The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

VI. Foxe, the Martyrologist, Writes Commentary on Apocalypse

JOHN FOXE (1516-1587), famed author of Acts and Monuments—popularly known as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs—was born in Lincolnshire. His childhood had been marked by a love for reading. In 1533 he entered Oxford as a decided Romanist, and received his B.A. in 1538, and his M.A. in 1543, being chosen a fellow of Magdalen College the same year. He also served as a tutor. Applying himself with great diligence to the study of theology during his university life, he became a convert to the principles of the Reformation. This tendency was suspected. He PFF2 412.5

was charged with heresy, and by a judgment of the college was expelled in 1545—the year, incidentally, that the Council of Trent began. PFF2 413.1

The religious controversies of the time were vivid realities. In 1543 vernacular Bibles had been prohibited to the lower classes, which prohibition was promptly disregarded. The Romanists and the Reformers were about evenly balanced, and spies and treacherous companions abounded. So, during the reign of Mary, Foxe was driven from the country, remaining abroad from 1554 to 1559. Going first to Strassburg, he occupied himself with writing a Latin history of Christian persecutions, which he began at the suggestion of Lady Jane Grey. ⁶⁴ It dealt chiefly with Wyclif and Huss, coming down only to A.D. 1500. This was the beginning of his Book of Martyrs, and was printed by Wendelin Richelius, at Strassburg, in 1554. PFF2 413.2

In the same year Foxe moved to Frankfurt, where he found the exiled Protestant refugees divided into two camps—Calvinists and Anglicans. In 1555 he went to Basel, and there sustained himself by correcting proofs for an eminent printer, Johann Herbst, or Oporinus, of that city. Meantime he made steady progress on the remainder of his book. In 1559 he completed the Latin edition, and upon the accession of Elizabeth, returned to his native land. Back in England, Foxe associated with Day, the printer, also a former exile. In 1560 he was ordained by the bishop of London, and made prebendary of Salisbury. But he engaged chiefly in literary work, and consistently maintained his Puritan views. PFF2 413.3

Meantime his book had been given an enthusiastic reception in England. In 1563 the first English edition of Acts and Monuments was produced. Its popularity was immense, for the Marian persecution was still fresh in men’s minds, along with that of the Spanish Inquisition. However, it was immediately challenged by the Catholics, but major or willful inaccuracies were never proved. Foxe corrected minor inaccuracies in a second revised edition of 1570. This subsequent edition was ordered by the Convocation to be placed in every collegiate church. There were four editions during Foxe’s lifetime, and by 1684 it had reached its ninth edition, exerting a powerful influence. PFF2 413.4

In later full editions more than two hundred pages in volume 1 are devoted to a painstaking examination of the fifteen leading attacks on the book, which still lives on. PFF2 414.1

1. COMMENTARY ON APOCALYPSE INTERRUPTED BY DEATH

It is not to be wondered that after producing his monumental Acts and Monuments portraying the martyrs, many of whom were notable expositors of the prophecies—and not a few of whom had died for their prophetic faith, identifying the Papacy as the predicted Antichrist—Foxe should himself be an expositor of prophecy. In fact, his exposition of the Apocalypse was interrupted by his death. His four-hundred-page Latin work, Eicasmi sev Meditationes in Sacram Apocalypsin (Conjectures on the Apocalypse), was published by his son in 1587. ⁶⁵ PFF2 414.2

2. SIXTH TRUMPET TURKS; SEVENTH APPROACHING ADVENT

Foxe’s Conjectures was written more than twenty years after his Acts and Monuments. In this work there are many outstanding points. Foxe, in speaking of the sixth trumpet, states that it is clearer than light itself that this prophetic trumpet of the sixth angel denotes mostly the Turks and their multitude and arms, and adds that the seventh trumpet, heralding the last judgment and advent, could not be far off. ⁶⁶ The angel of Revelation 10 symbolizes the restoration of gospel preaching and the certainty of the end. ⁶⁷ PFF2 414.3

3. TRUE CHURCH AND CHURCH OF PAPAL ANTICHRIST

The temple of Revelation 11, with its inner and outer courts, he considered the church with its true and false worshipers, and the measuring is the separation and reformation from previous corruption under Antichrist. And the Antichrist of Scripture is PFF2 414.4

the pope, not the Turk. ⁶⁸ On the time periods Foxe cites many expositors, but he himself is not clear either as to the time of beginning or the unit of measurement, whether literal time, or on the year-day principle measured from Constantine, Alaric, or Phocas. ⁶⁹ The travailing woman is God’s true church. ⁷⁰ PFF2 415.1

4. Two BEASTS ARE ROME, PAGAN AND PAPAL

The first beast of Revelation 13 is pagan Rome, and the second beast is the pope, or Antichrist, who revived the old empire wounded to death. ⁷¹ The equivalent of Romanus in Hebrew and Greek yields the 666. ⁷² Foxe had completed his work only through chapter 17 at the time of his death. His view of the thousand years, however, had been given twenty-three years previously in his Acts and Monuments, which teachings on prophecy we now note. PFF2 415.2

