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.

Borthwike.

* 1.1It shalbe euidently declared, that indulgences and par∣dons are of none effect, after that I haue first of all taught what they do call Indulgences or pardons. They say they are the treasure of the church, that is to say, the merites of Christ, of the Saints, Apostles and Martyrs, which they impudently affirme to haue performed and merited more at Gods hand, at the tyme of their death, then was neces∣sary or needfull for them: & that of the aboundance of their merites, there did so much superabound which was not onely sufficient for themselues,* 1.2 but also might redound to the helpe of others. And because so great a goodnes should not be superfluous or in vayne, they affirme and teach that their bloud was mixed and ioyned with y^e bloud of Christ: and of them both the treasure of the church was compoūd and made for the remission and satisfactiō of sinnes. How cunning and notable cookes these are, which can make a confection of so many sundry herbes. Furthermore, they do fayne the custody and keping of this treasure to be cō∣mitted wholy vnto the bishop of Rome,* 1.3 in whose power consisteth the dispensation of so great treasures, that he ey∣ther by himselfe may geue or graunt, or otherwyse geue power vnto other to geue the same. And hereupon riseth the plenary, Indulgences and pardons graunted by the Pope for certaine yeares, by cardinals for 100. dayes, by bishops for 40. dayes. This is the iudgement and opini∣on which they hold of the Indulgences. But I pray you, who taught those saints to worke or deserue for other, but only Sathan, who would vtterly haue y^e merits of Christ extinguished and blotted out, which he knoweth to be the onely remedy of saluation? For if the Scripture do teache vs that no man of himselfe can deserue or worke their sal∣uation,* 1.4 how did the saints then worke or merit for others. It is manifest that Christ saith in the xvij. of Luke, when we haue done all that which is commanded you for to do, yet sayth he, we are vnprofitable seruaunts. Besides this, all that which may be deserued or merited in the righte∣ousnes of man, in the 64. chapter of Esay, they are compa∣red vnto the garment menstruous & defiled, to be cast out.

There are almost infinite places in y^e scripture, where∣in mans power is so extenuate, and the corruption & fro∣wardnes of our nature so made manifest, that euen in the best and most perfect workes, there lacketh not imperfec∣tion. Notwithstanding the parable of the x. virgins writ∣ten in the 25. chapter of Mathew,* 1.5 ought to put vs out of all controuersie and doubt. There Christ describeth two kindes of men, the one kynde of holy men which obserue and keepe the inward righteousnesse of the heart, as the oyle of fayth, the other sorte is of suche, which hauyng no mynde of theyr oyle, are aunswered by them whiche are wyse no, least that there be not sufficient for you and for vs, but go you rather to them which doe sell and buy for your selues: in the whiche place it is manifestlye decla∣red how vainely the second sorte of men doth flye to the patronage of the elect, by whose merites they thinke to be saued.

Now let vs waie and consider vpon what places of scripture they build or establish their fayned inuention of pardons: they alledge the saying of S. Paule to the Co∣lossians. I supply or fulfill the afflictions of Christ, which were wanting in my flesh, for his body which is y^e church. But Paul in this place doth not referre that defect or sup∣plement to any worke of redemption, expiation or satis∣faction, but to those afflictions, by the which the members of Christ, that is to say, all faithfull, should be afflicted, so long as they liue in the flesh, wherefore he sayth, that this doth yet remaine of the passions of Christ, that those afflic∣tions which once he suffered in his owne body, he nowe daily suffereth in his members. For Christ hath vouchsa∣ued to honour vs with this honour, that he doth impute and call our afflictions to be his. And where as S. Paule doth adde this word for the church, he doth not vnderstād thereby for the redemption, reconciliation, satisfaction▪* 1.6 or expiation of the church. But for the edi••••eng and profit••ng of the same, as in the ij. epistle to Timothie, he saith: That for the elect sake he suffered all these things, y^t they myght obtaine saluation, but to the intent no man should thinke that saluation to depend vpon those things which he him¦selfe had suffered, he added further,* 1.7 the which is in Christ Iesu. As touching the reason that the bloud of the Mar∣tyrs is not shed in vayne without fruit or profit, & there∣fore ought to be conferred to the common vtilitie and pro∣fite of the church. I answer, that the profit and fruit therof is aboundant to glorify God by their death, to subscribe and beare witnesse vnto the truth by their bloud, and by the contempt of this present lyfe, to witnesse, that he doth seeke after a better lyfe, by his constancie and stedfastnesse, to confirme and establish the fayth of the church, and sub∣due and vanquish the enemy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Indulgences to be of no effect.
• * 1.2

  The treasure of the church as popeholders ta••e it.
• * 1.3

  Lord treasurer of the church, Papists hold to be the Pope.
• * 1.4

  No man of him∣s••lfe can worke his owne salua∣tion.
• * 1.5

  The parable of the 10. virgines expounded.
• * 1.6

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.7

  The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈…〉〈…〉 a profiteth.