Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
1. The Christian resolution of assembling publicly for the worship of God, in a manner
most agreeable to their consciences.
2. Their refusal to pay tithes, which they esteemed a Jewish ceremony, abrogated by
the coming of Christ.
3. Their testimony against wars and fighting, the practice of which they judged
inconsistent with the command of Christ:
4. "Love your enemies," Matt. 5:44.
5. Their constant obedience to the command of Christ: "Swear not at all," Matt. 5:34.
6. Their refusal to pay rates or assessments for building and repairing houses for a
worship which they did not approve.
7. Their use of the proper and Scriptural language, "thou," and "thee," to a single person:
and their disuse of the custom of uncovering their heads, or pulling off their hats, by
way of homage to man.
8. The necessity many found themselves under, of publishing what they believed to be
the doctrine of truth; and sometimes even in the places appointed for the public national
worship.
Their conscientious noncompliance in the preceding particulars, exposed them to much
persecution and suffering, which consisted in prosecutions, fines, cruel beatings, whippings,
and other corporal punishments; imprisonment, banishment, and even death.
To relate a particular account of their persecutions and sufferings, would extend beyond
the limits of this work: we shall therefore refer, for that information, to the histories already
mentioned, and more particularly to Besse's Collection of their sufferings; and shall confine
our account here mostly to those who sacrificed their lives, and evinced, by their disposition
of mind, constancy, patience, and faithful perseverance, that they were influenced by a sense
of religious duty.
Numerous and repeated were the persecutions against them; and sometimes for
transgressions or offences which the law did not contemplate or embrace. Many of the fines
and penalties exacted of them, were not only unreasonable and exorbitant, but as they could
not consistently pay them, were sometimes distrained to several times the value of the
demand; whereby many poor families were greatly distressed, and obliged to depend on the
assistance of their friends.
Numbers were not only cruelly beaten and whipped in a public manner, like criminals,
but some were branded and others had their ears cut off. Great numbers were long confined
in loathsome prisons; in which some ended their days in consequence thereof.
289