The first examinaciō of Anne Askewe latelye martired in Smythfelde, by the Romyshe popes vpholders, wyth the Elucydacyon of Iohan Bale.
The veryte of the Lorde endureth for euer.
Anne Askewe stode fast by thys veryte of God to the ende.
¶ Fauoure is disceytfull, & bewtye is a vayne thynge. But a woman that feareth the Lorde, is worthye to be praysed. She openeth her mouthe to wysdome, and in her language is the law of grace.
The Conclusion.
HEre haste thou (gentyll reader) the fyrste examynacyon of the faythfull martyr of Chryste Anne Askewe wyth my symple elucidacion vpon the same, Wherin thou maiste clereli beholde our Byshoppes and prestes so spirituallye to be occupyed nowe a dayes, Byshoppes. as is the gredy wolfe that rauenouslye ronneth vpon hys praye. For the tyrannouse behauer in their cruell predecessours haue they no maner of shame. Neyther yet repēt they their own blasphemouse treason againste God and his veryte, what though their most wretched consciences do daylye accuse them therof. The kingdome of God, Kyngedō of God. which is a true faythe in his worde or a perfighte knowlege of the gospell, do not they seke to vpholde. But violentlie thei speake yll of it, trouble it, persecute it, chace it, and bannish it, by cause it is of him and from within Luce vii. The kyngdome of the pope, Popes kyngedom which cōmeth with outwarde obseruacion of dayes, persones, places, tymes, meates, garmentes, and ceremonyes, they magnifie aboue the moue, bicause it is from without, and to their peculiar aduauntage in the loyterynge reigne of ydelnesse
[Page]They haue thought and yet thynke by their terryble turmoilinges to turne ouer all, & to chāge the most noble enter pryse of our kinge, A change. yet ones again laiserlie, to their popes behoue. But the godlye wyse mā Salomō saith. There is no polycie, Polycye. there is no practise, noo, there is no counsell that can anye thynge preuayle againste the lorde, Prouerbiotū. xxi. They recken that with fire, water and swerde thei are able to answere all bokes made agaynst their abuses, & so to discharge their inuyncyble argumentes (for otherwyse they haue not assoyled them as yet) but truly they are sore deceiued therin, as shall wele apere. They suppose by consumynge of a score or ii. in the fyre, they haue gotten the felde of the lambe and hys host. No felde▪ Apoca. xvii. No they rather by y t meanes, adde strength therunto, and so deminishe their owne. I dare boldlie saye vnto them, that by burnynge Anne Askewe and her. iii. cōpanyons, they haue one thousande lesse of their popishe beleue than they hade afore. They thinke also by condempninge and burninge our bokes, to put vs to silence. But that wyll sureli bringe double vpon them, if they be not ware. Apoc. xviii. For if we shulde be still, the verie stones wolde [Page] speake in these dayes. Luc. xvi. And detect their horryble treason against God and the kynge.
Yf they mynde to holde theyr ydell offices styll, and here after to haue profyghte of theyr olde sale wares, as Diriges, Masses, & soche other. My counsel were that they dyd by them, Counsel. as they nowe do by their pope the greate mastre and first founder of them. A subtyle sylence is amonge them cōcernynge hym, Sylence and hath bene euer syns his fyrste puttynge downe. Ye shall not nowe heare a worde spoken agaynste him at Paules crosse, nor yet agaynst his olde iuglynge feates. And in dede it is a good wyse waye to set hym vp againe. Wynchester and Sampson made a lyttle bragge at the begynnynge, to seme yet to do sumwhat, but sens they haue repented, and made a large amēdes for it other wayes Fryre Peryn begāne to wryte in defence of theyr monstruouse Masse, Perryn. but now of late dayes, and he can not fynde ther in one blasphemouse abuse iustlye to be reprehended. Men saye there be craftye knaues abroade in the world in al ages Wel, this polytyk sylēce wolde do well also parauētur ī other matters. take hede. For the more ruffelynges they make, & the more murther they do, for that ydell kyngdome [Page] of theyrs, the more clere y e veryte apereth, and the more vyle their sorcerouse wares. For the more dyrt be shaken (they saye) the more it stynketh.
So outragyously to rayle in theyr preachynges, of the noble and lerned Germanes (which of al nacions loueth our kynge mooste intyerlye) for secludynge their pope and chaunginge theyr masses they do not most wysely for themselues They are not so yl beloued of theyr coū treie marchaūtes, Germanes. which customabli trauayle thyder, but they knowe what is ther both sayd & done agaynst thē. By y t meanes came Peryns boke of hys. iii. most ydolatrouse & foxysh sermōs, Peryns sermons. fyrst of al to my hādes. Wherin he rhetoricallye calleth them, in the hote zele of hys Romysh father, the erronyouse Germanes, subtyle witted heretykes, obstynate aduersaryes, newe fangled expositours peruerse sacramētaryes, blasphemouse apostataes, wycked wretches, deuylysh lyars, lewde lyuers, & abhomynable beleuers, with soch other lyke, But certaynelye I knowe, that they wyll one daye be euē with him & with other lyke apes of Antichrist, for it. Wynchestre Whā the popes great dāsynge beare, a proude prākynge prelate of thers, was the last year with the emprour Charles at his fourth goynge [Page] agaynst the sayd Germanes, hys bragginge begles were not ashamed to boast it in the open stretes of Vtrecht in Hollande, that the pope shulde agayne haue hys full swaye in Englāde. Of a lykely hode they knowe there, some secrete mysteries in workynge. I saye yet, be ware of that subtyle generaciō, which seketh not els but to worke all myschefe.
Gentyl and soft wyttes are oft tymes offended, that we are nowe a dayes so vehement in rebukes. But thys wolde I fayne knowe of them, what modestye they wolde vse (as they call it) yf they were compelled to fyght wyth dragons hyders, modestie. and other odyble mōsters. How paycyēt they wolde be and howe gentil if a rauenous wolfe came vpō thē, they hauynge able weapon to put him a syde Surelye I knowe no kynde of Christen charyte to be shewed to the deuyll. Of non other nature is Moses serpent, but to eate vp the serpentes of Pharaoes sorcerers. Exo. vii. Yf we dyd suffre any longar the oke groue of Baal to stande about the aultre of the lorde, Oke groue. we shulde muche offende his commaundemente, Iudi. vi. Yf I shuld hold my peace, and not speake in this age, the verite so blasphemed, my conscience woulde both accuse me and condempne me of the vnconsyderaunce [Page] of my lorde God. More precyouse is the thynge which is in daylye controuersye and parell (whiche is nowe Goddes true honoure) than is al thys worldes treasure here. Cōscyēce. What Christen hart can abyde it, to se the creature yea not of God but of man, to be worshypped in the stede of God, and saye nothynge therin?
Salomon saythe, there is as well a tyme to speake, as a tyme to kepe sylence, and a tyme as well to hate, Hate them as a time to loue. Ecclesiast. iii. With a perfyght hate, lorde (saythe Dauid) haue I hated those bloud thursty enemyes, which were in they presumpcion agaynst the, Psalm. cxviii. Strongly and with most myghtye stomacke, are hypocrytes to be inuaded, whyche wyll not geue place to the veryte. Marke how myghtelye Moses resysted Pharao, Exāples. Helyas kynge Achab, Helyseus Ioram, zachary Ioas Daniell the ydolaters, Iohan Baptyst the Pharysees and Herode, Steuen the Iewes, the Apostles the Byshoppes and prestes. Christ rebuked hys discyple Peter, and bad him come after hym deuyll Math. xvi. Yet called he Iudas his frinde, Mat. xxvi. Necessary is it that the elect flocke of God, do hate the vncleane fowles, whych yet holde theyr habytacion [Page] in Babylō. Apoca. xviii. Iohā wycleue and Iohan Huse confesse in theyr writynges, Wycleue. and huse. that they were by stronge force inwardlye constrayned of God to worke against the great antichrist. Erasmus boldely vttered it, that God for y e euyls of this latter age, hath prouyded sharpe phesycyanes. Quenche not the sprete (sayth S. Paule) despyse not prophecyes. Sprete. i Thessalon. v. I put my ernest wordes into thy mouthe (sayde the Lorde to Hieremye) that thou shuldest bothe destroye and buylde. Hieremye. i Let this suffice ye concernynge oure rebukes, for they are Gods enemyes whō we inuade
Yf ye perceyue it and fele it on the other syde, that the waues of the see are greate also, and doth horryblye rage in these dayes, Waues. Psa. xcii. Considre agayne (sayth Dauid) that the Lorde whyche dwelleth on hygh, is a great dele myghtyer than they. As he is of power to cease the storme and to make the wether caulme, Psalme. cvi. So is he able to change a kynges indignacion (which is but death) into mooste peaceable fauer and louynge gentylnes. Pray and obeye. Prouerbiorum xvi. For the hart of a kynge is euermore in the hande of God, and he maye turne it which waye he wyl, Proue. xxi. Hys [Page] eternall pleasure it is, that ye shuld honoure your kynge as his immediate mynyster cōcerning your bodyes and lyues i. Petri. ii. and that ye shuld with al gentylnesse obeye the temporall rulers. Romano. xiii. But suche spirituall hypocrites, both Byshoppes and prestes, as are continuall haters of hys heauenlye verite, Abhorre wolde he that we shulde hold for most detestable apostates and blasphemouse reprobates, as did Christ and his Apostles which neuer obeyed them, but most sharpelye rebuked them. Matthei xxiii. Acto. xx. and. ii. Pet. xi. The grace of that lorde Iesus Christ, be euer wyth thē, whyche ryghtly hate that sinagoge of Sathan, as dyd Anne Askewe. Amen
God standeth by the generacyon of the ryghteouse.
¶ The voyce of Anne Askewe oute of the. 54. Psalme of Dauid, called. Deus in nomine tuo.
Who so euer lyueth, and beleueth in me shall neuer dye.
He that heareth my wordes, and beleueth on hym that sent me, hathe euerlastynge lyfe, and shall not come into dampnacyon, but passe from deathe vnto lyfe.
