N20568:9874
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 (thou, O man of God) for our Lord's sake, let us not for the love of this life, tarry then too long, and be occasion of delay of that glorious consummation, in hope of expectation whereof they departed in the Lord, and which also the living endued with God's Spirit, ought so earnestly to desire and to groan for with all the creatures of God. Let us all, with John the servant of God, cry in our hearts unto our Saviour Christ, Come, Lord Jesus, come. For then when Christ, who is our life, shall be made manifest, and appear in glory, then shall the children of God appear what they be, even like unto Christ: for this our weak body shall be transfigured, and made like unto Christ's glorious body, and that by the power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. Then that which is now corruptible, shall be made incorruptible: that which now is vile, shall be made glorious: that which is now weak, shall rise then mighty and strong: that which is gross and carnal, shall be made fine and spiritual: for then we shall see and have the unspeakable joy and fruition of the glorious Majesty of our Lord, even as he is.
NOW (thou, O man of God) for our Lord's sake, let us not for the love of this life, tarry then too long, and be occasion of delay of that glorious consummation, in hope of expectation whereof they departed in the Lord, and which also the living indued with God's Spirit, ought so earnestly to desire and to groan for with all the creatures of God. Let us all, with John the servant of God, cry in our hearts unto our Saviour Christ, Come, Lord Jesus, come. For then when Christ, who is our life, shall be made manifest, and appear in glory, then shall the children of God appear what they be, even like unto Christ: for this our weak body shall be transfigured, and made like unto Christ's glorious body, and that by the power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. Then that which is now corrupible, shall be made incorruptible: that which now is vile, shall be made glorious: that which is now weak, shall rise then mighty and strong: that which is gross and carnal, shall be made fine and spiritual: for then we shall see and have the unspeakable joy and fruition of the glorious Majesty of our Lord, even as he is.
WHO, or what then shall hinder us to jeopard, yea, to spend this life which we have here in Christ's cause? O therefore, thou man of God, thou that art loaden, and so hindered like unto a pregnant woman, that thou canst not fly the plague, yet if thou lust after such things as I have spoken of, stand fast whatsoever shall befall, in thy master's cause; and take this thy hindrance to fly, for a calling of God to fight in thy master Christ's cause. Of this be thou certain, they can do nothing unto thee, which thy Father is not aware of, or hath not foreseen before: they can do no more than it shall please him to suffer them to do for the furtherance of his glory, edifying of his church, and thine own salvation. Let them then do what they shall, seeing to thee, O man of God, all things shall be forced to serve, and to work with thee unto the best before God. O be not afraid, and remember the end.
WHO, or what then shall hinder us to jeopard, yea, to spend this life which we have here in Christ's cause? O therefore, thou man of God, thou that art loaden, and so hindered like unto a pregnant woman, that thou canst not fly the plague, yet if thou lust after such things as I have spoken of, stand fast whatsoever shall befal, in thy master's cause; and take this thy hindrance to fly, for a calling of God to fight in thy master Christ's cause. Of this be thou certain, they can do nothing unto thee, which thy Father is not aware of, or hath not foreseen before: they can do no more than it shall please him to suffer them to do for the furtherance of his glory, edifying of his church, and thine own salvation. Let them then do what they shall, seeing to thee, O man of God, all things shall be forced to serve, and to work with thee unto the best before God. O be not afraid, and remember the end.
ALL this which I have spoken for the comfort of the lamentable case of the man whom Christ called great bellied woman, I mean to be spoke likewise to the captive and prisoner in God's cause▪ for such I count to be as it were already summoned and pressed to fight under the banner of the cross of Christ, and as it were soldiers allowed and taken up for the Lord's wars, to do their Lord and master good and honourable service, and •o stick to him, as men of trusty service in his cause, even unto death, and to think their life lost in his cause, is to win it in eternal glory for evermore.
THEREFORE, now to conclude and make an end of this treatise, I say unto all that love God our heavenly Father, that love Christ Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour▪ that love to follow the ways of the Holy Ghost, which is comforter and sanctifier; unto all that love Christ's spouse and body, the true catholic church of Christ, yea, that love life and their own souls health; I say unto all these, hearken, my dear brethren and sisters, all you that be of God, of all sorts, ages, dignities, or degrees; hearken to the words of our Saviour Jesus Christ, spoken to his apostles, and meant to all his, in St. Matthew's gospel, Fear not them which kill the body, for they cannot kill the soul; but fear him more which may destroy and east both body and soul into hell fire. Are not two small sparrows sold for a mite, and one of them shall not fall or light upon the ground without your Father? All the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear them not, you are much more worth than are the little sparrows. Every one that confesseth me before men, him shall I likewise confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, I shall deny him likewise before my Father which is in heaven.
