Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 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.

*To his dearely beloued in Christ, Erkinalde Rawlins, and his wife.

GOd our deare and moste mercyfull Father thorough Christ,* 1.1 be with you my good Brother and Sister, as with his children for euer, and in all thinges so guide you with his holy spirite, the leader of his people, as may bee to his glory, and your owne euerlasting ioy and comfort in him. Amen. Because I haue oftentimes receiued from ei∣ther of you, comfort corporall (for the which I beseeche the Lorde, as to make me thankefull, so to recompence you both now & eternally) I can not but goe about (Lord help hereto for thy mercyes sake) to write some thing for your comfort spiritually.

My dearely beloued, looke not vppon these dayes and the afflictions of the same here with vs,* 1.2 simplye as they seeme vnto you, that is, as dismall dayes, and dayes of Gods vengeaunce, but rather as lucky dayes, and dayes of Gods fatherlye kindenesse towardes you, and suche as you be, that is, toward such as repent theyr sinnes, and e∣uill life paste, and earnestly purpose to amende, walking not after the will of the world, and most part of men, for the preseruation of theyr pelfe, whiche will they nill they, they shall leaue sooner or later, and to whome or howe it shall be vsed, they know not. In deede to suche as walke in theyr wickednesse, and winde on with the worlde, this tyme is a tyme of wrath and vengeaunce, and theyr begin∣ning of sorrowe is but nowe, because they contemne the Phisicke of theyr father, whiche by this purging time and cleansing dayes, would worke theyr weale, whiche they will nor:* 1.3 and because they will not haue Gods blessing, which both wayes he hath offered vnto them by prosperi∣ty and aduersity:* 1.4 therefore it shall be kepte farre enough from them. As when the sicke man will no kinde of Phi∣sicke at the handes of the Phisition, he is lefte alone, and so the malady encreaseth, and destroyeth him at the length. To such men in deed, these dayes are and should be dole∣full dayes, dayes of woe and weeping, because theyr dam∣nation draweth nigh.

But vnto such as be penitent, and are desirous to liue after the Lordes wil (among whom I do not onely count you, but as far as a man may iudge, I know ye are) vnto such I say,* 1.5 this time is and should be comfortable. For first now your father chastiseth you and me for our sinnes: for the which if he would haue destroyed vs, then woulde hee haue letten vs alone, and left vs to our selues, in nothyng to take to hart his fatherly visitation, which here it plea∣seth him to worke presently, because else where he wyll not remember our transgressions, as Paule writeth: He chastiseth vs in this world, least with the world we should perishe. Therefore my deare hartes, call to minde your sinnes to lament them,* 1.6 and to aske mercye for them in hys sight, and withall vndoubtedly beleue to obteyne pardon and assured forgeuenesse of the same, for twise the Lord pu∣nisheth not for one thing.

So that I saye, first wee haue cause to reioyce for these dayes, because our father suffereth vs not to lye in Iesa∣bels bed, sleeping in our owne sinnes and security, but as mindefull on vs, doth correct vs as his children. Where∣by we may be certayne, that we be no bastardes, but chil∣dren: for he chastiseth euery childe whom he receiueth.* 1.7 So that they which are not partakers of his chastising, or that contemne it, declare themselues to be bastardes, and not children: as I know ye are, which as ye are chastised, so do ye take it to hart accordingly. And therefore be glad my deare hartes and folkes, knowing certaynelye euen by these visitatiōs of the Lord, that ye are his deare elect chil∣dren, whose faultes your father doth visite with the rodde of correction, but his mercy will he neuer take away from vs. Amen.

Secondly, ye haue cause to reioyce for these dayes, be∣cause they are dayes of triall, wherein not onely ye your selues, but also the worlde shall knowe that ye be none of his, but the Lords dearelinges. Before these dayes came, Lord God, how many thought of them selues, they hadde bene in Gods bosome, and so were takē, and would be ta∣ken of the world? But now we see whose they are.* 1.8 For to whome we obey, his seruauntes we are. If wee obey the world (which god forbid, and hitherto ye haue not done it) then are we the worldes: but if we obey God, then are we Gods. Which thing (I mean that ye are Gods) these dayes haue declared both to you, to me, & to all other that know you, better then euer we knew it. Therefore ye haue no cause to sorrow, but rather to sing, in seing your selues to be Gods babes, and in seyng that all Gods children do so count you.

What though the world repine thereat? What though he kicke? What though he seek to trouble and molest you?* 1.9 My deare hartes, he doth but his kinde, he cannot loue the Lord, which liueth not in the Lorde, he can not brooke the childe, that hateth the Father, he canne not mind the seruaunt, that careth not for the Mayster. If ye were of the world, the world woulde loue you, ye should dwell quietly, there woulde be no griefe, no molestation. If the Deuill dwelt in you (which the Lord forbid) he would not stirre vp his knightes to besiege your house, to snatch your goodes, or suffer his freendes to enter into your Hogges.* 1.10 But because Christ dwelleth in you (as he doth by fayth) therefore styreth he vp his first begotten sonne the worlde, to seeke how to disquiet you, to robbe you, to spoyle you, to destroy you: and perchaunce your deare Father, to trye, and to make knowne vnto you, and to the world, that ye are destinate to an other dwelling the•• here on earth, to an other Citty then mannes eyes haue seene at any tyme: hath geuen, or will geue power to Sathan, and to the world, to take from you the thinges,* 1.11 whiche he hath lent you, and by taking them awaye, to trye your fidelitye, obedience, and loue towardes hym (for ye may not loue them aboue hym) as by geuyng that ye haue, and keeping it, he hath declared his loue towar∣des you.

