If your facts are correct as you just stated it there, then 90% of evangelical scholars are simply wrong. But you know, I think that 90% thing was just a throw away line and most accomplished evangelical Christian scholars didn't just learn about Foxe's Book of Martyrs on a FreeRepublic thread for the first time.
It's like saying 90% of all scientists out these believe in AGW, so it must be true and the science is "settled," because Chris Matthews and 90% of the media says so. Same with evolution. Different day, different premise, still just as flimsy as it surrounds itself with an inflated, patently unverifiable cloud of presumed percentages in an attempt to import a fictitious credibility to one's statement.
That is a matter of fact and you can disagree all you like and I do respect your effort and time you put in to show me otherwise, but in three words, “You are wrong”
I'll let you take that up with Foxe.
However, as I said I do find your take somewhat interesting, if for no other reason then it will force me to investigate your theory.
It's there in black and white and from a then near-contemporary source written as close to the time of Luther's theses as were the writing of the Gospels to the Life of Christ Himself. We don't typically speak of the writing of the Gospels in the context of "theory," with respect to the originality of the account. Why then should Foxe's word choice and usage be merely "theoretical" especially as borne out by the fact that context is completely established?
Foxe called them "Reformers." As a scholar of such things myself, I suspect he knew what he was writing about, and I wouldn't think that Queen Elizabeth I, who was known to have read his book (as have most subsequent English monarchs), upon reading his tome would have disagreed with his word choice.
Have you published/defended this work yet? Assuming that this is for academic credit somewhere, and you are getting a first read/critique on it prior to doing so, you might want to be prepared to answer someone who will bring up Foxe in your cross-examination.
Happy thesis revision!
FReegards!
