FOXE'S BOOK OF MARTYRS V9 The Reign of Queen Mary I. - Part I.

THE ACTS AND MONUMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 

by  

JOHN FOXE

Commonly known as 

FOXE'S BOOK OF MARTYRS

Volume 9 

The Reign Of Queen Mary I. - Part I.

Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2009 

http://www.exclassics.com 

Public Domain

Portrait of Mary I

Contents 

THE TENTH BOOK. THE BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF QUEEN MARY. 5 

240. The Abominable Blasphemy of the Mass. 6 

241. The Beginning of The Reign of Queen Mary 33 

242. Prohibition of Unauthorised Preaching. 40 

243. A Disputation On Religion Ordered By The Queen. 46 

244. Deposed Bishops Re-appointed, and Appointed Bishops Deposed. 67 

245. Wyat's Rebellion 69 

246. Lady Jane Grey. 73 

247. Actions to Re-Establish Papism. 86 

248. Dr. Ridley Disputes On The Scarament. 96 

249. Ridley, Cranmer and Latimer at Oxford. 102 

250. Disputation of Cranmer at Oxford 108 

251. Disputation of Ridley at Oxford 142 

252. Disputation of Latimer at Oxford 187 

253. Disputation of Harpsfield at Oxford 202 

254. Concerning these Disputations 214 

255. Various Documents Relating to the Disputations 229 

256. Other Things which Happened in this Realm, in this Tumultuous Time. 235 

257. The Execution of The Kentish Rebels. 244 

258. Disputation of Bradford and Saunders at Cambridge. 252 

259. Princess Elizabeth Imprisoned. 257 

260. Marriage of Queen Mary and Philip of Spain. Further Actions to Re-Establish Papism 258 

261. John Bolton 281 

262. The Queen with Child 283 

263. The Bow Congregation 288 

THE ELEVENTH BOOK. WHEREIN IS DISCOURSED THE BLOODY MURDERING OF GOD'S SAINTS, WITH THE PARTICULAR PROCESSES AND NAMES OF SUCH GOOD MARTYRS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, AS, IN THIS TIME OF QUEEN MARY, WERE PUT TO DEATH. 295 

264. John Rogers. 296 

265. Laurence Saunders. 322 

266. John Hooper 349 

267. Rowland Taylor. 391

THE TENTH BOOK. 

THE BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF QUEEN MARY.

240. The Abominable Blasphemy of the Mass.

ORASMUCH as we are come now to the time of Queen Mary, when so many were put to death for the cause especially of the Mass, and The Sacrament of the Altar, (as they call it,) I thought it convenient, upon the occasion given, in the ingress of this foresaid story, first, to prefix before, by the way of preface, some declaration collected out of divers writers and authors, whereby to set forth to the reader the great absurdity, wicked abuse, and perilous idolatry, of the popish mass; declaring how, and by whom, it came in, and how it is clouted and patched up of divers additions: to the intent that the reader, seeing the vain institution thereof, and weighing the true causes why it is to be exploded out of all churches, may the better thereby judge of their death, which gave their lives for the testimony and the word of truth. 

First concerning the origin of this word Missa, whether it came of non ??? in Hebrew, or nee which signifieth "oblation;" or whether it came of sending away the catechumens, and persons unworthily out of place of ministration, (as certain writers suppose,) or else, "Of gifts and oblations, wont to be offered before the communion." Or whether Missa is derived of Remissa, which in the former writers was used Pro remissione, that is, forgiveness; or whether Missa is taken for sending away the congregation by the words of thedeacon, Ite missa est: or whether Missa hath its denomination of what the Grecians call afes?? t?? ?a?? [Aphesis tou laou], "dismission of the people" (alluding to the story of the Hebrews, licensed of Pharaoh to depart out of captivity after the eating of the paschal lamb, as I read in an old popish book, entitled De Sacramentis Sacerdotalibus); or what term soever it be else, either Latin, Syrian, Dutch, or French, or howsoever else it taketh its appellation, as there is no certainty amongst themselves who most magnify the mass, so it is no matter to us that stand against it. To my judgment or conjecture, this latter exposition of the word seemeth more probable, both for that it is joined with the word ite, which signifieth "departing," and also the time and order in speaking the same agreeth well thereunto. For, as the old Hebrews, after the supper of the lamb, and not before, were set at liberty straightway to depart out of captivity, so, belike, to declare our mystical deliverance by Christ offered and slain for us, first goeth before the action of the holy supper: that done, then the priest or deacon saith Ite missa est, meaning, thereby, the deliverance and liberty which is spiritually wrought in us, after that the body of Christ hath been offered for us. Or else, if Missa otherwise should signify the celebration or the action of the supper, it would not be said Ite, but Venite missa est, &c. Moreover, besides other arguments, there be certain places in Cassianus which seem to declare that Missa signifieth the dismission of the congregation: as where he writeth of him which cometh not in time to the hours of prayer, saying it not to be lawful for him to enter into the oratory, that he ought, standing without the doors, to wait for the miss of the congregation.