being in England, is not beyond the sea. In this sense, St. Austin saith, All countries beyond the sea are subject to the see of Rome; declaring thereby, that Rome was one of the sees of the four patriarchs, and under it Europe, by what subjection I pray you? Only for a pre-eminence; as we here in England say, that all the bishoprics in England are subject to the archbishop of Canterbury. FOR this pre-eminence also the other doctors (as you recited) say, that Rome is the mother of churches, as the bishopric of Lincoln is mother to the bishopric of Oxford, because the bishopric of Oxford came from the bishopric of Lincoln, and they were once both one; and so is the archbishopric of Canterbury, mother to the other bishoprics which are in her province. In like manner the archbishopric of York, is mother to the North bishoprics; and yet no man will say, that Lincoln, Canterbury, or York, in supreme head to the other bishoprics; neither then ought we to confess the see of Rome to be supreme head, because the doctors in their writings confess the see of Rome to be mother of churches.
John speaketh by name of the whore of Babylon; and say, with the said St. Gregory, He that maketh himself a bishop over all the world, is worse than Antichrist. NOW whereas you say St. Augustine should seem not only to give such a prerogative, but also supremacy to the see of Rome, in that he saith all the christian world is subject to the church of Rome,
NOW where you say. I was once of the same religion which you are of, the truth is I cannot but confess the same. Yet so w•s St. Paul a persecutor of Christ. But in that you say, I was one of you not long ago, in that I in doing my message to my •ord of Winchester, should desire him to stand stout in that gross opinion of the supper of the Lord: in very deed I was sent (as your lordship said) from the council to my lord of Winchester, to exhort him also to receive the true confession of justification; and because he was very refractory, I said to him, What make you so great a m•tter herein? You see many anabaptists rise against the sacrament of the altar; I pray you, my lord, be diligent in confounding of them: for at that time my lord of Winchester and I had to do with two anabaptists in Kent. In this sense I willed my lord to be stiff in the defence of the sacrament against the detestable errors of anabaptists, and not in the confirmation of that gross and carnal opinion now maintained. IN like sort, as touching the sermon which I made at St. Paul's Cross, you shall understand, that there were at St. Paul's, and divers other places, fixed railing bills against the sacrament, terming it Jack of the Box, The Sacrament of the Halter, Round Robin, with such unseemly terms; for which causes, I, to rebuke irreverent behaviour of certain evil-disposed persons, preached as reverently of that matter as I might, declaring what estimation and reverence ought to be given to it, what danger ensued the mishandling thereof, affirming in that sacrament to be truly and verily the body and blood of Christ, effectually by grace and spirit; which words the unlearned understanding not, supposed that I had meant of the gross and carnal being which the Romish decrees set forth, that a body having life and motion, should be indeed under the shapes of bread and wine. WITH that the bishop of Lincoln interrupting him said:
NOW where you say. I was once of the same religion which you are of, the truth is I cannot but confess the same. Yet so w•s St. Paul a persecutor of Christ. But in th•t you say, I was one of you not long ago, in that I in doing my message to my •ord of Winchester, should desire him to stand stout in that gross opinion of the supper of the Lord: in very deed I was sent (as your lordship said) from the council to my lord of Winchester, to exhort him also to receive the true confession of justification; and because he was very refractory, I said to him, What make you so great a mtter herein? You see many anbaptists rise against the sacrament of the altar; I pray you, my lord, be diligent in confounding of them: for at that time my lord of Winchester and I had to do with two anabaptists in Kent. In this sense I willed my lord to be stiff in the defence of the sacrament against the detestable errors of anabaptists, and not in the confirmation of that gross and carnal opinion now maintained. IN like sort, as touching the sermon which I made at St. Paul's Cross, you shall understand, that there were at St. Paul's, and divers other places, fixed railig bills against the sacrament, terming it Jack of the Box, The Sacrament of the Halter, Round Robin, with such unseemly terms; for which causes, I, to rebuke irreverent behaviour of certain evil-disposed persons, preached as reverently of that matter as I might, declaring what estimation and reverence ought to be given to it, what danger ensued the mishandling thereof, affirming in that sacrament to be truly and verily the body and blood of Christ, effectually by grace and spirit; which words the unlearned understanding not, supposed that I had meant of the gross and carnal being which the Romish decrees set forth, that a body having life and motion, should be indeed under the shapes of bread and wine. WITH that the bishop of Lincoln interrupting him said:
LINCOLN. Well, Mr. Ridley, thus you wrest places to your own pleasure; for whereas St. Augustine saith, That the whole christian world is subject to the see of Rome without any limitation, and useth these words, Beyond the se•s, and remote regions, only to express the latitude of the dominion of the see of Rome, willing thereby to declare that all the world, yea countries far distant from Rome, yet nevertheless are subject to that see, yet you would wrest it, and leave it only to Europe. I am sure you will not deny, but all the countries is more than Europe.
