Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Title page – Dedication
CHRISTS VICTORIE OVER SATHANS TYRANNIE. WHERIN JS CONTAINED A CATALOGVE OF ALL CHRISTS FAITHFVLL SOVLDIERS THAT THE DIVELL either by his grand Captaines the EMPEROVRS, or by his most deerly beloued sonnes and heyres the POPES, hauehave most cruelly Martyred for the TRVTH. WITH ALL THE POYSONED DOCTRINS WHEREWITH THAT GREAT REDDE DRAGON hath made drunken the Kings and Inhabitants of the Earth; with the confutations of them TOGETHER WITH ALL HIS TRAYTEROVS PRACTISES AND DESIGNES, AGAINST ALL CHRISTIAN Princes to this day, especially against our late Queen ELIZABETH of famous memorie, and our most religious Soueraigne Lord King IAMES. Faithfully abstracted out of the Book of Martyrs, and diuers other Books.
By Thomas Mason Preacher of Gods Word.
LONDON, Printed by George Eld and Ralph Blower. 1615.
To the most Reuerend Father in GOD, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his GRACE, PRIMATE and METROPOLITAN of all England, and one of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Priuie Councell. And to the Right Honourable SIR EDVVARD COKE, Lord Cheefe Iustice of England, and one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell: THOMAS MASON wisheth all Happinesse in this Life, and eternall Felicitie in the world to come.
MOST Reuerend and Right Honorable zealous Lords, your daily and faithfull Orator, being a professed Soldiour vnderunder Christs Banner, in the behalfe of his spouse against Antichrist: I could busie my selfe in no office so profitable for the Church, and hurtfull vntounto Antichrist, as to gather together the bullets which hauehave been shot at him by Christs Souldiours in times past, that now his children may shoote them at him againe, with great facilitie. And whereas venerable Mr Fox, of worthy memory, hath gathered into one Booke the Acts and Monuments of the Church vntounto his time; one of the most profitablest Bookes that is for Gods Children, except the Bible; a Club able to beate downe the Popish Tower of Babell: Yet what with the labour of reading so large a volume, together with the deareness of the price thereof, few that hauehave the Booke reade it ouer, and the most part of men are not able to buy it, whereby very little profit ariseth thereof vntounto the Church. I hauehave, according to my power, pared off the barke of this Club, and made it tractable for all sorts of people; they may buy it with little charge, and peruse it with small paines; and I dare promise them that they shall reape as much profit by reading this abridgement, as by reading of the Booke at large. I hauehave willingly omitted no matter of substance: Here the Reader may see the cruelty of the Emperors vntounto the Primitiue Church, and whom they put to death, and the manner of their deathes during the first ten Persecutions; and how, and when Christianitie began in this Realme: And what successe it hath had at all times; and when, by what occasion, and by whom most of the Monasteries, and Cathedrall Churches of this Realme were builded, and how, when, and by whom, all points of Popery came into the Church; and how the Pope hath exalted himself against Emperors & Kings; what iniuries he hath done to them: With the Treasons, & Conspiracies that Papists hauehave practised, against those that the Lord hath annointed, vntounto this day: The Reader may also heere see the innumerable multitude of the Saints of God, that the Papists hauehave from time to time murdered in all Countries▪ for the testimonie of the Truth: With all the points of Religion that the Martyrs did defend vntounto death; and all the reasons that the Papists vsed against their Arguments, and how cruelly they handled them; with many other most profitable things. After I had done this Booke, I was discouraged from putting of it to Print, by reason I found another had abridged the Booke of Martyrs before me; but when I perceiued it was done but superficially, for all the points of Religion that the Martyrs defended, or Papists obiected were omitted; (which disputations I chiefly labour to set forth) therevpon I was resolued to goe forward. When I had begun to quote all the Authors, from whence Mr Fox had his proofes for them that the Emperors put to death, the Quotations were almost as large as the Story, and made it very vnpleasant: wherefore in most places, for breuitie, I hauehave omitted them, leauing them that would see the proofes to the Book at large. I hauehave herein abridged many bookes, but especially the Booke of Martyrs; as the Papists cannot abide the booke of Martyrs of all bookes: so much more will they hate my booke, which hath so truely and briefely discouered all their shame, not onelyonly out of that booke, but out of diuers other bookes. Wherefore most Reuerend, and Right Honorable Lords, your manifest dislike that you beare against the wickednes and falshood of Antichrist; hath imboldned me to be an humble sutor vntounto your Lordships, to bee the Patrons of this my Booke, and that you would vouchsafe to defend and further it, by your Spirituall and Temporall Powers, to the honour of Christ, the great dishonour of Antichrist, and the vnspeakeable benefit of Gods Children. So with my hartie prayers, I commit both your Honors, your soules, bodies, and all that you hauehave, vntounto the safe preseruation of Christ Iesus and his holy Angels.
Your Lordships daily Oratour, THOMAS MASON, Preacher of Gods word in Odiham, in the County of Southampton: whose Father was Heire vntounto Sr IOHN MASON, sometime a Priuy Councelor vntounto Queene ELIZABETH.