History of the Lives of the Early Christians

The Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe, is an English Protestant account of the persecutions of Protestants, many of whom had died for their beliefs within the decade immediately preceding its first publication. 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 down through the years. Foxe's original work was enormous (the second edition filling two heavy folio volumes with a total of 2,300 pages, estimated to be twice as long as Edward Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." This edition is much abridged from Foxe's original.

This book was first published shortly after the death of Queen Mary. During Mary's reign, common people of Protestent Christian faith were publicly burned at the stake in an attempt to eliminate dissension from Catholic doctrines.

Foxe's account of Mary's reign and its martyrdoms form a significant part of the work. Foxe intended to justify the foundation of the Church of England as a continuation of the true and faithful ancient church, rather than as a new denomination.

The work has a historic perspective. It begins with early Christian martyrs, and continues with the Inquisition, Wycliffe, and the Marian Persecutions.

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

Roman Catholics often view Foxe's record of this period as extremely partisan and the primary propaganda piece for English anti-Catholicism. Among other objections, the accuracy of Foxe's claims regarding martyrdoms under Mary ignore the mingled political and religious aspects of the time period. Some of the victims may have been intent on removing Mary from the throne. Although the work is more accurate when dealing with events during Foxe's time, it is generally not a correct or impartial account of the period, and includes occasional "wilful falsification of evidence" (Summary abridged from Wikipedia by Karen Merline)

The Jews,being at this time greatly enraged that Paul had escaped
their fury, by appealing to Rome, determined
to wreak their vengeance on James, who was now
ninety-four years of age : they accordingly threw
him down, beat, bruised, and stoned him ; and then
dashed out his brains with a club, such as was used
by fullers in dressing cloth.

But after the death of
Christ, the Jews still continued to persecute the
Christians, and ordered several of the apostles,
among whom was Peter, to be scourged. This pun«
isliment tliey bore with the greatest fortitude, an<>
rejoiced that they were thought worthy to suffer for
the sake of their Redeemer.
When Herod Agrippa caused James the Great to
be put to deathj and found that it pleased the Jews,
he resolved, in order to ingratiate himself with the
people, that Peter should fall the next sacrifice. He
was accordingly apprehended, and thrown into prison
; but an angel of the Lord released him, which
so enraged Herod, that he ordered the sentinels who
guarded the dungeon in Which he had been confined,
to be put to death. Peter, after various other
miracles, retired to Rome, where he defeated all the
artificers,and confounded the magic of Simon, the magician,
a great favourite of the emperor Nero ; he
hkewise converted to Christianity one of the concubines
of that monarch, which so exasperated the
tyrant, that he ordered both Peter and Paul to be
apprehended. During the time of their confinement
they converted two of the captains of the gnards,
and forty-seven other persons, to Christianity. Having
been nine months in prison, Peter was brought
out from thence for execution, when, after being severely
scourged, he was crucified, with his head
downwards ; which position, however, was at his own
request.

The apostle and martyr, was a Jew of the tribe of
Benjamin, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, and before his
conversion was called Saul. He was at first a great
enemy to, and persecuter of the Christians ; and a
principal promoter of the death of Stephen. While
on his way to Damascus, the glory of the Lord came
suddenly upon him, he was struck to the earth, and
was afflicted with blindness during three days ; on
his recovery from which, he immediately became a
professor, an apostle, and ultimately a martyr for the
religion which he had formerly persecuted. Amongst
THE APOSTLES, &,C. 51
his labours in spreading the doctrine of Christ, he
converted to the faith Sergius Paulus, the proconsul
of Cyprus, on which he took his name, and, as
some suppose, was from thence called Paulus instead
of Saulus. After his many labours he took to him
Barnabas, and went np to Jerusalem, to Peter, James,
and John, where he was ordained, and sent out with
Barnabas to preach to the Gentiles. At Iconium,
Paul and Barnabas were near being stoned to death
by the enraged Jews ; upon which they fled to Lycaonia.
At Lystra, Paul was stoned, dragged out of
the city, and left for dead. He, however, happily
revived, and escaped to Derbe. At Philhppi, Paul
and Silas were imprisoned and whipped ; and both
were again persecuted at Thessalonica. Being afterwards
taken at Jerusalem, he was sent to Ca^sarea,
but appealed to Cxsar at Rome. Here he continued
a prisoner at large for two years ; and at
length being released, he visited the churches of
Greece and Rome, and preached in France and
Spain. Peeturning to Rome, he was again apprehended,
and, by the order of Nero, martyred, by being
beheaded.