RIDLEY. Indeed, my lord, if St. Augustine •ad said simply, All the countries, and not added, Beyond the seas, it had been without limitation; but in that he said, All the countries beyond the seas, he himself doth limit the universal proposition, declaring how far he meant by All the countries. THE bishop not staying for his answer, proceeded, saying:
LINCOLN. Well, if I should stay upon this place, I could bring many more places of the fathers for a confirmation thereof; but we have certain instructions, according to which we must proceed, and came not hither to dispute the matter with you, but only to take your answers to certain articles, and used this in the way of disputation, in which you interrupted me; wherefore I will return thither again. YOU must consider that the church of Christ lieth not hid, but is a city on the mountain, and a candle in the candlestick. Ponder with yourself, that the church of Christ is catholic, and universally spread throughout the world, not contained in the alligation of places, not comprehended in the circuit of England, not contained in the compass of Germany and Saxony, as your church is. WHEREFORE, Mr. Ridley, for God's love be you not singular; acknowledge with all the realm the truth, it shall no• be (as you allege) prejudicial to the crown; for their majesties the king and queen have renounced that usurped power taken of their predecessors, and justly have renounced it. For I am sure you know there are two powers, the one declared by the sword, the other by the keys. The sword is given to kings and rulers of countries; the keys were delivered by Christ to Peter, and of him left to all the successors. As touching our goods, possessions, and lives, we with you acknowledge us subjects to the king and queen, who hath the temporal sword; but as concerning matters of religion, as touching God's quarrel and his word, we acknowledge another head; as the king and the queen's highness do in all worldly affairs justly challenge the prerogative and primacy, so in spiritual •nd •cclesia••ical matters they acknowledge themselves not to be heads and rulers, but members of Christ's body. Why, therefore, should you stick at that matter, which their majesties have forsaken and yielded? WHEREFORE, Mr. Ridley, you shall not only no• do injury to the crown, and be prejudicial to their majesties honour, in acknowledging with all Christendom the pope's holiness to be supreme head of Christ's church militant here upon earth, but do a thing most agreeable to them, and most desired of his holiness. Thus if you will do, revoking together all your errors, acknowledging with the residue of the realm the common and public fault, you will do what all men most heartily desire;
you will bring quietness to your conscience, and health to your soul; then shall we with great joy, by the authority committed to us from the cardinal's grace, receive you into the church again, acknowledging you to be no longer a rotten, but a lively member of the same; but if you shall still be singular, if you shall still obstinately persevere in your errors, stubbornly maintaining your former heresies▪ then we must against our will, according to our commission, separate you from us, and cut you off from the church, lest the rottenness of one part, in process of time, putrefy and corrupt the whole body, then must we confess and publish you to be none of our's; then must we yield you up to the temporal judges, of whom, except it otherwise please the king and queen's highness, you must receive punishment by the laws of this realm, due for heretics. WHEREFORE, Mr. Ridley, consider your state, remember your former degrees, spare your body, especially consider your soul, which Christ so dearly bought with hi• pre•ious blood, do not rashly cast away that which was precious in God's sight; enforce us not to do all that we may do, which is not only to publish you to be none of us, but to cut you off from the church: we do not, nor can we condemn you to die, (as most untruly hath been •eported of us) but that is the office of the temporal judges; we only declare you to be not of the church, and then you must, according to the tenor of them, and pleasure of the rulers, abide their determination, so that we, after we have given you up to the temporal rulers, have no further to do with you. ⟨p. 886⟩BUT I trust, Mr. Ridley, we shall not have occasion to do what we may. I trust you will suffer us to rest in that point of our commission, which w• most heartily desire, that is, upon recantation and repentance to •eceive to reconcile you, and again to join you to •he unity of the church. THEN Dr. Ridley, with often interruption, at length spake.