¶ The latter examynacyon of Anne Askewe latelye martyred in Smythfelde, by the wycked Sinagoge of Antychrist, wyth the Elucydacyon of Iohan Bale.
The verite of the lord endureth for euer
Anne Askewe stode fast by this verite of god to the ende.
I wyll poure oute my sprete vpon all fleshe (saith God) your sonnes and your doughters shall prophecye. And who so euer call on the name of y e Lord shall be saued Iohel. ii.
¶ The latter examynaciō of the worthy seruaūt of God mastres Anne Askewe the yonger goughter of sir Wyllyam Askewe knyght of Lyncolne shyre, lately martyred in Smythfelde by the wycked Synagoge of Antichrist.
The censure or iudgement of Iohan Bale therupon, after the sacred Scriptures and Chronycles.
CHriste wylled hys most dere Apostle and secretarye saynt Iohan the Euangelist, S. Iohā. to signyfye by wrytynge to the ouersear or preacher of the cō gregacion of Pergamos, that there only are hys faythfull membres murthered, where Sathan inhabyteth or holdethe resydence. And for example he bryngeth forthe his constaunte wytnesse Antipas, whych was there most cruellye slayne of that Synagoge of hys, for confessynge the veryte. Apoca. ii. That Behemoth (sayth Iob) that Leuyathan, y t Sathan, regneth as a most myghtye kyng ouer al the spiritual chyldren of pryde. Iob. xlii A murtherer (sayth Christ to the spirytualte of y e Iewes) & a blasphemouse lyar, Sathan. [Page] is that father of youres, and hathe bene frome the worldes begynnynge Iohan. viii. These maners hath he not yet lefte, but contynueth them styll in his wycked posteryte.
In the prymatiue churche (as testyfyeth Bedas) they persecuted the heares of Christes head, Christes. heares. whych were so pure as the whyte wolle that is apte to receyue al colours, Apoca. i. They slewe those true beleuers whych his word and spret had depured from al false worshyppinges, and made fytte for al trybulacions to be suffered for his names sake. In these lattre dayes they meddel with his fete, Christes fete. whyche are lyke vnto brasse, burnynge as it were in an whote furnace, Apocalypsis. i. For they that beleue nowe agreably to hys worde, and not after theyr corrupted and cursed customes, are consumed in the fyre As here after wyll appere, Fyre. by this godly woman Anne Askewe, whiche wyth othere more was brente at London in the yeare of our lorde a. M. D. XLVI. For the faythfull testymonye of Iesu agaynste Antichrist. Whose lattre handelynge here foloweth in course, lyke as I receyued it in coppye, Coppye. by serten duche marchauntes cōmynge frō thens, which had bene at theyr burnynge, and beholden the tyrannouse vyolence there shewed [Page] First out of the preson she wrot vnto a secrete frynde of hers, after this maner folowynge.
Anne Askewe.
I do perceyue (dere frynde in the Lorde) that thou arte not yet perswaded thoroughlye in the truthe concernynge the Lordes supper, bycause Christe sayde vnto hys Apostles. Christ. Take, eate Thys is my bodye whyche is geuen for yow. In geuynge forthe the breade as an outewarde sygne or token to be receyued at the mouthe, he mynded them in a perfyghte beleue to receyue that bodye of hys whyche shulde dye for the people, or to thynke the deathe therof, the onelye helthe and saluacyon of theyr sowles. The breade and the wyne were lefte vs, Breade. for a sacramentall communyon, or a mutuall partycypacyon of the inestymable [Page] benefyghtes of hys moste precyouse deathe and bloude shedynge. And that we shulde in the ende therof, be thankefull togyther for that moste necessarye grace of our redempcyon. For in the closynge vp therof, he sayd thus. Thys do ye, in remembraunce of me. Remēbre. Yea, so oft as ye shall eate it or drynke it, Luce xxii. and. i. Corinth. xi. Els shulde we haue bene forgetfull of that we oughte to haue in daylye remembraunce and also bene altogyther vnthankefull for it.
Iohan Bale.
Agreable is thys womans doctryne here, Edere & Bibere. to the scriptures of both testamē tes. Wherin these wordes Edere & Bybere to eate & to drynke, are often tymes spiritually taken for Credese, to beleue or receyue in faithe. The pore (saith Dauid) shal eate and be satisfyed. Al that seke to please the lorde shall praise him, & their sowles shall neuer perysh, Psal. xxi. They that eate me (sayth the veryte [Page] of God) shall hunger more and more, & they that drincke me shall thirst more desirouslie for me. Beleue. Eccles. xxiiii. On lesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man (saith Chryste) and drynke his bloud, ye can haue no lyfe in yow, Ioan. vi. These scirptures expounde the doctours spyrytuallye, yea, the papystes & al. Whereas the other iii. Euangelystes, Euangelystes. Mathew Marke, and Luke, sheweth nothynge els of the lordes supper but the playne historye. Saint Iohan writynge laste of thē all, Doctryne. many festeth there the whole cō plete doctrine & full vnderstāding therof after Christes owne instruccyons and meanynge. Requyred it is there, that y e true receiuers therof, be taught of God, and learned of the heuenlye father and not of synnefull mennes customes.
The worke of God, or that pleaseth God, is not there the puttynge of breade into the mouthe and bellye, but to beleue or exactlye to consydre, Faythe. that Christ dyed for vs to clense vs from synne, to ioyne vs into one mystycall body, and to geue vs the lyfe euerlastynge. And that there is none other but he that can procure vs that lyfe. For that which entereth the mouth, feadeth onlye the bodye. But that entreth faythe, feadeth the sowle. I am the lyuynge breade [Page] (saith he) which came downe from heauen. He onlye that beleueth in me, Christ. hath y e lyfe euerlasting, Iohā. vi. The sprete is it that quyckeneth, the fleshely vnder standynge, or only mouth eatynge, profyteth nothynge at all. Here wyll an obstynate papyst parauenture saye, that we attrybute nothynge to the corporall communyon. Communyon. Yeas, we reuerentlye, graunt, that ryghtlye mynystred after Christes instytucyon, it both confirmeth our faythe in the necessarye consyderacyons of his death, and also sturrethe vp that brotherlye Christē loue which we ought to haue towardes our neyber, Loue. besydes that this faythfull woman hath spoken here of it afore. And these are the onlye frutes which he requyreth of vs in that supper of sacramentall metynge.
Anne Askewe.
Therfore it is mete, that in prayers we call vnto God, to grafte in our foreheades, the true meanynge of the holy Ghost concernynge thys communyon. For Saynte Paule dothe saye that the letter slayeth. Letter. The sprete it is onlye that geueth lyfe. [Page] ii. Cor. iii. Marke wele the vi. chapitre of Iohan, where all is applyed vnto faythe. Note also the fourth chaptre of Saint Paules first epystle to the Corynthes, and in the ende therof ye shall fynde playnelye, that the thinges which are seane are temporall, but they that are not seane are euerlasting Yea, loke in the third chaptre to the Hebrues, and ye shall fynde that Chryste as a sonne and no seruaunt, Christe. rulethe ouer hys howse (whose howse are we, and not the deade temple) yf we hold faste the confydence and reioysynge of that hope to the ende. Wherfore as saythe the Holye Ghoste. To daie yf yow shall heare his voice, harden not youre hartes, &c. Psalme. xciiii.
Iohan Bale.
By the fore heades vnderstāde she the hartes or mindes of men, Foreheades. for so are they [Page] takē of S. Iohā, Apoc. vii. & xxii. I can not thynke, but herin she had respect vnto the plate of fyne golde which the lorde commaunded to be set vpon Aarons fore hede, for the acceptacyon of the people of Israel. Exodi ii. For here wolde she all mennys hartes to be endued and lyghtened with the mooste pure sprete of Christ, Hartes. for the vnderstandynge of that most holye and necessarye cōmunyon, the corrupted dreames and fantasyes of synnefull men sette a part. She knewe by the singular gyft of the holye Ghost, that they are lyenge masters, procurers of ydolatrye, and most spytfull enemyes to the sowle of man, that applyeth that office to the corruptyble lippes, which belongeth to an vncorrupted faythe, so settynge the creature that is corruptyble breade, in place of the creator Christ both God and man, Roma. i. lamentynge it with the ryghteouse, at the verie harte rote. And in thys she shewed her selfe to be a naturall membre of Christes mistycall bodie. A membre i Cor. xii. relygyouslye carefull for her Christen bretherne & systerne, least they shulde take harme of the popes masmongers.
Anne Askewe.
The summe of my examynacion afore y
e kynges counsell at Grenewyche.
[Page]Your request as concernynge my preson fellowes, Cōpanyons. I am not hable to satysfye, bycause I hearde not their examynacyons. But the effecte of mine was this, I before the counsell, was asked of mastre kyme. I answered, that my lorde chancellour knewe all redye my mynde in that matter. They with that answere were not contented, but said, it was the kinges pleasure, Kyme. that I shulde open the matter to them. I answered them playnelye, that I wolde not so do. But if it were the kynges pleasure to heare me, I wolde shewe hym the truthe. Then they sayde, it was not mete for the kynge with me to be troubled. I answered, that Salomon was reckened the wysest kynge that euer lyued, Salomon yet myslyked not he to heare. ii. poore common womē, [Page] moche more hys grace a symple woman and hys faythfull subiecte. So in conclusyon, I made them non other answere in that matter.
Iohan Bale.
