Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] 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 all the true professors and louers of Gods holy Gospell within the City of London.

THe same faith for the whiche Abraham was counted righteous, and Mary blessed, the Lorde GOD en∣crease and make stable in your hartes, my deare and faith∣full brethren & sisters of London, for euer and euer, Amen.

Dearely beloued, be not troubled in this heat which is now come amongest you to try you, as though some straunge thing had happened vnto you, but reioyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christes passions, that when his glory appeareth, ye may be mery and glad. &c. Out of these wordes of S. Peter I gather most specially these 4. notes. First, y^e persecution happeneth to Christes Church for their triall, that is, for the probation and proofe of their fayth. Which fayth, like as it is knowne with God in the depth of our hartes, so will he haue it made manifest to y^e whole worlde through persecution, that so it may euident¦ly appeare that hee hath such a Churche and people vpon earth, which so trusteth in hym and feareth his holy name that no kinde of persecution, paynes, nor death, shalbe a∣ble to seperate them from the loue of hym. And thus was Abraham tried, and Iob tempted, that their fayth whiche before laye hid almost in their hartes, might bee made knowne to the whole world to be so stedfast and stronge, that the deuill, naturall loue, nor no other enemie, coulde bee able to bereaue them thereof. Whereby also GOD was to be magnefied, who both tryeth his people by ma∣ny tribulations, and also standeth by them in the middest of their troubles to deliuer them by lyfe or death, as he se∣eth best: like as he assisted Loth, and deliuered hym out of his enemies handes, Ioseph out of the handes of his Bre∣thren and out of Prison, Paule from his enemies in Da∣masco, and the Apostles out of the Stockes and Prison. These with many mo he deliuered to lyfe: And also he de∣liuered Abell, Eleazar, Steuen, and Iohn Baptist, with other manye by deathe, and hathe also by the tryall of their fayth made them good presidentes and examples to vs and all that come after, to suffer affliction in the like cause as Saynt Iames sayeth: Take, my brethren (sayth he) the prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersity and of long pacience, which spake vnto you in the name of the Lord: beholde we count them happy which endure. Y•• haue heard of the pacience of Iob, and haue knowne what end the Lord made with him, for the Lord is very pitifull and mercifull. Also the Lorde tryeth vs, to let vs see our owne hartes and thoughtes, that no Hypocrisy or Am∣bitiō deceiue vs, & that the strong in Christ may pray that he fall not but endure to the ende, and that those that fall through fearefull infirmity, might speedely repent and rise agayne with Peter, and also that the weake ones mighte bewayle theyr weakenes, and crye with Dauid: haue mer∣cy vpon me O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord heale me for all my bones are vexed.

Of this opening of the heart by persecution, spake ho∣ly Simion to Mary Christes mother when he sayde: the Sworde, that is, the Crosse of persecution shall pearse thy Soule, that the thoughtes of many hartes may be o∣pened. For like as a king that should go to battell, is cō∣pelled to looke in his cofers what treasure he hath, and also what number and puisaunce of menne and weapons hee hath, so that if he himselfe be vnready and vnarmed to bic∣ker with hys enemye, he surceaseth and taketh truice for a time: euen so wee by persecutions haue our heartes o∣pened that wee maye looke therein to see what fayth in Christ we haue, and what strength to withstand the ene∣mies, and to beare the Crosse, that if we be riche in these treasures, we might reioyce and valiauntly go to Battell: or if we want these thinges, with all speede to call and crye vppon him which geueth all good giftes to those that aske them. Item, the crosse trieth the good people from the bad, the faythfull from the worldlinges and hipocrites, and al∣so cleanseth and scoureth the faythfull hartes from all cor∣ruption and filthinesse both of the flesh and the spirit. And euen as yron, except it be often scoured, will soone waxe ru∣sty: so except our sinnefull hartes and flesh be often scoured with the whetstone of the Crosse, they will soone corrupt & ouergrowe with the ruste of all filthinesse and sinne. And therefore it is meete and good for vs (as the wise man say∣eth) that as gold & siluer are tryed in the fire, so should the hartes of acceptable men be tried in the fornace of aduersi∣ty. Abide the triall (deare frendes) that yee may obteyne the Crowne of life. Fighte manfully in this the Lordes cause, that ye may obteyne a glorious victorye here, and receiue a greate rewarde in heauen hereafter. As yee are called Christians, and woulde be angry to be called Ie∣wes or Turkes, so declare your Christianity by folowing the steps of Christ, whose name ye beare: suffer with hym

and for his Gospelles sake, rather then to denye him or to defile your fayth and conscience with false worshipping of Romish religion.