you will bring quietness to your conscience, and health to your soul; then shall we with great joy, by the authority committed to us from the cardinal's grace, receive you into the church again, acknowledging you to be no longer a rotten, but a lively member of the same; but if you shall still be singular, if you shall still obstinately persevere in your errors, stubbornly maintaining your former heresies then we must against our will, according to our commission, separate you from us, and cut you off from the church, lest the rottenness of one part, in process of time, putrify and corrupt the whole body, then must we confess and publish you to be none of our's; then must we yield you up to the temporal judges, of whom, except it otherwise please the king and queen's highness, you must receive punishment by the laws of this realm, due for heretics. WHEREFORE, Mr. Ridley, consider your state, remember your former degrees, spare your body, especially consider your soul, which Christ so dearly bought with hi preious blood, do not rashly cast away that which was precious in God's sight; enforce us not to do all that we may do, which is not only to publish you to be none of us, but to cut you off from the church: we do not, nor can we condemn you to die, (as most untruly hath been eported of us) but that is the office of the temporal judges; we only declare you to be not of the church, and then you must, according to the tenor of them, and pleasure of the rulers, abide their determination, so that we, after we have given you up to the temporal rulers, have no further to do with you.
RIDLEY. My lord, I acknowledge an unspotted church of Christ, in which no man can err, without which no man can be saved, which is spread throughout all the world, that is, the congregation of the faithful; neither do I alligate or bind the same to any one place, as you said, but confess the same to spread throughout all the world; and where Christ's sacraments are duly administered, his gospel truly preached and followed, there doth Christ's church shine as a city upon a hill, and as a candle in a candlestick: but rather it is such as you that would have the church of Christ bound a place, who appoint the same to Rome, that there and no where else is the foundation of Christ's church. But I am fully persuaded that Christ's church is every where founded, in every place where his gospel is truly received, and effectually followed. And in that the church of God is in doubt, I us• herein the counsel of Vincentius Lyrinen•is, whom I am sure you will allow, who giving precepts how the catholic church may be in all schisms and heresies known, writeth in this manner: When (saith he) one part is corrupted with heresies, then prefer the whole world before that one part; but if the greatest part be infected, then prefer antiquity. IN like manner now when I perceive the greatest part of christianity to be infected with the poison of the see of Rome, I repair to the usage of the primitive church, which I find quite contrary to the pope's decrees; as in that the priest receiveth alone, that it is made unlawful to the laity to receive in both kinds, and such like, wherefore it requireth, that I prefer the antiquity of the primitive church, before the novelty of the Romish church.
LINCOLN. Mr. Ridley, these faults which you charge the see of Rome withal, are indeed no faults. For first, it was never forbid the laity, but that they might, if they demanded, receive under both kinds. You know also, that Christ after his resurrection, at the time he went with his apostles to Galilee, op•ned himself by breaking of bread. You know that St. Paul after his long failing towards Rome, brake bread, and that the apostles came together in breaking of bread, which declareth that it is not unlawful to administer the sacrament under the form of bread only. And yet the church had just occasion to decree, that the laity should receive in one kind only, thereby to t•ke away an opinion of the unlearned, that Christ was wholly both flesh and blood, under the form of bread. Therefore to take away their opinion▪ and to establish better the people's faith, the Holy Ghost in the church thought fit to decree, that the laity should receive only in one kind; and it is no news for the church upon just consideration to alter rites and ceremonies. For you read in the Acts of the Apostles, that St. Paul writing to certain of the Gentiles, who had received the gospel biddeth them to abstain from things stifled, and from blood, so that this seemeth to be an express commandment; y•t who will say but tha• it is lawful to eat bloodings? How is it lawful but by the permission of the church?