Cōcernynge master Kyme, this shuld seme to be the matter. Her father Syr Wyllyam Askewe knyght and hys father olde master Kyme, Kyme. were sumtyme of famylyaryte and neybers within the countye of Lyncolne shyre. Wherupon the sayde Sir Wyllyam, couenaunted wyth hym for lucre, to haue hys eldest doughter marryed wyth hys sonne and heyre (as an vngodly maner it is in Englande moch vsed amonge noble men) And as it was her chaunce to dye afore the tyme of maryage, An vse. to saue the moneye he constrayned thys to supplye her to wine. So that in the ende she was cō pelled against her wyll or fre consent to marry with him. Notwithstandynge the marryage ones paste, she demeaned her selfe lyke a Christen wyfe, Marryed. and hade by hym (as I am infourmed) ii. childrē. In processe of tyme by oft readynge of the sacred Bible, she fell clerelye from al olde supersticyons of papystrye to a [Page] perfyght beleue in Iesus Christ. Wherby she so offēded the prestes (as is to be seane afore) that he at theyr suggestion, vyolentlye droue her oute of his howse. Wherupō she thought her selfe free frō that vncomelye kynde of coacted marryage, Exyled. by thys doctryne of S. Paule i. Cor. vii. If a faythfull woman haue an vnbeleuynge husbande, which wyll not tarrye with her, she may leaue him. For a brother or sister is not in subieccion to soch, specyallye where as the marryage afore is vnlawful. Vpō this occasiō (I heare saye) she soughte of the lawe a diuorcemēt frō him, Dyuorcement. namely & aboue al, bycause he so cruellye droue her out of his house in despyt of Chrystes veryte. She coulde not thynke him worthye of marryage which so spyghtfullie hated God y e chefe autor of marryage. A beast. Of this mattre was she fyrste examyned (I thynke) at hys instaūt labour and sute.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde chauncellour asked me of my opynyon in the sacrament. Sacrament. My answere was thys. I beleue, that so oft as I in a Chrysten congregacyon, do [Page] receiue the bread in remembraūce of Christes death, and with thankes geuynge accordynge to hys holye institucyon. I receyue therwith the frutes also of hys moost gloryouse passyon. The Byshope of wynchestre bad me make a dyrect answere. Wynchestre. I sayde, I wold not synge a new songe to the lord in a straunge lande.
Iohan Bale.
Dyrect ynough was this answere after Christes syngle doctrine, but not after the popes double and couetouse meanynge for his oyled queresters aduauntage. Answere. And here was at hande hys generall aduocate or stewarde, to loke vpon the matter, that nothyng shulde perysh perteynynge to the mayntenaunce of hys superstycyous vayne glorye, yf any craftye polycye myghte helpe it. What offended thys godlye Christen woman here, eyther in oppinion or faythe, ye cruell and vengeable tyrauntes? Tyraunt. But that ye muste (as Dauid saythe) temper your tunges wyth venemouse wordes [Page] to destroye the innocent. Psal. lxiii. Could yow haue brought in agaynst her a matter of more daunger concernynge your lawes, Daunger to depriue her of life, ye wolde haue done it, soch is your gostlye charyte. But be sure of it, as hawtye as ye are now, the harde plage therof wyll be yours, whan the greate vengeaunce shal fall for shedynge of innocentes bloude. Mat. xxiii.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshoppe sayde, I speake in parables. Parables I answered it was best for hym. For if I shewe the open truthe (quoth I) ye wyll not accept it. Then he sayde I was a paratte. I tolde hym agayne, I was readye to suffre all thynges at hys handes. Not onelye hys rebukes, but all that shoulde folowe besydes, yea, and that gladlye. Then hadde I dyuerse rebukes of the counsell bycause I woulde not expresse my mynde Rebukes. in all thynges as they [Page] woulde haue me. But they were not in the meane tyme vnanswered for all that, whyche nowe to rehearce, were to moche. For I was wyth them there aboue fyue houres. v. houres Then the clearke of the counsell conueyed me from thens to my lady Garnyshe.
Iohan Bale.
Most cōmonly Christ vsed to speake in darke similitudes and parables, Parables whā he perceyued hys audyence rather geuē to the hearynge of pharysaycall constytucyons and customes, than to his heauenlye veryte. Mathei. xiii. Marc. iiii. Luc. vii. which rule this woman beynge hys true dyscyple, forgotte not here, in cōmenynge with thys proude Byshoppe whō she knewe to be alwayes moste obstynat withstander of that wholsom veryte of his. Wynchestre. And as concernynge mockes and scornefull reuylynges, Mockers they haue bene euer in that generacyon of scorners more plenteouse than good counsels to the ryghtwyse. And therfore as a name after their condycyons, it is vnto them appropriate of the holye Ghoste in manye places of the scryptures. In the lattre dayes (sayth Iudas the apostle) shal [Page] come mockers, walkynge in vngodlynesse all after their owne lustes. These are they whych separat themselues frō the common sort by a name of spirytualtye, beyng in conuersacion beastlye, and hauynge no sprete that is godlye. Hypocrytes. But derelye beloued (sayth he) grounde your selues surelye vpon our most holye faythe. &c.
Anne Askewe.
The next daye I was broughte agayne before the counsell. Then woulde they nedes knowe of me, what I sayd to the sacramēt. Sacramēt I answered, y t I alredye had sayd that I coulde saye. Then after diuerse wordes, they had me, go by. Then came my lorde Lyle, my lorde of Essexe, and the Byshoppe of winchester requirynge me ernestlye, Wynchester that I shoulde confesse the sacrament to be fleshe, bloude and bone Then sayde I to my Lorde Par and my Lorde Lyle, that it was [Page] greate shame for them to counsell contrarye to theyr knowledge. Wherunto in fewe wordes they dyd saye, Godlye. that they wolde gladlye al thynges were well.
Iohan Bale.
Alwayes haue the worldelye gouernours shewed more gentylnesse and fauer to the worde of God, Prynces▪ than the consecrate prestes and prelates. As we haue for example in the olde lawe, that Ezechias the kynge of Iuda wold in no case at theyr callynge on, put Mycheas the true prophete vnto deathe, Micheas. whan he had prophecyed the destruction of Samaria for theyr ydolatrye, and for the tyrannye of their prynces and false prophetes, Miche. i. and. iii. Neyther wold the prynces at the prestes headye exclamacyons, murther Hieremye for the lordes verite preachynge, Hieremye. but mercyfullye delyuered hym out of theyr malycyous handes. Hieremi. xxvi. Pylate in lyke case, Pylate. concernynge the newe lawe, pleated wyth the Iewes spirytualte, to haue saued Christ frō the deathe. Math xxvii. Io. xviii. So dyd y e captaine Claudias Lisias delyuer Paule frome their mortal malyce, Lisias. after that the hygh prest [Page] Ananias had commaunded hym to be smytten, and his retynewe cōspired his deathe, Act. xxiii. At the prestes only prouocacyon was it, that the heythnysh emprours so greuouslye vexed and tormented the Christen beleuers in the prymatyue churche, Cesares. as testyfyeth Egesyppus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Esebius, and other olde hystoryanes.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshoppe sayd, he woulde speake with me famylyarlye. I sayde, so dyd Iudas whan he vnfryndelye betrayed Christe Then desyred the Byshoppe to speake wyth me alone. Wynchester. But that I refused. He asked me, whye? I sayde, that in the mouthe of two or thre wytnesses euerye mattre shoulde stande, after Christes and Paules doctrine. Mathei. xviii. and. ii. Cor. xiii.
Iohan Bale.
Dyd she not (thynke you) hyt the nayle on the head, in thus tauntynge thys Byshoppe? Treason. yeas. For as greate offence [Page] doth he to Christ, that gyueth one of his beleuynge members vnto deathe, as did he that betrayed first his owne bodye. That ye haue done vnto those little ones (shal he saye at the lattre daye) whyche haue beleued in me, ye haue done vnto myne own persone, Christes. Math. xxv. Who so toucheth them (saythe zacharye) shall touche the apple of the lordes owne eye zacha. ii. But this beleueth not that peruerse generacion.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde Chauncelloure beganne to examyne me agayne of the sacramente. Sacrament. Then I axed hym, howe longe he woulde halte on bothe sydes: Then woulde he nedes knowe, where I founde that? I sayde in the scripture. iii. Reg. xviii. Then he went his way
Iohan Bale.
Of Helias the prophet were these wordes spoken, to the people of Israel, such tyme as they halted betwyne. ii. opyniōs or walked vnryghtly betwyne y e true lyuynge god, Halte & the false God Baal as we do now in Englāde betwyne Christes Gospell and the popes olde rotten [Page] customes. We slenderlye consydre with S. Paule, Englande that Christ wyll haue no felyshyppe or concorde with Beliall, lyghte wyth darkenes, ryghtwysnesse wyth vnryghtwysenes, the temple of God wyth ymages, or the true beleuers wyth the infydels. ii. Corinth. vi. For al our new Gospell, yet wyll we styll beare y e straū gers yoke wyth the vnbeleuers, and so come neyther whote nor colde, that god maye spewe vs out of his mouth as vnsauerye morsels. Tepidi. Apo. iii. Saynge vnto vs as to the folyshe vyrgynes. Verely I knowe you not. Math. xxv.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshoppe sayde, I shulde be brente. Brenne I answered, that I had serched all the scriptures yet could I neuer fynd there that eyther Christ or his Apostles put any creature to deathe. Well, wel, sayde I God wyll laughe youre threttenynges to scorne. Psalm. ii. Then was I commaunded to stande a syde.
Iohan Bale.
Amonge other songes, that the holye [Page] scripture geueth vs to knowe an Antychrist by, Antichrist. it sheweth that he shall be an aduersarye. ii. These. ii. An vnsacyable dogge, Esa lvi. A persuynge enemy. psa. iiii. An enemye in the sanctuary, Psal. lxxiii. A rauening wolfe, To brēne. Mat. vii. Luce x. Iohā. x. Acto. xx. And a mooste cruell murtherer, Dani. xi. Iohan xvi. Apoc. xiii. Vnto soche (sayth S. Iohan) is it geuē to vexe mē with heate of fyre. Apo. xvi. The wyckednesse of prestes (sayth Hiere.) shedeth innocētes bloude. Yea (say they) ye must be brēt, ye must dwel among y e gentiles. Treno iiii. Or be cō mitted to prisō of y e wordli powers, & so put vnto death by thē. We maruele not therfore though these partes be played of proude Byshoppes. Prestes. Cōsydering y e holye Ghost must be foūde true in hys foriudgemētes, & that some ther must be to do the feates. But trulye dyd thys woman cōclude with the prophecye of Dauid, Psalme ii. God laugheth That God which dwelleth in heauen shall haue theyr tyrannye in deryson, and bringe all theyr wicked counsels to naught, in the clere openynge of his worde, haue they neuer so many paynted colours of false rightwysnesse.