5. CHALLENGES PAPISTS TO IDENTIFY BEASTS OF Revelation 13

In a series of questions propounded to the Catholics, question 3 begins thus: “My third question I take of the thirteenth Chapter of the Book of Revelation. Which Book as it containeth a Prophetical History of the Church, so likewise it requireth by histories to be opened.” ⁷³ After describing the first, or ten-horned beast from the sea, and then the two-horned beast from the earth, Foxe asks: PFF2 415.3

“Upon this descripcion of these two Beasts riseth my question; wherein I desire all Papists, from the highest to the lowest, either to answer, or to consider with themselves, what the spirit of the Prophesie meaneth by the said two Beasts. Neither is the mystery of this Prophesie so obscure, but being Historical by Histories it may be explained and easily expounded. Writing therefore to the Papists, as men expert in Histories, my question is this, That seeing the Prophesie of these two Beasts must needs prefigure some People or Dominion in the World, of some high estate and power; they will now declare unto us, what people or domination this should be. Which if they will do plainly and truly, according to the marks and proper ties of the said two Beasts here set forth, they must needs be driven of force inevitable to grant and confess, the same to agree only to the City and Empire of Rome, and to no other; which, by these Reasons following of necessity must needs be concluded.” ⁷⁴ PFF2 415.4

6. TEN-HORNED BEAST MUST IMPORT ROME

Contending that the first symbol must be “an Empire or Monarchy of great force, passing all other Monarchies in the world besides,” Foxe asserts that “this must needs argue the empire of Rome and none other.” ⁷⁵ Continuing, he avers: PFF2 416.1

“In that the Beast had seven heads and ten horns, with ten Diadems full of blasphemy upon them; those seven heads being expounded in the same book, chap. 17. for seven Hills, notoriously importeth the City of Rome, wherein were seven hills contained. The like also may be thought of the ten horns, being there expounded for ten Kings (signifying belike the ten Provinces and kingdoms of the world, subdued to the Roman Empire) with ten Crowns of Blasphemy upon their heads; all which conveniently agree to the City of Rome.” ⁷⁶ PFF2 416.2

7. SECOND BEAST APPLIED TO BISHOP OF ROME

The second beast is then applied to the bishop of Rome in these words: PFF2 416.3

“The description of this second Beast being well viewed, it cannot be avoided, but needs must be applied to the Bishop of Rome, and to none other; as by History, and order of times is evident to be proved. For who else representeth the horns of the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World, but only he? Who speaketh with the voice of the Dragon so proudly as he?” ⁷⁷ PFF2 416.4

Foxe’s challenge to the Catholics is then repeated, and his own conviction follows: PFF2 416.5

“Now if any Papists whatsoever, in answering to this my question, can apply this prophetical mystery of these two Beasts otherwise than thus, I would heartily desire him to take so much pains to satisfie this doubt at his good pleasure and leisure. In the mean season, let this stand for a Corolarium, that the Bishop of Rome by this description must be that second Beast prophesied to come in the later time of the Church under a false pretensed Lamb, to restore again the old Persecutions of Rome, and to disturb the whole Church of Christ, as this day too truly it is come to pass.” ⁷⁸ PFF2 416.6

8. LIKEWISE CHALLENGES CATHOLICS AS TO 2 Thessalonians 2

Coming to his fourth point, Foxe stresses another “prophetical place of Scripture, no less evident against the Bishop of Rome,” which he takes out of Second Thessalonians: PFF2 416.7

“As touching my fourth question, although I could urge you with another like prophetical place of Scripture, no less evident against the Bishop of Rome, taken out of the second Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, where mention is made of the Son of Perdition, sitting in the Temple of God, as God, and advancing himself above all that is called God, etc. Which place ye can by no reasonable evasion avoid.” ⁷⁹ PFF2 417.1

9. STILL FOLLOWS AUGUSTINE ON THE THOUSAND YEARS

On the question of the thousand years of Revelation 20, how ever, Foxe (with many others) still followed the Augustinian theory of the binding of Satan at the first advent, or a little later. He places the “loosing” at “about the thousandth year after the ceasing of Persecution,” in the time of Constantine. ⁸⁰ He refers to the common supposition that the chaining of Satan took place at the birth of Christ, and admits a spiritual binding at the death of Christ “not only for a thousand years, but for ever”; but he applies the prophecy of the thousand years to the restraining of Satan from persecuting the church, namely, the time of Constantine, who ended the three centuries of pagan persecution. He computes it thus: After the forty-two months, counted at seven years each (A.D. 30 + 1294), the thousand years begin with the victory of Constantine over Maxentius, and end in 1324. ⁸¹ PFF2 417.2