Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

[illustration]

A Table of the X. first Persecutions of the Primitiue Church vnder the Heathen Tyrannes of Rome, continuing the space almost of ccc. yeares after Christ from the tyme of Tiberius, vnto Constantinus Emperours of Rome, with the sundrye kindes of Tormentes deuised agaynst the Christians, as by the places here noted and quoted, in the story is to be found more at large.

* 1.1THese persecutiōs of y^e primatiue Churche lasted ccxciiij. yeares, counting from the beheading of S. Iohn Baptist (which was the xxxii. yeare of the raigne of Tiberius.) till the end of Licinius the last persecuting Emperour of Rome. Cōcerning y^e which ccxciiiij. yeares S Iohn in his Reuelation doth Prophesie before in sundrye places: first Cap. ji. where he sayth: The Gentiles shall tread downe the holy Citie xiij. monethes. And agayne in the xiij. Chapter: And power was geuen to the Beast to make xlii. monethes. &c. Which xlii. monethes being counted by Sabbates of yeares after the common vse of Scripture, & of Daniell, that is, euery moneth for vii. yeares, doe rise to the number aforesayd, of ccxciiij. yeares.

* 1.2Wherein is to be noted y^e errour of thē, which taking these xlii. monethes simply (as the letter standeth (for iij. yeares and a halfe, do affirme thereby, that Antichrist, when he shall come (being borne of the tribe of Dan) shall reigne but onely iij. yeares and a halfe: not vnderstāding how these xlii. monethes are mistically to be reckened by Sabbates of yeares, that is, vij. yeares to euery moneth, after the vse of Scripture, and so they make ccxciiij. yeares: During the tyme of whiche yeares, Antichrist then reigned in the Primitiue Churche, till the comming of Constantine the Christian Emperour.

* 1.3The lyke vnderstanding also hath y^e iij. dayes & a half mētioned in the Reuelation. Cap. xi. where is sayd: That after three dayes and a halfe the two Prophetes shall reuiue agayne. &c. For count euery houre of the day (whiche bexii.) by Sabbates of yeares, that is, for vii. yeares, and it commeth to ccxciiij. yeares.

* 1.4And so whether ye count by monthes or by dayes, both wayes it geueth a time, tymes, and halfe a tyme. For as one tweluemonth (whiche is one yeare) maketh one tyme, ii. tweluemonthes (whiche is ii. yeare) make ii. times: & vi. monethes (which is halfe a yeare) make halfe a tyme, making altogether xlii. monethes: so likewise in one day, ij. dayes and halfe a daye, may be vnderstand a tyme, tymes, and halfe a tyme, mentioned in the Reuelation cap. xii.

* 1.5Furthermore, where in the sayde Reuelation of S. Iohn. cap. xii. mention is made of a M. cclx. dayes, it commeth, likewise to the same reckening. For in geuing xxx. dayes to a moneth, so many dayes doe amounte in all to xlii. monethes. Which (as is sayde) being reduced to Sabbates of yeares, make ccxciiii. yeares: and so long continued these Persecutions.

* 1.6Note moreouer, that after y^e tyme of these Persecutions expired, S. Iohn in the sayd booke of his Reuelations. Cap. xx. prophesieth that Sathan shoulde be tyed vp for a thousande yeares, and after that let lose agayne in the worlde for a little space that is, that the rage and violence of Persecution shoulde then be styrred vp agaynst Gods people, as before: Which loosing of Sathan falleth vpon the yeare of our Lorde. 1324. At what time the kingdome of the Turkes first beganne vnder Ottomannus, wasting and destroying then the Churches of Asia, and afterward of Europa. Read the Actes and Monumentes. Pag. 735.736.738. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••I••. Monethes. Reuelat. xi.
• * 1.2

  lii. yeares & a halfe.
• * 1.3

  iij. dayes & a halfe. Reuelat. xi.
• * 1.4

  A time, times, and halfe a time. Reuelat. xij.
• * 1.5

  M.CCLX. dayes. Reuelat. xij.
• * 1.6

  The tying & losing agayne of Sathan. Reuelat. 20.