Anne Askewe
[Page]Then came mastre Pagette to me, and desyred me to speake my mynde to hym. I myghte (he sayde) denye it agayne, if nede were. I sayde, that I wolde not denye the truthe. He asked me, howe I coulde auoyde the verye wordes of Chryste. Take, eate, Thys is my bodye, whych shall be broken for yowe. I answered, that Chrystes meanynge was there, Christes meanyng as in these other places of the scrypture. I am the dore Ioan. x. I am the vyne. Ioan xv. Beholde the lambe of God Iohan. i. The rocke stone was Christe. i. Cor. x. and soche other lyke. Ye maye not here (sayde I) take Chryste for the materyall thynge that he is sygnyfyed by. Sygnyfye. For than ye wyll make hym a verye dore, a vyne, a lambe, and a stone, cleane contrarye to the [Page] holy Ghostes meaninge. All these in dyde do sygnyfye Chryste, lyke as the breade dothe hys bodye in that place. And though he dyde saye there. Take, eate this in remembraunce of me. Remembraunce. Yet dyde he not bydde them hange vp that breade in a boxe, and make it a God, or bowe to it.
Iohan Bale.
Moche ado is here made, and manye subtyl wayes are sought out, to brynge thys woman into their corrupted, Idolatrye. and false beleue, that the corruptyble creature made with handes, myghte stande in place of the eternall creatore or maker God and man for the prestes aduauntage. But all is in vayne. In no case wolde he so accept it. Nothing lesse mynded Chryst, than to dwell in the breade, Not in breade, or to become a feadinge for the bodye, whan he sayd. Take, eate. Thys is my bodye. For a contrarye doctryne he taughte hys dyscyples the yeare afore hys last supper, as we haue in the vi. chaptre of Iohan Where as he declareth hys flesh to be a spirtiuall meare, hys bloude a spirituall drynke, and both thē to be receyued [Page] in faythe, the breade and the wyne remaynynge as sygnes of his euerlastinge couenaunt. Reason is it that he rather be iudged the receyuer whyche lyueth in that refeccyon than he which lyueth not therby. Whyche is the sowle & not the bodye. The eater What neaded Christe to haue geuen to those bodies a newe body lye feadynge, whiche were suffycyently fed afore with the passe ouer lambe? If he had not ment therin some other maner of thynge?
But he sufficiētlye ynough declareth hys owne meanynge, Luce xxii. Where he cōmaundeth vs to do it in his remē braunce, and not to make hym agayne by blowynge vpon the breade. Thys sacramentall eatynge and drynkynge in his remēbraunce, Remembraunce. S. Paule more largely declareth, i. Cor. xi. So oft (saith he) as ye shall eate of that breade and drynke of that cuppe, ye shall shewe the lordes deathe tyll he come. Tyll he come. If ye ernestlie marke that lattre clause (tyll he cōe) ye shall wele perceiue that hys bodilye presēce in the breade, is vtterly denyed there. More ouer in the afore said xxii. chaptre of Luke, bycause we shuld not be to scrupulose, Christe sheweth what that wyne & breade of hys supper were, yea, as he left thē there, euē ī these wordes. I [Page] saie vnto yow (saith he) that hens forth I shall not drynke of thys frute of the vyne (or eate of thys frute of wheate) tyll the kyngdome of God be come, Frute of the vyne. or tyll I drynke it new with yow in my fathers kingedome, Math. xxvi. Marci. xiiii. Here calleth it he y e iuse of y e grape or frute of the vyne, and not the bloude yssuynge from hys bodye. Yet is that cuppe (as S. Paule sayth) the partakynge of Christes bloude, and the bread that we breake there, the partakynge of Chrystes bodye, Partakynge. i. Corint xi. But that is in faythe and sprete, as afore in Iohan.
Anne Askewe.
Then came to me doctor Coxe, and doctor Robynson. Coxe and Robynsō In conclusion we coulde not agree. Thē they made me a byll of the sacrament, wyllynge me to set my hande therunto, but I wolde not. Then on the sondaye I was sore sycke, thynkynge no lesse than to die. Therfore I desyred to speake with Latimer it wolde not be. Thē was I sente to Newgate in [Page] my extremyte of syckenesse. For in all my lyfe afore, newgate was I neuer in soche payne. Thus the lorde strengthē yow in the truth. Praye, praye praye.
Iohan Bale.
What an hurly burlye is here, for this newe beleue? that Christ shulde dwelle in the breade, In breade. which is mannys creature & not gods, Christe is the liuynge breade which came from heauē, Iohan. vi. But that is not sufficyēt (saye the prestes) on lesse ye beleue also, that he is that deade breade which came frō y e waffer bakers And therūto must ye set your owne hāde writynge, A waffer els wyll it not be allowed in the spirytuall courte. For he that speaketh greate thynges and blasphemyes (whiche is Antichriste) makinge warre with the sayntes, antychrist wyll haue it so, Apo. xiii. In the Apostles time, & many yeares after, it was ynough for a chrystē mān is ryghtwysnesse, to beleue with the hart, that Iesus is the lorde, & that God raysed hym vp from the dead. Roma. x. But now we must beleue that he cōmeth downe agayn at the wyll of the prestes, to be inpaned or inbreaded for their bellyes common welthe, Inpaned lyke as he afore came downe, at the wyll of hys heuenlye father, [Page] to be incarnated or infleshed for our vnyuersall sowles helth. And vnto thys we muste set our hande writynge, that we may be knowen for Antichristes catrell. Els shall we to stinkynge Newgate by their spyrytuall appoyntment, newgate. be we neuer so sycke, and with in a whyle after, to the fyre in Smythfelde. For Christes member muste tast with him both esell and gall.
Anne Askewe. The confessyon of me Anne Askewe, for the tyme I was in Newgate cōcernynge my beleue.
I fynde in the scriptures (saythe she) that Chryste toke the breade, Breade. & gaue it to his dyscyples, sainge, Eate. This is my bodye, whyche shall be broken for yow, meaning in substaūce his owne verye bodie, the breade beinge therof an onlye sygne or sacramente. For after lyke maner of speakynge, he sayde he woulde breake downe the temple, and in iii. dayes buylde [Page] it vp agayne, sygnyfyenge hys owne bodye by the temple, Temple. as, Saynte Iohan declareth it. Ioā ii. And not the stonye temple it selfe. So that the breade is but a remembraunce of hys death, or a sacrament of thankes geuynge for it, wherby we are knytte vnto hym by a communyon of Chrysten loue. Although there be manye that can not perceyue the true meanynge therof, for the vayle that Moses put ouer hys face before the children of Israel, Moses vayle that they shuld not se the clerenesse therof, Exo. xxxiiii. & ii. Cor. iii. I perceyue the same vaile remayneth to this daye. But whā God shall take it a waye, than shall these blynde men se.
Iohan Bale.
Ye wyll saye parauenture, that the symplitudes here of breade and of the tē ple, [Page] are not like. For he blessyd the breade with thankes geuynge. So wyll ye saye, an other tyme for your pleasure & aduauntage, that he blessyd the temple also, Blessed and called it both the howse of his father, and also the howse of prayer. I pray ye, be as good here to your market place, as ye are to your sale wares therin, for your only bellyes sake. For y e one wyll not do wele to your commodyte in ydelnesse, withoute the other. But take good hede of it, yf ye lyst. Temple. For christ hath alredye called one of them an howse of merchaundyse and a denne of theues, by reason of your vnlawfull occupyenge therin, Ioan. ii. and Luce xix. He hath also promysed to ouerthrowe it, Math. xxiiii. and not to leaue one stone therof standyng vpon an other, Marci. xiii. Bycause ye haue not regarded the tyme of your vysytacyon, or not accepted hys eternall worde of helthe. A warnynge might the turnynge ouer of your monasteryes haue bene vnto yow, warnynge if ye were not, as ye are altogyther blynde.
I can not thynke the contrarye but he calleth the other also, as ye handle it now a dayes in the popes olde toyes of conueyaunce, the abhomynacion of desolacyon, or soche an abomynable ydoll as subuertynge Christes true religyon. The masse [Page] wyll be your fynall destruccyon both here and in the worlde to come. For ydolles are called abhomynacyō, Idolles. al the scriptures ouer. Yet shall it endure (say the Daniel) sumwhere, vnto the ende of al Daniel. ix. Wherby ye maye well perceyue, that it comprehendethe not onely the tryumphaunt stremers of Tyberius or golden ymages of Caligula, Tyberius Caligula. whyche bothe preuented the subuersyon of Hierusalem, but some other ydolles which shulde contynewe. And it folowethe in the Gospell texte, that he shulde sytte in the holye place for the tyme of hys contynuaunce. Mathei. xxiiii. And not in the paganes temples. Tell me yf youre Masses be done anye where els, Masses. than in your hallowed sanctuaryes, vpon your sanctified aulters, and in your holy ornamentes and consecrate cuppes? Neyther may any do them, vnlesse they be anoynted therunto of your Byshoppes & sorcerers.
Not without the holy place (sayth-Christ) is that abhomynacyon, but in it, Mathei. xxiiii. Antichriste (sayth saynt Paule) shal syt, Antichrist not without, but within the verye temple of God. ii. Thessalo ii. The papacye is not wythoute, but wythin the verie church of Christ, what thoughe it be no part therof. Apoca. xi. [Page] Therfore it shall be mete that we be ware, and seperate oure selues frome them at the admonyshmentes of hys hoolye doctryne, Shurns them. leaste we be partakers wyth yow in theyr promysed dampnaciō. Apoca. xviii. By the vayle ouer Moses face, she meaneth the blynde confydence that manye men yet haue in olde Iewysh ceremonyes and beggarlye tradycions of men, as S. Paule doth call them, The vails Gala. iiii. Wherby y e veryte of God is sore blemished. The spiritual knowlege, which cometh by the clere doctryne of the Gospell, mynystreth no soch impedymentes of darkenes. Darkenesse. But all thynges are clerelye seane to them which are endued therwith. They can be deceyued by none of Sathans subtyle conuayers, but perceyueth all thynges, whych haue obtayned the pure eyes of faythe. Syght.