Take vp your Crosse (my deare hartes) now when it is offered you, and go vp with Christ to Ierusalem amō∣gest the Bishoppes, Priestes, and Rulers if God call you thereto, and they will anone sende you to Caluery: from whence (dying in the cause of the Gospell, wherein our good Preachers and Brethren haue geuen theyr liues) your soules (I warrant you) through Christ Iesu, shall ascend to God that gaue them, and the body shall come af∣ter at the last day, and so shal ye dwell with the Lord for e∣uer in vnspeakeable ioy and blisse. O blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake, as Christes peo∣ple in this Iewish Englande nowe doth, for theyrs is the kingdome of heauen. O my beloued, set your mindes on this kingdome where Christ our head and king is, consi∣dering that as the brute beast tooketh downewardes with the face towardes the earth, so man is made contrariwise with his face looking vpward towardes, the heauens, be∣cause his conuersation should be in heauen and heauenlye thinges, and not vpon the earth and earthly thinges, and S. Paule sayth: set your mindes on thinges whiche are a∣boue, where Christ is. And agayne he sayth: our conuersa∣tion is in heauen, from whence we looke for our Sauiour, who will chaunge our vile bodyes, and make them like to his glorious body. Oh y^e glorious estate that we be called vnto. The Lord preserue vs harmeles to his eternal king¦dome through Christ Iesus our Lord. Amen.

The second thing that I note in the foresayde wordes of Peter, is that he calleth persecution no straunge thinge. And trueth it is: for which of the Prophetes were not per∣secuted with Christ and his Apostles, and some of them in the end cruelly killed for the truthes sake? Cain killed A∣bell, Isaac was persecuted of Ismaell, Iacob was hated of Esau, Ioseph was prisoned and set in the Stockes, the Prophet Esay was cut in two with a Saw, Ieremy was stoned, Micheas was buffeted and fed with bread and wa∣ter, Helias was sore persecuted, Eleazar, and the woman with her 7. sonnes were cruelly killed. What Christ and the Apostles suffered it is well knowne. So that by many tribulations as (Paul sayth) we must enter into the king∣dome of Heauen. All the holy Prophetes, Christ and hys Apostles suffered such afflictions not for euill doing, but for preaching Gods word, for rebuking the world of sinne, and for theyr fayth in Iesus Christ. This is the ordinance of GOD (my Frendes) this is the high way to heauen, by corporall death to eternall life: as Christ sayth, he that heareth my woordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee, hath eternall life, and shall not come into iudgement, but is escaped from death to life. Let vs neuer feare death, which is killed by Christ, but beleue in him and liue for e∣uer, as Paule sayth: There is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesu, which walke not after the fleshe, but after the Spirit. And agayne Paule sayth: Death where is thy styng? Hell where is thy victory? Thankes be to God which hath geuen vs victory through Iesu Christe. Besides this, ye haue seene and dayly doe see the bloud of your good Preachers and Brethren which hath bene shed in the Gospelles cause in this sinnefull Sodome, this bloudy Ierusalem, this vnhappy City of London. Lette not theyr bloud be forgotten, nor the bloud of your good Bishop Ridley, who like a Shepheard, to your comforte & exāple, hath geuen his life for his sheepe, good S. Paule sath: remember them that haue spoken to you the word of God, and looke vpon the end of theyr conuersation, and fo∣low theyr fayth.

The Deuill euer stirreth vp false teachers, as he hath done now ouer all Englande, as Peter, Paule and Iude prophesied it should be, to poyson and kill our soules with the false doctrine. And where he fayleth of his purpose that way, then mooueth he his members to persecute the seely carcases of the Saynctes, because they will not denye nor dissemble theyr pure fayth in our liuing Christ, and con∣fesse a dead breadye Christ, and honour the same as Christ God and man, contrary to Gods commaūdement. This is the working of Sathan, who knowing hys owne iust damnation, woulde all mankinde to be partakers wyth him of the same: such a mortall hatred beareth he agaynst GOD and his people. And therefore when this wicked Tempter coulde not kill Christe with subtle tentation to fall downe and worship him, then he styrred vp his ser∣uauntes the Bishops and Pharises to kill his body, wher¦by notwithstanding the Deuill loste his title and interest whiche hee had to mans soule, and man by his precious passion and death was raunsomed from the Deuil, death and Hell, to immortality & life euerlasting: and so when Sathan thought to haue wonne all in killing of Christ, he lost all: and so shall he doe in vs if wee abide constaunt•• and strong in the fayth of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe vnto the ende. God graunte it for his mercyes sake in Christ. Blessed are all they that put theyr trust in him, Amen.

Wherefore my hartely beloued brethren and sisters (be of good comfort through Iesus Christ: for he that is in vs, is stronger then he that is in the world. Therfore draw ye neare to God, and he will drawe neare to you. Resist the Deuill and he will (as Iames sayth) flee frō you. Beware of the leuen of the Phariseis. Touch not pitch, least ye be defiled therewith. Eate no Swines flesh, for it is agaynst the law: I meane, defile not your selues neither inwardly nor outwardly with this false and wicked religion of An∣tichrist: for it is nothing els but pitche and Swines fleshe. Beware of the beastes marke least ye drinke of the cup of Gods wrath. If God haue geuen you knowledge & faith, dissemble not therewith. Denye not the knowne veritye before men, least Christ deny you before his Father. Come away from Babilon, as Iohn biddeth you, and touche no vncleane thinge, but separate your selues from the company of the vngodly, as Paule commaundeth you. Whatsoeuer ye haue done amisse heretofore, now repent & amend, for with the Lorde there is mercy and plenteous redemption.

