ousnes through the faith which he had in the promise of the womans seede. So did Abell, Seth, Henoch, and Noe, with faithfull Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and the rest of the faithfull vntill Christes tyme, as saynt Paule sayeth: they did all eate of one spiritual meate, and did all drinke of one maner of spirituall drinke. Marginalia1. Cori. 10. They did drink of that spirituall rocke that folowed thē, which rocke was Christ, þt saueth vs. And when the tyme was full come, MarginaliaGala. 4God sente his sonne made of a woman, that is, he tooke flesh of the virgin Marye, and becam man, not the shadow of a man, nor a fantasticall man, as some falsely fayne, but a verye naturall man in all pointes, sinne onelye excepted, which god and man is Christ the promised womans seede. This Christ was here conuersaunt among men, for the space of thirtye yeares and more, and when the tyme was come, that he should go to his father, MarginaliaLuke. 22.he gaue vnto vs the misterye of oure redemption, that we through faith shoulde eate his bodye, and drincke his bloude, that we myghte feede on him throughe faith to the ende of the worlde. Marginalia1. Cor. 11. After this Christ offered vppe his bodye on the crosse, to pacify his father, and to deliuer vs frō the thraldom of the deuil, in the which we were, through sinne original and actual. MarginaliaHeb. 10.And with that one sacrifice of his body once offered on the crosse, he hath made perfecte for euer al them that ar sanctified. He descended in to hell, the thirde daye he rose againe from death, and was conuersaunt at certayn times with his disciples, for the space of fourty daies: after, he rose frō death. Then in the sight of all his disciples he ascended into heauen, and as his disiples stoode looking vpward, MarginaliaActes. 1. and beholding him how he went into heauen, two men stoode by them in white apparell, which also sayde: ye men of Galylye, why stand ye gasing vp into heauen? This same Iesus which is taken vp frō you into heauen, shal so come euen as ye haue seene him go into heauen. MarginaliaActes. 3.S. Peter also sayth that the heauens must receiue hym, vntil the tyme that al thinges which god hath spoken by the mouth of al his prophetes since the world beganne, be restored againe, which is the latter day, when he shall come to iudge the quick and the deade. I do beleue in the holye ghost, which is the spirit of God, proceding from the father and the sonne, which holy spirite is one God with them. I beleue that ther is an holye churche, which is the companye of the faithful and elect people of God, dispersed abrode throughout all the worlde, which holy churche or congregation MarginaliaMath. 24.doth not looke for Christ here, nor Christe there, neither in the desert, nor in the secret places, wherof Christ warneth vs, but as saint Paule sayth, MarginaliaColloss. 3. in heauen: wher he sitteth on the righte hand of God the father: they set their affections on things
[Back to Top]that are aboue, & not on thinges, which are on earth. For they are deade concerninge the thinges of this worlde, and their life is hidde with Christ in God: & when Christ which is their life shall shewe him selfe, then shall they also appeare with him in glorye. I beleue that there is a communion of saintes, euen that felowship of the faithfull people which are dyspersed abrod throughout al the whole world, and are of one mynd: they follow Christ their heade, they loue one an other as Christ loued them, and are knitte together in one, euen in christ, which church, or congregation hath forgeuenes of sinnes through Christ, and shal enter without spotte before the face of God into his glory. For as Christ being their head hath entred pure and cleane, so they entring by him shalbe like him in glory. And I am certayne & sure that all they which do dye, shal rise again and receaue their bodies. In them shal they se Christ come in his glory, to iudge the quicke and the deade. At whose comming all menne shal appeare and geue a reckoning of their doinges: he shal seperate the good from the bad, MarginaliaMath. 25. he shall saye to them which are his elect: come ye blessed of my father, enherite the kingdome prepared for you frō the beginning: but to the other that haue alwayes resisted his will, he shal saye: departe from me ye cursed into euer lasting fire, which is prepared for the deuill and his angels.
[Back to Top]Thus haue I brieflye declared my fayth, which were no fayth at all if I were in doubt of it. This faith therefore I desyre God to encrease in me. Prayse God for his gyftes.
And thus haue you the martirdom with the confession of this blessed man and wittnes of the Lords truth, who for that, gaue his life as is before declared.
The full account of Robert Samuel's background, arrest, visions and martyrdom appeared in the Rerum along with the mentions of the martyrdom of Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield (pp. 523-25). This material was reprinted without change in the 1563 edition. Details, particularly the names of people involved, were added in the 1570 edition; after this the account of Samuel's martyrdom was unchanged. Foxe built this account on the testimony of protestantsfrom Ipswich whose accounts he obtained during his exile, particularly Rose Nottingham whom he cited as a source.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaM. Foster Iustice, a persecutour of Christes people.MAister Foster Iustice, dwelling at Cobdocke, in the county of Suffolk, & a litle from Ipswiche, being in continuall hatred against the truth, & the professors of the same, did not onely, not cease day nor night, to study to bring those in thrall & captiuity, that were honest, and honestly fauoured religion, but also whosoeuer they were that wer once in his clawes, they easely escaped not, without clog of conscience, or by the losse of lyfe: so geedye was he of bloud. Among many whom he had troubled, there was one Samuel in king Edwards daies, a very godly and honest man, who for his valiant & constant behauiour in his sermōs, semeth worthy of high admiration. He was Minister at Barholt in Suffolk, wher he taught faythfully and fruitfully that flocke, þt the Lord had cōitted to his charge, so long as the time woulde suffer him to doo
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