Anne Askewe.
For it is playnelye expressed in the hystorye of Bel in the Byble, that God dwellethe in nothynge materyall. O kynge (saythe Daniel) be not deceyued Daniel. Daniel. xiiii. For God wyll be in nothynge that is made with handes [Page] of men. Actor. vii. Oh what styffnecked people are these, that wyll alwayes resyste the hoolye Ghost. But as theyr fathers haue done, so do they, bycause ther haue stonye hartes. Wryttē by me Anne Askewe that nether wyshe deathe, Strength nor yet feare his myghte, and as merye as one that is bowne towardes heauen. Truthe is layed in pryson. Luce. xxi. The lawe is turned to worme woode. Amos. vi. And there can no ryghte iudgement go forth, Esay. lix.
Iohan Bale.
Marke here howe graciouslye the lord kepeth promyse with thys poore seruaunte of his. Promes. He that beleuethe on me (saythe Christe) oute of his bellye shall flowe ryuers of lyuynge water. Ioa. vii Neyther lasheth thys woman out in her extreme troubles, language of dispayre nor yet blasphemouse wordes agaynste God with the vnbeleuinge, but vttereth the scriptures in wonderfull habundaunce to his lawde and prayse. She rebuketh [Page] here the most pestylent vyce of ydolatrye. Faythe. Not by olde narracions and fables, but by the most pure worde of God as dyd Daniel & Steuen. And in the ende she shewethe the stronge stomacke of a mooste Christen martyre, in that she is neyther desyrouse of the deathe, neyther yet standeth in feare of the vyolēce or extremyte therof What a constancye was this of a woman, frayle, A martyre tēdre yong and most delycyouslye brought vp? But that Christes sprete was myghtye in her who bad her be of good cher. For though the tyrauntes of thys worlde haue power to fleye the bodye, Tyraūtes yet haue they no power ouer the sowles. Matthei. xx. Nether haue they power in the ende to demynyshe one heare of the heade, Luce. xxi.
She faynteth not in the myddes of y e battayle. i. Corint. ix. But perseuerethe stronge and stedefast to the verye ende. Stedefast Mathei. x. Not doubtynge but to haue for her faythful perseueraūce, the crowne of eternall lyfe. Apoc. ii. So mery am I (sayth she good creature, in the myddes of Newgate) as one that is bowne towardes heauen. A voyce was thys of a most worthye and valeaunt wytnesse, in the paynefull kyngedome of pacience Apocalip. i. Valcaunt. She faithfullye reckened of [Page] her lorde God, that he is not as men are fyckle, Numeri. xxiii. But most sure of worde and promyse, Psalm. cxliiii. And that he wolde most faithfully kepe conuenaunt wyth her, whan tyme shuld come. Apoca. ii. She had it most groūdedlye planted in her hart, that though heauen and earthe dyd passe, yet coulde not his wordes and promes passe by vnfulfylled. Faythe. Lu. xxi. Ashamed may those carnall Helchesytes be, Helchesytes. whych haue not on lye denyed the verite of theyr lorde god, but also most shamefullye blasphemed, & dishonoured bothe it and themselues for the pleasure of a yeare or. ii. to dwell styl in this fleshe. They cōsidre not, that he, wyth whome they mocke, hathe power to sende them to helle for theyr blasphemye. Luce. xii. They shall not fynde it a matter lyght, for theyr inconstancye to be vometed out of the mouthe of God as vnsauerye morsels. Apocalypsis. iii Neyther shal they proue it a Christmas game, to be denyed of Christ before hys heauenlye father and his angels, In constaunt. for denyenge here his verite. Math. x.
Anne Askewe.
Prayer.Oh forgeue vs all oure synnes and receyue vs gracyouslye. As [Page] for the workes of oure handes. we wyll no more call vpon them. For it is thou lorde that art oure God. Thou sheweste euer mercye vnto the fatherles. Oh yf they wolde do this (saythe the Lorde) I shoulde heale theyre sores, yea wyth all my harte woulde I loue them. O Ephraim, Ephraim. what haue I to do wyth ydolles anye more Who so is wyse, shall vnderstande thys. And he that is ryghtlye enstructed, wyll regarde it. For the wayes of the Lorde are ryghteouse. Soche as are godlye wyl walke in them. And as for the wicked, they wyll stomble at them. Osee. xiiii.
Iohan Bale.
All these wordes alleged she oute of the last chaptre of Oseas the prophete, Oseas. where as he prophecyed the destructyon of Samaria for the onlye vyce of ydolatrye. In the worde of the lorde, she declareth her selfe therin, to detest and abhorre [Page] that vyce aboue all, and to repent frō the hearte, that she hathe at anye tyme worshypped the workes of mennes handes, Ydolatrie eyther stone, wode, breade, wyne, or anye soche lyke, for the eternall lyuynge God. Consequently she confessyth hym to be her only God, and that she had at that tyme truste in non other els, nether for the remyssion of her synnes, nor yet sowles cōfort at her nede. And lyke soch a wone as is vnfainedlye cōuerted vnto the lorde, she axethe of the spyritual Ephraimytes in his worde, Ephraimytes. what she hath anye more to do wyth ydolles? or whyether minde so tyrannouslye enforce her to the worshyppynge of them? consideryng that he so ernestly abhorreth them Fynallye. ii. sortes of people she reckeneth to be in the world, ii. sortes. and sheweth the dyuerse manner of them. The one in the sprete of Christe obeyeth the worde, the other in the sprete of errour cōtempneth it. And lyke as S. Paule dothe saye To the one part is it, the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe and to the other, the sauour of deathe vnto death. ii. Corinth. ii.
Anne Askewe.
S. Steuē.Salomon (sayth saynte Steuen) buylded an howse for the God of [Page] Iacob. Howe be yt the hyeste of all dwelleth not in temples made wyth handes. As saythe the prophete. Esaye. lxvi. Heauen is my seate and the earth is my fote stole What howse wyll ye buylde for me? sayth the Lord, or what place is it that I shall rest in? hathe not my hande made al these thynges? Actorum. vii. Temple. Woman beleue me (sayth Christe to the Samaritane) the tyme is at hand that ye shall neyther in thys mountayne nor yet at Hierusalem worshyppe the father. Ye worshyppe ye wote not what, but we knowe what we worshyppe. Worshyp. For saluacyon commeth of the Iewes. But the houre cōmeth, and nowe is, wherin the true worshyppers shall worshype the father in spirite and veryte. Ioannis. iiii. Laboure not (sayth Christe) for the meate that perysheth, Meate. [...] [Page] for that endureth into y e lyfe euerlastynge, whych the sonne of man shall geue yowe. For hym god the father hath sealed, Iohan. vi.
Iohan Bale.
Here bringe she. iii. stronge testymonyes of the newe testament, to confirme her owne Chrysten beleue therwith and also both to confute and condempne the moost execrable heresie and false filthy beleue of the papystes. 3. bulwerkes. The fyrste of them proueth, that the eternall God of heauen, wyll neyther be wrapped vp in a clowte, nor yet shutte vp in a boxe. The seconde declareth, that in no place of the earthe, is he to be sought, neither yet to be worshypped, but wythyn vs, in sprete and veryte. The thirde of thē concludeth, that Chryste is a feadynge for the sowle and not for the bodye. More ouer he is soche a meate, as neither corrupteth, mouldeth, nor perisheth, neyther yet consumethe or wasteth awaye in the bellye. [...]omystes. Lette not the Romysh popes remnaunt in Englāde thynke, but in condempnynge the faythe of thys godlye woman, they also condemyne the veryte of the lorde, vnlesse they cā discharge these iii. textes of the scripture [Page] with other iii. more effectuall. As I thinke, they shall not, nisi ad Calendas Grecas. If they allege for their part, the saynge of Christ, Math. xxiiii. Lo here is Christ, Lo, here, Se there. or ther is Christ. They are confoūded by that which foloweth. Wherin he ernestlye chargeth hys faith full folowers not to beleue it, callynge the teachers of soch doctrine, false anointed deceyuable prophetes, and sorcerouse worke men. Marci. xiii.
Anne Askewe. The summe of the condempnacyon of me Anne Askewe. at yelde hawle.
They sayde to me there, that I was an heretyke and condempned by the lawe, Heretyke yf I wolde stande in my opynyon. I answered that I was no heretyke, neythere yet deserued I anye deathe by the lawe of God. But as concernynge the faythe whyche I vttered and wrote to the counsell, I wolde not (I sayde) denye it bycause I knew it true. Then [Page] wolde they nedes knowe, if I wolde denye the sacramente to be Chrystes bodye and bloude: Sacrament. I sayde, yea. For the same sonne of God, that was borne of the vyrgyne Marie is now gloriouse in heauen and wyll come agayne from thens at the lattre daye lyke as he wente vp. Acto. i. And as for that ye call your God, is but a pece of breade. For a more profe therof (marke it whan ye lyste) let it lye in the boxe but iii. monethes, Moulde in the boxe. and it wyll be moulde, and so turne to nothynge that is good. Wherupon I am persuaded, that it can not be God.
Iohan Bale.