The thirde thing and note which I gather out of the forsayd wordes of Peter, is this, that he sayth: Reioyce because ye are pertakers of Christes Passion. Our suffe∣ringes (my welbeloued) are Christes sufferinges: and that iniury that is done to vs for his sake, he reckoneth it to be done to himselfe, as he sayd to Paule: Saul, Saul,why persecutest thou me? Therefore we ought to reioyce in our sufferinges, as Paule writeth: whiche we suffer with Christ and one with another, as Peter sayeth, and so to fulfill that whiche is behinde of the Passions of Christ in our flesh: whiche Christ hath by his Passion, fully re∣deemed and saued vs in his owne person: how be it hys electe must suffer with hym and for him vnto the worldes ende, that he may be glorified in them, and they thereby corrected and cleansed from sinne in this worlde, and bee made more meete Temples for the holy Ghoste, and also obteyne a greate rewarde in heauen for theyr suffering for righteousnesse sake, according to his promise. And ther∣fore I saye (my Brethren) reioyce in the Lorde alwayes, and agayne I say reioyce. Let vs reioyce in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified to vs, and we to it.

And why shoulde wee so greatly reioyce in the Crosse of Christ, which we now suffer? Because (sayth Peter) when his glory appeareth, we may be mery and glad. And this is the fourth note that I gather out of his wordes a∣boue written: Wherein is set out the reward of suffering, not to be had in this worlde: but at his comming to iud∣gement when we shalbe raysed agayne: and then shal they that haue sowne in teares, reape in ioy, as Christ sayth: Blessed are they that weepe here, for they shall laughe. Blessed are ye when men hate you, and thrust you out of theyr companye, raylinge on you, and abhorring your name as an euill thing for the sonne of mans sake, reioyce ye in that day and be gladde, for your reward is greate in Heauen.

Wherefore (my dearely beloued) through the hope of this heauenly ioy and rewarde, which he that can not lye hath promised (whiche ioye is so greate that no eare hath heard, no eye hath sene, nor the hart can thinke, where we shall dwell for euer in the heauenly City, the celestiall Ie∣rusalem, in the presence of God the Father, & Iesus Christ our Mediatour, as Paul sayth, and in the company of in∣numerable Angels, and with the spirites and soules of all faythfull and iust men) reioyce and be glad: and seing ye be called to so great glory, see that ye make your election and vocation sure by good workes, and specially by sufferinge aduersitye for the Gospelles sake: for it is geuen vs of GOD (sayth Paule) not onely to beleue in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake. Continue in prayer, and praye for me that I may ende my course with ioy. Haue Bro∣therly loue amongest your selues, whiche is a token that ye be Christes Disciples. Edify and comfort one an other in the word of the Lord, and the God of peace and loue be with you alwayes. Amen. For your liberality and kind∣nesse shewed vppon the Prisoners and afflicted people of GOD in thys time of persecution, the Lorde wyll re∣ward you when he commeth to reward euery man accor∣ding to theyr deedes, and will not leaue a cuppe of colde water bestowed vpon his faythfull people, vnrewarded. God make you riche in all grace, that ye alwayes hauyng sufficient maye be riche vnto all manner of good woorkes. The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, the loue of GOD,

and the felowship of the holy ghost be with you alwayes. Amen.

Your brother now in bondes for the Gospell, Thomas Whittell.

Notes

• A letter of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Whittell to the true professor•• of the Citye of London. Rom. 4. Luke. 1.
• 4, Notes.
• Rom. 8. Gene. 22. Iob. 1.
• Rom. 9. 2. Corin. 11. Actes. 16. Genesis. 4. 2. Machab. 6. Actes. 7. Math. 17. Iames. 5.4.
• Psalm. 6.
• Luke. ••.
• The crosse trieth the good people from the bad.
• Lirach. 2.
• Preach. 12.
• Coloss. 3.
• Philip. 3.
• The 2. note. Persecetion no strange thing in the Church.
• 3. Regum. 4. Regum. 2. Mac. 6.7. Act. 14.
• Iohn. ••.
• Romans 8. 1. Cor. 15. Example of Gods Martyrs going before
• Iohn. 10. Heb. 13.
• 2. Peter. 2. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 3. Iude. 1.
• Exod. 10. 1. Iohn. 5.
• 2. Cor. 10.
• Math. 4. Where Sathan could not bring Christ to fall downe and worship him, he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Phariseys 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kill him.
• Iames. ••. Math. 1••
• Apo. 13 14.
• Apo••. 18.
• ••. Cor. ••.
• Psal. 126.
• The 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• Act. ••▪
• Col. 1.
• Math 6,
• Phil. 3. Gal. 6.
• The 4. none.
• Luke. ••.
• 1. Cor. ••.
• Heb. 2.
• 1. Peter. 1. Phi••. 1. Iohn. 14.
• Math. 1•• 2. Cor. ••