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.

It is plainly manifest by lawfull prooues, that the said Iohn Borthwike had and presently hath, diuers bookes suspected of heresie, condemned as wel by the papall, as al∣so Regall and ordinary authoritie, and prohibited by the lawe, that is to say, specially the newe Testament com∣monly printed in Englishe, Oecolampadius, Melancton, and diuers treatises of Erasmus, and other condemned heretickes, also a Booke intituled, vnio dissidentium, the which conteyneth most manifest and great erroures, and hereticall assumptions, and hath red and studied the same as well openly as priuately, and hath presented and com∣municated them vnto others, and also hath instructed and taught many Christians in the same, to the ende and pur∣pose, to diuert and turne them away from the true christi∣an and catholike fayth.

Borthwike.

O good God, who can suffer so great a blasphemye? with what a filthy cankered stomacke doe these Romishe swine note the new testament of heresie? who would not iudge it a most venemous tongue, which dare pronounce or vtter such contumelious wordes agaynst the holy Gos∣pell of our Sauiour Christ? Truely as the Iewes which put Christ to death, of all other murderers, euen so these men (how so euer they doe pronounce me an Archhere∣tike) do fill vp the measure of all other heretikes: I wyll not say blasphemies, how then shall these serpentes and stocke of Uipers escape and flye the iudgement of euerla∣styng fire? I do not greatly stand or stay that they doe su∣spect Oecolampadius, Melancthon, or Erasmus, neither am I so mad to plead their cause who as they are men of singuler learnyng and eloquence, so doe their writings manifestly declare, how falsly and wickedly these Sico∣phants impute this crime & slaunder of heresie vnto them.