LINCOLN. Mr. Ridley, these faults which you charge the see of Rome withal, are indeed no faults. For first, it was never forbid the laity, but that they might, if they demanded, receive under both kinds. You know also, that Christ after his resurrection, at the time he went with his apostles to Galilee, op•ned himself by breaking of bread. You know that St. Paul after his long failing towards Rome, brake bread, and that the apo••les came together in breaking of bread, which declareth that it is not unlaw•ul to administer the sacrament under the form of bread only. And yet the church had just occasion to decree, that the laity should receive in one kind only, thereby to t•ke away an opinion of the unlearned, that Christ was wholly both flesh and blood, under the form of bread. Therefore to take away their opnion and to establish better the people's faith, the Holy Ghost in the church thought fit to decree, that the laity should receive only in one kind; and it is no news for the church upon just consideraion to alter rites and ceremonies. For you read in the Acts of the Apostles, that St. Paul writing to certain of the Gentiles, who had received the gospel biddeth them to abstain from things stifld, and from blood, so that this seemeth to be an exprss commandment; yt who will say but tha it is lawful to eat bloodings? How is it lawful but by the permission of the church?
RIDLEY. My lord, such things as St. Paul enjoined to the Gentiles for a sufferance, by a little to win the Jews to Christ, were only commandments of time, and respected not the successors. But Christ's commandment. Do this, (that is, that which he did in remembrance, which was not to administer in one kind only) was not a commandment for a time, but to persevere to the world's end.
BUT the bishop of Lincoln not attending to this answer, without any stay proceeded in this oration.
SO that the church seemeth to have authority by the Holy Ghost, whom Christ said he would send after his ascension, which should teach the apostles all truth, to have power and jurisdiction to alter such points of the scripture, ever reserving the foundation: but we came not, as I said before, in this sort to reason the matter with you, but ⟨p. 887⟩have certain instructions ministered unto us, according to the tenor of which we must proceed, proposing certain articles, unto which we require your answer directly, either affirmatively, or negatively, to every of them, either denying them or granting them, without farther disputations or reasoning; for we have already stretched our instructions, in that we suffered you to debate and reason the matter, in such sort as we have done; which articles you shall hear now, and to-morrow at eight o'clo•k, in St. Mary's church, we will require and take your answers; and then according to the same proceed: and if you require a copy of them, you shall have it, pen, ink, and paper, also such books as you shall demand, if they be to be gotten in the university.
SO that the church seemeth to have authority by the Holy Ghost, whom Christ said he would send after his ascension, which should teach the apostles all truth, to have power and jurisdict•on to alter such points of the scripture, ever reserving the founda•ion: but we came not, as I said before, in this sort to reason the matter with you, but ⟨p. 887⟩have certain instructions ministered unto us, according to the tenor of which we must proceed, proposing certain articles, unto which we require your answer directly, either affirmatively, or negatively, to every of them, either denying them or granting them, without farther disputations or reasoning; for we have already stretched our instructions, in that we suffered you to debate and reason the matter, in such sort as we have done; which articles you shall hear now, and to-morrow at eight o'clo•k, in St. Mary's church, we will require and take your answers; and then according to the same proceed: and if you require a copy of them, you shall have it, pen, ink, and paper, also such books as you shall demand, if they be to be gotten in the university.
IN the name of God, Amen. We John of Lincoln, James of Gloucester, and John of Bristol, bishops, &c.
1. WE do object to thee, Nicholas Ridley, and to thee Hugh Latimer, jointly and severally; first, that in the year 1554, in the month of April, May, June, July, or in some one or more of them, hast affirmed and defended and maintained, and in many other times and places besides, that the true and natural body of Christ, after the consecration of the priest, is not really present in the sacrament of the altar.
1. WE do obj•ct to thee, Nicholas Ridley, and to thee Hugh Latimer, jointly and severally; first, that in the year 1554, in the month of April, May, June, July, or in some one or more of them, hast affirmed and defended and maintained, and in many other times and places besides, that the true and natu•al body of Christ, after the consecration of the priest, is not really present in the sacrament of the altar.
2. THAT in the year and months aforesaid thou hast publicly affirmed and defended, that in the sacrament of the altar remaineth still the substance of bread and wine.
2. THAT in the year and months aforesaid thou hast pu•licly affirmed and defended, that in the sacram•nt of the altar remaineth still the substance of bread and wine.