Christ Iesus the eternall sonne of God, was condempned of thys generacion for a sedicyouse heretyke, Christ cō dempned a breaker of their sabbot, a subuerter of their people a defyler of their lawes, and a destroyer of their temple or holye churche, [Page] Ioan. vii. Luce xxiii. Mathei. xxvi. Mar. xiiii, & suffred death for it at their procuremente, by the lawe than vsed. Is it than any maruele, if hys inferiour subiect here, and faythfull membre do the same, Membre at the cruell callynge on and vyolent vengeaunce of their posteryte? No, no, the seruaunt muste folowe her mastre, and the fote her heade, and maye be foūde in that poynt no better thā he, Ioan. xiii. Saint Augustine diffynynge a sacrament, calleth it in one place, Sacrament. a signe of an holye thynge. In an other place a vysyble shape of an inuisyble grace. Whose offyce is to instructe, anymate, and strengthen our faythe towardes God, and not to take it to it self, and so depryue hym therof. Christes bodye and bloude are neyther sygnes nor shaddowes, no sygnes but the verye effectuall thynges in dyde, signified by those figures of breade and wyne. But how that drye and corruptyble cake of theirs shulde become a God, manye men wonder now a dayes in the lyght of the Gospell, lyke as they haue done afore tyme also. And specyally why the the wyne shulde not be accepted and set vp for a God also so wele as the breade, the wyne consyderynge that Christ made so moche of the one as of the other.
Anne Askewe.
After that they wylled me to haue a preste. And than I smyled. Then they asked me, if it were not good? I sayde, I wolde confesse my fawtes to God, Confesse. for I was sure that he wold heare me with fauer. And so we were cō dempned without a queste.
Iohan Bale.
Prestes of godlye knowlege she dyd not refuse. For the knewe that they are the massengers of the lorde, Teachers & that his holy wordes are to be sought at ther mouthes, Mala. ii. Of them she instauntlye desyred to be instructyd, and it was denyed her, as is written afore. What shulde she than els do, but returne vnto her lorde God? in whome, she knewe to be habundaunce of mercy for all them whych do from the hart repent. Belles Prestes. Deutro. xxx. As for the other sort of prestes, she dyd not amys to laugh both them and their maynteners to scorne. For so doth God also, Psalme ii. And curseth both their absolucyons & blessynges, Mala. ii. A thefe or a murtherer shulde not haue [Page] bene condempned without a queste, by the lawes of Englande. But the faythfull members of Iesus Christ, for the spyght and hate that thys worlde hath to hys veryte, must haue an other kinde of tyrannye added therunto, Tyranny. besides y e vnryghteouse bestowynge of that lawe. Do be vnto yow (sayth y e eternall God of heauen by hys prophete) or dampnacyō be ouer your heades, that make wicked lawes, Wycked lawes. and deuise cruell thinges for the poore oppressed innocentes. Esaie. x Do vnto hym that buyldeth Babylon with bloude, and maynteyneth that wicked citie styll in vnryghtwysnesse. Abacuch. ii. Nahum. iii. Ezech. xxiiii.
Anne Askewe.
My beleue whyche I wrote to the counsell was thys. That the sacramentall breade was left vs to be receyued with thankes geuynge, in remembraunce of Chrystes deathe, Remembraunce. the onlye remedye of our sowles recouer. And that therby we also receyue [Page] the whole benefyghtes and frutes of hys mooste gloryouse passyon.
Iohan Bale.
We reade not in the Gospell, that the materyall breade at Christes holye supper, was anye other wise taken of the Apostles, thā thus. Neither yet y t Chryste our mastre & sauer requyred anye other takynge of them. If so manye straunge doubtes had bene therin, and so hygh dyffycultees, as be moued and are in controuersye amonge men now a dayes both papystes and other, they coulde no more haue bene left vndyscussed of hym, than other high matters were. Apostles▪ The discyples axed here neyther how nor what as doubtlesse they woulde haue done, if he hade mynded them to haue taken the breade for him. They thought it ynough to take it in hys remembraunce, lyke as he than playnelye taught them, Luce. xxii. The eating of his fleshe and drynkynge of hys bloude therin, Eatynge. to the releuynge of their sowles thyrst and hunger, they knewe to perteyne vnto fayth accordynge to hys instruccyons in the vi. of Iohan. What haue thys godlye woman than offended, whyche neyther [Page] haue denyed hys incarnacyon nor deathe in thys her confessyon of faythe, The sūm [...] of belefe. but most firmelye and groundedlye trusted to receyue the frutes of them bothe.
Anne Askewe.
Then wolde they nedes knowe whether the bred in the boxe were God or no? O beastlye ydolaters. I sayde God is a sprete and wyll be worshypped in sprete and truthe, Ioan. iiii. Then they demaunded. Wyl yow playnlye denye Christ to be in the sacrament? I answered that I beleued faythfullye the eternall sonne of God not to dwell there. In witnes wher of I recyted agayne the hystorye of Bel, O constaunt martyre. and the. ix. chaptre of Daniel, y e. vii. and the. xvii. of the Actes, and the. xxiiii. of Mathew, concludynge thus. I neyther wyshe death, nor yet feare his myghte, God haue the prayse therof with thankes.
Iohan Bale.
Amonge the olde ydolaters, some toke [Page] the sūne, some the mone, some the fyre, some the water, with soch other lyke for their Godes, Olde ydolaters. as witnesseth Dioderus Siculus, Herodotus, Plynius, Lactantius & dyuerse autours more. Now come our dottinge papistes here, wadinge yet more deper in ydolatrye, Newe ydolaters. and they must haue breade for theyr God, yea, a waffer cake whyche is scarse worthy to be called bread. In what sorowful case are Christen people nowe a dayes? that they maye worshypp their lorde and redemer Ihesus Christe in no shappe that hys heauenly father hath set hym forth in, but in such a shappe only as the waffer baker hath ymagined by his slendre wyt. A waffer. Gods creatures were they whom the ydolaters toke for theyr Gods, but thys cake is onlye the bakers creature, for he alone made it breade, if it be breade. And so moch is it a more vnworthye God than the other. Farre was it from Christ to teache hys dyscyples to worshyp soche a God, either yet to haue himself honoured in such a symylytude. The supper. No thynge is here spoken agaynst the moste holye table of the lord, but agaynst that abhomynable ydol of the prestes, which hath moste detestablye blemyshed that most godlye and wholsom communyon
A gloryouse wytnesse of the lorde dyd [Page] this blessed woman sheweth her selfe, in the answere makynge to thys blasphemous beggerye, Answere. whā she sayde, that god was a sprete and no waffer cake, & woulde be worshypped in sprete and veryte, & not in superstycyon and inglynge of the ydoll prestes. An ydoll. Godlye was she to denye Christes presence in that execrable ydol but moch more godly to geue her lyfe for it. Her alleged scriptures proue, that God dwelleth not in tēples, but a fowle abhomynacyon in hys stede, as is shewed afore. In that she feareth not the power of deathe, Death. she declareth her selfe a most constaunt martyr praysynge her Lorde God for hys gyfte. She called to remembraunce the promyses of her lorde Ihesus Christ, that they shulde se no deathe whych obserued hys worde, Ioan. viii. Agayn they that beleued on him shuld ioyfully passe through from deathe vnto lyfe. Iohan. v. And vpon these promises, Promises she most strōgely trusted. She considered also with Peter, that Christ had swallowed vp deathe, to make vs the heyres of euerlastynge lyfe. i. Petri, iii. More ouer that he had ouerthrowne hym whych sumtyme hadde the rule of death. Hebreorum. ii. And also taken awaye the sharpe stynge of the deathe it selfe. Osee. xiii.
Anne Askewe. My lettre sent to the lorde Chauncellour.
The Lorde God, by whom all creatures have theyr beynge, To the Chauncellour. blesse yow wyth the lyghte of hys knowledge, Amen. My dutye to your lordshyppe remembred &c. It myghte please yow to accepte thys my bolde sute, as the sute of one, whyche vpon due consyderacions is moued to the same and hopethe to obtayne. My requeste to youre lordeshyppe is only, that it may please the same to be a meane for me to the kynges magestye, The kyng that hys grace maye be certyfyed of these fewe lynes whiche I haue wrytten concernynge my beleue. Whyche whan it shall be trulye conferred wyth the harde iudgement geuen me for the same, I thynke hys grace shall well perceyue [Page] me to be wayed in an vneuen payer of balaunces. But I remyt my matter & cause to almyghtye God, To God. whyche ryghtlye iudgeth al secretes. And thus I commende youre lordeshyppe to the gouernance of him, and felyshipp of all sayntes. Amen. By youre handemayde Anne Askewe.
Iohan Bale.
In this byl to the chauncellour, apereth it playne, all frowarde affeccyōs sequestred, what this womā was. Stronge. She is not here defected with the desperat, for vnryghteouse handelynge, mournynge, cursynge, and sorowyng, as they do commōlye. But stādynge vp strongely in the lorde, most gentyllye she obeyeth the powers, she blesseth her vexers & persuers and wysheth them the lyghte of Goddes necessarye knowledge. Luce. vi. She consydereth the powers to be ordayned of God, Romanorum. xiii. Obedyēt. And though theyr autoryte be sore abused, yet wyth Christe and hys Apostles she humblye submytteth herselfe to them thynkynge to suffer vnder them as no yll doer but as Christes true seruaunte. i. Peter. iiii. [Page] Notwithstandyng she layeth forth here both before chauncelloure & kynge, the matter wherupon she is condempned to deathe, Her matter. that they accordynge to theyr bounde dewtye, myghte more ryghtlye waye it. iii. Regu. x. Not that she coueted therby to auoyde the deathe, but to put them in remembraunce of theyr offyce concernynge the swerd, Theyr offyce. which they ought not vaynely to ministre, Roman. xiii. and that they shulde also be wythout excuse of ignoraunce in the greate daye of reckenynge, for permitting soch vyolēce to be done. Roma. ii. In the ende yet to make all sure, To God. she commytteth her cause and quarell to God, wherein she declareth her onlye hope to be in hym, and no man. Psalme. cxlv.
Anne Askewe. My faythe breuelye wrytten to the kynges grace.
I Anne Askewe of good memorye although God hath geuen me the breade of aduersyte and the water of trouble, Trouble. yet not so moche as my synnes haue deserued, desyre thys to be knowne to [Page] your grace. That for as moche as I am by the lawe condempned for an euyll doer. Here I take heauen and earthe to recorde, that I shall dye, in my innocencye. And accordynge to that I haue sayde firste, and wyll saye laste, I vtterlye abhorre and detest all heresyes. Heresyes. And as concernynge the supper of the Lorde, I beleue so moche as Christe hathe sayde therin. Whyche he confyrmed wyth hys mooste blessed bloude. I beleue also so moch as he wylled me to folowe and beleue, and so moch as the catholycke churche of hym dothe teache. For I wyll not forsake the commaundemente of hys holye lyppes. Faythe. But loke what God hath charged me wyth his mouth that haue I shutte vp in my hart And thus breuely I ende for lack of lernynge. Anne Askewe.