THEREFORE, now to conclude and make an end of this treatise, I say unto all that love God our heavenly Father, that love Christ Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour▪ that love to follow the ways of the Holy Ghost, which is comforter and sanctifier; unto all that love Christ's spouse and body, the true catholic church of Christ, yea, that love life and their own souls health; I say unto all these, hearken, my dear brethern and sisters, all you that be of God, of all sorts, ages, dignities, or degrees; hearken to the words of our Saviour Jesus Christ, spoken to his apostles, and meant to all his, in St. Matthew's gospel, Fear not them which kill the body, for they cannot kill the soul; but fear him more which may destroy and east both body and soul into hell fire. Are not two small sparrows sold for a mite, and one of them shall not fall or light upon the ground without your Father? All the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear them not, you are much more worth than are the little sparrows. Every one that confesseth me before men, him shall I likewise confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, I shall deny him likewise before my Father which is in heaven.
THE Lord grant us therefore of his heavenly grace and strength, that here we may so confess him in this world amongst this adulterous and sinful generation, that he may confess us again at the latter day before his Father which is in heaven, to our glory and everlasting comfort, joy▪ and salvation.
TO our heavenly Father, to our Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Ghost, be all honour now and for ever. Amen.
NICHOLAS RIDLEY.
JOHN WEBB was brought before the bishop of Dover, and Nicholas Harpsfield, or some other deputed in their room, on the 16th of September, and there had propounded unto him such articles as were commonly administered by Bonner to those of his jurisdiction: and being willed for that present to depart, and to deliberate with himself upon the matter, against the next time of his appearance; he made answer, that he ••uld no otherwise say (by God's grace) than he ha• already said, which was this: As touching the ••••ament of Christ's body, said he, I do believe it to be left unto his church (with thanksgiving) in co••••emoration of his death and passion, until his ••ming ag••n. So that it is left in remembrance of his ⟨p. 939⟩body, and not by the words of consecration to be made wholly his body, really, substantially, and the same body that was born of the virgin Mary: I utterly deny that.
JOHN WEBB was brought before the bishop of Dover, and Nicholas Harpsfield, or some other deputed in their room, on the 16th of September, and there had propounded unto him such articles as were commonly administered by Bonner to those of his jurisdiction: and being willed for that present to depart, and to deliberate with himself upon the matter, against the next time of his appearance; he made answer, that he ••uld no otherwise say (by God's grace) than he ha• •lready said, which was this: As touching the ••••ament of Christ's body, said he, I do believe it to be left unto his church (with thanksgiving) in co••••emoration of his death and passion, until his ••ming ag••n. So that it is left in remembrance of his ⟨p. 939⟩
AFTER this (besides sundry other times) the third of October, the said John Webb, George Roper, and Gregory Park, were all brought together before the said judges; who there and then agreeing, and steadfastly allowing the former answer made before by Mr. Webb,, were by the bloody prelates adjudged heretics; and therefore about the end of the same month they were brought out of prison together to the place of martyrdom; saying certain psalms mournfully as they were going to the stake.
AFTER this (besides sundry other times) the third of October, the said John Webb, George Roper, and Gregory Parke, were all brought together before the said judges; who there and then agreeing, and stedfastly allowing the former answer made before by Mr. Webb,, were by the bloody prelates adjudged heretics; and therefore about the end of the same month they were brought out of prison together to the place of martyrdom; saying certain psalms mournfully as they were going to the stake.
AND being thus brought (as I said) to the stake, and there encompassed about with a chain, were burnt all together in one fire at Canterbury, most patiently enduring their torments, and accounting themselves happy nnd blessed of the Lord that they were made worthy to suffer for Christ's gospel sake.
THE 13th of December, William Wiseman, a cloth-worker of London, died in Lollard's-Tower, where he was in prison and bonds for the gospel of Christ: some thought, that either through famine, or ill handling of some murdering papists, he was made away. By reason whereof the coroner, named John Gibbs, gentleman, with an inquest of twelve men, sat upon him, who although to outward appearance, were said to find nothing in him else but only God's visitation, yet what other privy causes there might be of his death, the Lord knoweth, I have not to say.
THE 13th of December, William Wiseman, a cloth-worker of London, died in Lollard's-Tower, where he was in prison and bonds for the gospel of Christ: some thought, that either through famine, or ill handling of some murdering papists, he was made away. By reason whereof the coroner, named John Gibbes, gentleman, with an inquest of twelve men, sat upon him, who although to outward appearance, were said to find nothing in him else but only God's visitation, yet what other privy causes there might be of his death, the Lord knoweth, I have not to say.
AFTER the said William Wiseman was departed (as is said) in the Tower, the papists cast him out into the fields, commanding that no man should bury him, according as their devout manner is to do with all such as die in like sort, whom they account as profane, and worthy of no burial, but to be cast to dogs and birds. And yet notwithstanding this their merciless commandment, some good Tobits there were who buried him in the evening, as commonly they did all the rest thrown out in like manner, whom they were wont privily by night to cover, and many times the archers in the fields standing by, and singing psalms together at their their burial.
IN the same month of December, James Gore also died in prison at Colchester, laid there in bonds for the truth of God's word.
END OF VOLUME THE FIRST.