Sathan perchaunce telleth GOD (as he did of Iob) that ye loue GOD for your goodes sake. What now then, if the Lord do try you with Iob, shall geue him power on your goodes and body accordingly, should ye be dismaied? should ye dispayre? shoulde ye be faynt harted? shoulde ye not rather reioyce, as did the Apostles, that they were coū∣ted worthy, to suffer any thing for the Lordes sake? Oh forget not the end that happened to Iob: for as it happe∣ned to him, so shall it happen vnto you. For GOD is the same God, and can not long forget to shew mercy, to them that look and long for it, as I know ye do, and I pray you so to do still. For the Lord loueth you, and neuer canne nor will forget to shewe, and poure out his mercy vpon you. After a little while that he hath afflicted & tryed you (sayth Peter) hee will visite, comfort and confirme you.* 1.12 As to Iacob wrastling with the Aungell, at the length mor∣ning came, and the sonne arose: so deare hartes, doubtlesse it will happen vnto you. Howbeit do ye as Iob and Ia∣cob did, that is (order and dispose your thinges that God hath lent you, as ye may and whiles ye haue time. Who knoweth whether God hath geuen you power this long euen to that end.

Go to therefore, dispose your goodes, prepare your sel∣ues to tryall, that eyther ye maye stande to it like Goddes Champions, or els if ye feele such infirmitye in your sel∣ues, that ye bee not able, geue place to violence, and goe where ye may with free and safe conscience serue the Lord. Thinke not this counsell to come by chaunce,* 1.13 or fortune, but to come from the Lorde. Other Oracles wee may not looke for now. As God told Ioseph in a dreame by an An∣gell, that he should flye: so if you fele such infirmity in your selues, as should turne to Gods dishonor and your owne destruction withall: knowe that at this present I am as Gods Aungell, to admonish you to take tyme whyles yee haue it, and to see that in no case Gods name by you might be dishonored. Ioseph might haue obiected the omission of his vocation, as perchaunce ye will do. But deare hartes, lette vocations and all thinges else geue place to Goddes name, and the sanctifying thereof.

This I speake, not as though I would not haue you rather to tary, und to stand to it: but I speake it in respecte of your infirmity, whiche if you feele to be so greate in you that ye are not certayne of this hope, that God will neuer tempt you aboue your ability: flye and get you hence, and know that thereby GOD will haue you tryed to your selues, and to others. For by it you shall know howe to take this world, and your home here is no home, but that ye looke for an other, and so geue occasion to others lesse to loue this worlde, and perchaunce to some to doubte of theyr Religion. Wherin though they be earnest, yet would they not loose so much, as ye do for your Religion, which ye do confirme to me and others, by your geuing place to violence.

Last of al, ye haue cause to reioyce ouer these our daies, because they bee the dayes of conformation, in the whiche and by whiche, GOD our heauenly Father maketh vs like vnto Christes Image here,* 1.14 that we may be like vnto him elswhere. For if that we suffer with him, then we shal reigne also with him: if we be buryed with him, then wee shall rise with him agayne, if that we company with hym in all troubles and afflictions, then we shall reioyce wyth him in glory: if we now sow with him in teares, we shall reape with him in gladnes: if we confesse him before men, he will confesse vs before his father in heauen: if wee take his parte, he will take ours: if wee loose ought for his na∣mes sake, he will geue vs all thynges for his truthes sake. So that we ought to reioyce and be glad: for it is not ge∣uen to euery one, to suffer losse of countrey, life, goodes, house. &c. for the Lordes sake. What can God the father do more vnto vs, thē to call vs into the camp with his sonne? What may Christ our Sauior do more for vs, thē to make vs his Warriours? What can the holy Ghost do to vs a∣boue this, to marke vs with the cognisaunce of the Lorde of hostes?

This cognisaunce of the Lorde, standeth not in forked cappes,* 1.15 typettes, shauen crownes, or such other baggage and Antichristian pelfe, but in suffering for the Lordes sake. The world shall hate you, sayth Christ. Loe, ••here is the Cognisaunce and Badge of Goddes children: The world shall hate you. Reioyce therefore my dearely belo∣ued, reioyce, that God doth thus vouchsafe to beginne to conforme you, and make you like to Christ. By the tryall of these dayes yee are occasioned more to repent, more to pray, more to contemn this world, more to desire life euer∣lasting, more to be holy (for holy is the end wherefore God doth afflict vs) and so to come to Gods companye. Whych thing because we can not doe, as long as this body is as it is, therfore by the dore of death we must enter with Christ into eternall life, and immortality of soule and body: whi∣che God of his mercy send shortly for our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 godly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ioyfull: the 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.3

  Clensing dayes.
• * 1.4

  Gods 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 refused.
• * 1.5

  〈…〉〈…〉 recea∣••ed with 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.6

  God punisheth not twise for one thing.
• * 1.7

  Difference be∣tweene bastards and children.
• * 1.8

  Trouble tryeth who be of God, & who be not.
• * 1.9

  A true louer of the world is declared by hi•• lyfe.
• * 1.10

  The deuill ne∣uer entereth in∣to his owne hogges.
• * 1.11

  The Lord ge∣ueth power to Sathan some∣tymes ouer his Seruantes, and to what ende. God vseth to try his.
• * 1.12

  Iacob must teach vs to wrastle.
• * 1.13

  This Erkinald and his wyfe folowing this counsayle, did flie both be∣yond sea.
• * 1.14

  Tribulation doth conforme vs to the Image of Christ.
• * 1.15

  The Lordes cognisaunce standeth not in forked caps. &c. but in suffering for the Lordes sake.