Iohan Bale.
In thys she dyschargethe her selfe to the worlde agaynst all wrongefull accusations & iudgemētes of heresye, Dyscharge what though it be not accepted to that blynde worlde, vnto whome the lorde sayde by hys prophete. Your thoughtes are not my thoughtes, neither yet are your wayes my wayes. But so farre as the heuēs are hyer than the earthe, so farre do my wayes excede youres, & my thoughtes yours, Esa. lv. Heresye is not to dyssent frō the churche of Rome in the doctryne of fayth, Heresye. as Lāfrācus in his boke de Eucharistia aduersus Berengariū, & Thomas waldē in his worke of sermōs Ser. xxi. What it is. Dyffyneth it. But heresy is a voluntarye dyssētyng frō the veryte of the scriptures of God, and also a blasphemous deprauyng of them, for the wretched bellyes sake, & to mayntene the pompes of thys worlde. Thus is it dyffyned of S. Hierome in cōmentariis Hiere. S. Augustyne and Isidorus agreynge to the same. Cōsidre thā whether he be y e thefe that sytteth vpō the bēche, or he that standeth at the barre? Who is the heretyke. The popyshe clergye that condempneth, or the innocent that is condempned? Athanasius in hys boke de fuga aduersus Arrianos, calleth them the heretykes, whyche seketh [Page] to have the Christē beleuers murthered as dyd the sayd Arryanes. Thys godlye woman, hyr innocencye to clere, laboureth not here to an inferiour membre of the realme, but to the heade therof, the kynges owne persone. Whome she beleueth to be the hygh minister of God, The kyng the father of the lande, and vpholder of the people, Sapi. vi. that he might faythfullye and rightlye iudge her cause. But who can thynke that euer it came before hym? Not I, for my part.
Anne Askewe. The effect of my examynacyon and handelynge, sens my departure from New gate.
On twesday I was sēt from new gate to the sygne of the crowne where as mastre Ryche and the Byshoppe of London wyth all their power & flatterynge wordes wente aboute to persuade me from God. Ryche. But I dyde not exteme their glosynge pretenses. Then came there to me Nicolas [Page] Shaxton, Shaxton and counselled me to recāt as he had done. Then I sayde to hym, that it hade bene good for hym, neuer to haue bene borne with manye other lyke wordes.
Iohan Bale.
Afer that Chryst had ones ouercommen Sathan in the desert, Sathan where he had fasted longe tyme, Math. iiii. We reade not in the scriptures that he was moch assaulted or vexed of the worlde, the fleshe, and the fyende, whyche are reckened the common enemyes of man. But yet we fynde, in the Gospell, that these iii. ghostlye enemyes, 3. ghostlye enemyes. the prelates, the prestes, and the lawers, or the Byshoppes, pharysees, and scrybes, neuer lefte hym afterwarde, tyl they had throughlye procured hys deathe. Marke it (I desyre yow) if it be here anye otherwyse with his dere membre. What other enemyes tempteth here Anne Askewe, thā the Byshop of London, mastre Ryche, and doctor Shaxton, besydes the great Caiphas of Winchestre with his spightfull (I shulde saye) spyrytuall table, Wynchestre. or who els procureth her deathe? Ye wyll thynke parauenture, concerning mastre [Page] Ryche, that though he be an enemye, yet is he no spirytuall enemye, spirytuall bycause he is not anointed with the popes grese. But than are ye moch deceyued. For it is the sprete (of blasphemye, auaryce, and malyce) and not the oyle, that maketh them spirytuall. And where as they are anointed in the hande with oyle, he is in the hart anointed with the sprete of Mammon, Mammō betraynge with Iudas at the Bishoppes malycyouse callynge on, y e poore innocente sowles for moneye, or at the least for ambycyouse fauer.
O Shaxton, Shaxton. I speake now vnto the & (I thynke) in the voice of God. What deuyll by wytched the to playe this most blasphemouse part? as to become of a faythfull teacher, a temptynge sprete? Was it not ynough, that thou and soch as thou art, had forsakē your lorde God and troden hys veryte most vnreuerentlye vndre your fete, but with soch feates (as this is) thou must yet procure the a more deper, or double dāpnaciō? Double. Ryghtlie sayd this true seruaunt of God, that it had bene better for the and thy fellowes, that ye neuer had bene borne. Ye were called of God, Vnworthy to a mooste blessyd offyce. If ye had bene worthye that vacacyon (as ye are but swyne, Mathei. vii.) ye hade perseuered faythfull and [Page] constaunte to the ende, Mathei. x. and so haue worthelye receyued the crowne therof, Apoca. ii. But the loue of your beastlye fleshe, hath verye farre in yow ouer wayed the loue of the lorde Iesus Chryste. Ye now shew what ye are in dede, euen wauerynge reedes with euerye blast moued, Luce vii. Yea verye faynte harted cowardes and hypocrytes, Hypocrytes. Apo. iii. Ye abyde not in the shepe folde as true shepeherdes, but ye flee lyke hyrelynges, Iohan. x. Had ye bene builded vpon the harde rocke, as ye were on the fyckle sande, Math. vii. neither Romish stoodes nor Englysh wyndes hade ouerthrowne yow. But now loke onlie, after your deseruinge, for this terrible iudgement of God. Iudgemēt For them (saith S. Paule) whiche volūtarylye blaspheme the truthe, after they haue receyued the Gospell in fayth and in the holye Ghost, remayneth no expyacyon of synne, but the fearfull iudgement of hell fyre. For a mocke haue they made of the sonne of God, Hebrew. vi. and x.
Anne Askewe.
Then mastre Riche sent me to the tower, Ryche. where I remayned tyll thre of the clocke. Then came [Page] Ryche and one of the counsell, chargynge me vpon my obedyence, to shewe vnto them, if I knewe man or woman of my secte. My answere was, that I knewe none. Then they asked me of my ladye of Sothfolke, Christen ladyes my lady of Suffer my ladye of Hertforde, my ladye Dennye and my ladye Fizwyllyams, I sayde, if I shulde pronounce any thynge agaynste them, that I were not hable to proue it.
Iohan bale.
Neuer was there soche turmoylynge on the earthe, as is now a daies for that wretched blynde kyngdome of the Romysh pope. But trust vpon it trulye, Babylon. ye terryble termagantes of hell. There is no practise, there is no wisdome, there is no counsell, that can agaynst the lorde preuaile Prouerb. xxi. Ye loke to be obeyed in all deuilyshnesse. But ye considre not, that where God is dishonoured by your obedyence, Obedyence. there belongeth none to yow. Acto, v. Ye haue moch ado here with sectes, as though it were a great heresye, rightlye to beleue in our [Page] lorde Iesus Christ, after the Gospell & not after your Romysh father. But where was euer yet a more pestylent and deuilish secte, A secte. than is that Sodomytyshe secte, whom ye here so ernestlye maynteyne with tyrannye and mischefe? How gredilye seke yow the slaughter of Gods true seruauntes, ye bloud thurstye wolues? as the holye Ghost doth call yow. Psal. xxv. If y e vertuouse ladies & most noble women, Ladyes. whose liues ye cruellye seke in your madde ragynge furye, as rauishynge lyons in the darke Psal. ix. haue throwne of their shulders for Christes easye and gentill burden, Mathey. xi. the popes vneasye and importable yoke. Luce xi. Happye are they that euer they were borne. For therby haue they procured, a greate quietnesse and helthe to their sowles. Helthe. For Christes worde is quicke, and bringeth nothinge els to y e sowle but life. Hebreo. iiii. The popes olde tradicyons and customes, beinge but the wisdome of the fleshe, are verie poyson and deathe, Roma. viii.
Anne Askewe.
Then sayde they vnto me, that the kynge was infourmed, The kyng that I coulde name, if I wolde a [Page] great nomber of my secte. Thē I answered, that the kynge was as wele deceyued in that behalfe, as dissembled with in other matters.
Iohan Bale.
Great Assuerus, kinge of the Perseanes & Medes, was infourmed also, that y e seruaunt of God Mardocheus was a traitour, Mardocheus. which neuerthelesse had discouered ii. traytours a lyttle afore, and so saued the kynges lyfe, Hester. iii. But Haman that false coūseller, Haman. which so infourmed the kinge, was in the ende proued a traitour in dede (as I doubt it not but some of these wyll be founde after this) and was worthelie hanged for it, so fallinge into the snare that his selfe had prepared for other, Psal. vii. Albertus Pyghius, Cochleus, Eckius, & soch other pestilent papistes, Papystes. haue fylled all Christendome with railings bokes of our kinge, for renouncinge the Romish popes obedience, but therof ye infourme not his grace. No, neither excuse ye, nor yet defende ye his godlie acte in that behalfe. Craftye. But ye are (as apereth) very well contented, that he be yl spoken of for it.
It is not a yeare ago, sens out wynchestre was at Vtrecht in hollād (where as the sayd Pighius dwelt, Pyghius. & was for hys [Page] papistrye in great autoryte) I know certaynlye, the mā there was moch more easye to please in that cause, than in another sleuelesse matter of hys owne cōcernynge Martyne Bucer. Bucer. Hys gallaūtes also warraūted there (I knowe to whome) that the Romysh pope, by the Emprours good helpe, shuld withī fewe yeares haue in Englāde, as great autoryte as euer he had afore. I doubt not but sū what they knewe of theyr masters good cōueyaūce, but of this is not the kinge infourmed. I coulde write here of manye other mysteryes, cōcernynge the obseruaunt fryres & other raūgynge Rome ronners, Obseruauntes. what newes they receyue wekelye out of Englāde frō the papystes there, & in what hope they are put, of their returne thydre agayne. For I haue seane ther braggynge letters therof, Letters. sent frō Emeryck to Frystāde, & frō the cōtraie of Coleyne into Westphalie. Of this and soch other cōueyaūces, the kinge is not yet infourmed, but (I trust) he shall be.
