Foxe's Book of Martyrs PART 8

Foxe's Book of Martyrs PART 8 🕊

VOLUME 2: Continuation of Chapter 16

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ALSO KNOWN AS: Actes and Monuments of the (Christian) Church

A history of the lives, sufferings, and triumphant deaths of the early Christian and Protestant Martyrs by John Foxe (1516 - 1587 A.D.), edited by William Byron Forbush (1868 - 1927 A.D.).

An English Protestant account of the persecutions of Christians, many of whom had died for their beliefs within the decade immediately preceding the first publication of such events.

It was first published by John Day, in 1563. Lavishly illustrated with many woodcuts, it was the largest publishing project undertaken in Britain up to that time. Commonly known as, "Foxe's Book of Martyrs", the work's full title begins with "Actes and Monuments of these Latter and Perillous Days, Touching Matters of the Church." There were many subsequent editions, by Day, and by other editors throughout the years. Foxe's original work was enormous, and the second edition filled two heavy folio volumes with a total of 2,300 pages, about twice as long as Edward Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." This audio edition is a heavily condensed version of Foxe's original.

Published shortly after the death of Queen Mary. During the reign of Mary, common people of Protestant Christian faith were publicly burned in an attempt to eliminate dissension from Catholic doctrines.

Foxe's written recording of Mary's reign and the martyrdoms during that time form a majority of the work. Foxe's intentions were to rightly justify the foundation of the Church of England as a continuation of the faithful and true ancient church, rather than to be seen as a new denomination.

It is a historic perspective, beginning with early Christian martyrs, continuing with the Inquistion, Wycliffe, and Marian Persecutions.

For the English Church, Foxe's book is a fundamental witness to the sufferings of faithful Christian people under the anti-Protestant Roman Catholic authorities, and is witness to the miracle of their endurance unto death.

Roman Catholics often view Foxe's written record as partisan and as a propaganda piece for English anti-Catholicism. Among Catholic objections: Foxe's claims regarding martyrdoms under Mary ignore the complex political and religious aspects of the time period. Some of the martyrs may have been intent on removing Mary from the throne. Catholic accusations include "willful falsification of evidence". These accusations are no surprise due to the heinous and disgusting nature of the crimes committed. Few would want to admit to being part of such atrocities.

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