Anne Askewe.
Then cōmaunded they me to shewe, howe I was maynteyned in the Counter, and who wylled me to stycke by my opynyon. I sayd [Page] that there was no creature, that therein dyd strengthen me. And as for the helpe that I had in the counter, to accuse. it was by the meanes of my mayd. For as she went abroad in the stretes, she made to the prentyses, and they by her dyd sende me moneye. But who they were, I neuer knewe.
Iohan Bale,
Ioseph was in pryson vndre Pharao the fearce kynge of Egypte, Ioseph. yet was he fauourably handeled and no man forbidden to confort him. Gen. xxxix. Whā Iohan Baptist was in stronge duraunce vnder Herode the tyraunt of Galile, hys discyples dyd frely vysyt hym, and were not rebuked for it, Mat. xi. Paule beynge emprysoned and in cheynes at Rome, Paule. vnder the most furyouse tyraunt Nero, was neuer blamed for sendynge his seruaunt Onesimus abroad, nor yet for writynge by hym to hys fryndes for socour. Philem. i. Neither yet was Philemon troubled for releuyng hym there by the sayd Onesimus, Onesymus. nor yet hys olde frynd Onesipherus, for personally there vysytynge hym, and supportyng hym [Page] wyth hys moneye, lyke as he had done afore also at Ephesus. Nowe conferre these storyes and soche other lyke, with the present handelynge of Anne Askewe and ye shal well perceyue our Englyshe rulers and iudges in theyr newe Chrystyanyte of renouncynge the pope, Iudges. to excede all other tyrauntes in all cruelty, spyght and vengeaunce. But loke to haue it no otherwyse, so longe as mytyred prelates are of counsell. Prelates. Be ashamed cruell beastes, be ashamed, for all Chrystendome wondereth on youre madnesse aboue all.
Anne Askewe.
Then they sayde, that there were dyuerse gentylwomen, Gentyllwomen. that gaue me moneye. But I knewe not theyr names. Then they sayd that there were dyuerse Ladyes, whyche hadde sente me moneye. I answered, that there was a man in a blewe coate, whyche delyuered me. x. shyllynges, and sayde that my ladye of Hertforde sente it me. Ladyes. And an other in a vyolette [Page] coate dyd geue me. viii. shyllynges, and sayde that my lady Dennye sēt it me. Whether it were true or no, I cannot tell. For I am not suer who sent it me, but as the men dyd saye.
Iohan Bale.
In the tyme of Christes preachynge what thoughe the holye clergye were thā not pleased therwith, Christ. but iudged it (as they do styll to this daye) most horryble heresye, yet certen noble women, is Marye Magdalene. Iohan the wyfe of Chusa Herodes hygh stewarde, Susanna, & manye other folowed hym frō Galile, & mynystred vnto hym of theyr substaūce, Noble women. cōcernynge his bodylye nedes Luce. viii. These w t other more, after he was by the said clergye done to most cruell death for the veryte preachyng, both prepared oyntementes and spyces to anoynte his bodye. Luce. xxiiii. & also proclamed abroad hys gloryouse resurreccyon to his Apostles and other, Ioā. xx. contrarye to the Byshoppes inhybycion Act. iii. Yet reade we not that anye man or womā was racked for the accusement of them. A woman amōge the Macedonyanes, dwellynge in the cytie of Thyatira [Page] & called Lydia by name, Lydia a purple seller verye rytche in marchaundyse, receyued Paule, Sylas, and Timothe wyth other suspected brethrene into her house & habundantly releued thē there. Acto. xvi. yet was she not troubled for it. In lyke maner at Thessalonica, a great nō bre of the Grekes and manye noble women amonge thē, Noble women. beleued Paules forbydden doctryne, and resorted boldelye both to hym and to Sylas. Act. xvii. yet were they not cruellye handeled for it.
Be ashamed than ye tyrauntes of Englād, that your horryble tyrānyes shuld exeede all other Iewes or Gentyles, Tyraūtes turkes or ydolaters. More noble were these womē here rehersed, for thus releuynge Christ and hys membres, than for anye other acte, eyther yet degre of nobylyte. For where as al other haue peryshed, these shal neuer perysh, but be conserued in the mooste noble and worthye scriptures of God, the tyrannouse Byshoppes and prestes with theyr tyrannouse maynteners there condempned. Prelates. A through Christē charite is not lyghtlye terrifyed, wyth the tempestes of worldlye affliccyons, no more than true fayth is chaūged in men that be Christenly cō staunte. Faythe. Soch can not chose but considre that it is both gloryouse to be afflicted [Page] for Christ. i. Pet. iii. and also moost merytoryouse to releue them here in theyr afflyccyons. Mat. xxv. Vnto that Christen offyce hath Christ promysed the life euerlastynge at the lattre daye, wher as Masse hearyng is lyke to remayne without rewarde, Masses hearynge. except it be in belle for ydolatrye and blasphemye. Not vnto them that in pryson vysyteth murtherers and theues (yf ye marke well the texte) is this reward promysed. For they are not there allowed for Christes dere mēbers, but vnto them that releue the afflycted for his verytees sake.
Anne Askewe.
Then they sayde, there were of the counsayle that dydde maynteyne me. And I sayde, no. Then they dyd put me on the racke, The racke bycause I cōfessed no ladyes nor gē tylwomen to be of my opynyon, & theron they kepte me a longe time And bycause I laye styll and dyd not crye, the Chauncelloure and maystre Ryche, toke paynes to racke me theyr owne handes, tyll I was nygh dead.
Iohan Bale.
Nicodemus, Nicodemus. one of the hyghe counsell, was sore rebuked amonge the senyours of the Iewes, for defēding Christes innocēcye, whā they went aboute to flee hym, Ioā. vii. And therfore it is no new thynge that Christes doctryne hath supportacyon amonge the counsels of thys worlde. All men be not of one corrupted appetyte, nor yet of one vngracyous diete. Christ promysed his dyscyples, that they in one how sholde shuld fynde both his enemyes and fryndes. Fryndes. I am come (sayth he) to sette man at varyaunce agaynst hys father, and the doughter agaynst her mother, and the doughter in lawe agaynste the mother in lawe. He that louethe his father or mother, hys sonne or doughter, his prynce or gouernour, aboue me, he is not mete for me, Math, x. I feare me thys wyll be iudged hygh treason. Hygh treason. But no matter. So longe as it is Christes worde, he shal be also vndre the same iudgemēte of treasō Let no man care to be condēpned wyth hym, for he in the ende shall be hable to rectyfye all wronges.
Marke here an example most wonderfull, and se how madlye in theyr ragynge furies, Frenesye. men forget themselues and lose [Page] theyr ryghte wyttes nowe a dayes. A kynges hyghe counseller, a Iudge ouer lyfe and deathe, yea, a lorde Chauncellour of a most noble realme, is now become a most vyle slaue for Antychrist, and a most cruell tormentoure. A tourmentour. Without al dyscresyon, honestye, or manhode, he casteth of hys gowne, and take the here vpon him the most vyle offyce of an hangeman and pulleth at the racke most vyllanouslye. O Chaunceller and Riche. ii. false christianes and blaphemouse apostataes from God. Chaunceller & Riche. What chaplayne of y e pope hath inchaunted yow, or what deuyll of hell bewytched yow, to execute vpon a poore condempned woman, so ꝓdygyouse a kynde of tyrannye? Euen the very Mammon of iniquyte, Māmon. and that insaciable hunger of auarice, whyche compelled Iudas to betray vnto death hys most louynge, master, Ioā. xii. The wynnynges were not small that ye reckened vpon, whan ye toke on ye that cruell enterprise, and woulde haue had so many great men and womē accused. But what els haue ye wonne in the ende, wretches. than perpetuall shame and confusion? God hath suffered yow so to dyscouer youre owne myscheues, y t ye shal no more be fogottē of y e world, than are now Adomsedech, Saul, Hieroboam, Manasses, Tyraūtes Olophernes [Page] Haman, Tryphon, Herode, Neto, Traianus, and soche other horryble tyrauntes. Tyrauntes.
And as concernynge the innocent woman, whom you so cruellye tormented. Where coulde be seane a more clere and open experyment of Christes dere membre, than in her myghty sufferynges? lyke a lambe she laye styll wythout noyse of cryenge, A lambe. and suffered your vttermost vyolence, tyl the sinnowes of her armes were broken, and the strynges of her eis peryshed in her head. Ryght farre doth it passe the strength of a yonge, tendre, weake, Tyraūtes and sicke woman (as she was at that tyme to your more confusion) to abyde so vyolent handelynge, yea, or yet of the strongest man that lyueth. Thynk not therfore but that Christ hathe suffered in her, Christe. and so myghtelye shewed hys power, that in her weakenes he hath laughed your mad enterpryses to scorne. Psalm. ii. Where was the feare of God, ye tyrātes? Where was your chrysten professyon, ye helle houndes? Where was your othe and promes to do true iustice, ye abhominable periures, Periures. whan ye went aboute these cursed feates? More fytte are ye for swyne kepynge, than to be of a prynces counsell, or yet to gouerne a Chrysten commen welthe. Yf [Page] Christ haue sayde vnto them whiche do but offende hys lytle ones that beleue in hym, that it were better they had a milstone tied aboute their neckes, A mylstō and were so thrown into the bottom of the see, Luce xvii. What wyll he saye to them that so villaynouslye pull at the racke in ther myscheuouse malice? These are but warnynges take hede if ye lyft, for a full sorowfull plage wyll folowe here after.
Anne Askewe.
Then the lyefetenaunt caused me to be loused from the racke. Vnlosed Incontynentlye I swounded, and then they recouered me agayne. After that I sate ii. longe houres reasonynge with my lorde Chauncellour vpon the bare floore, where as he with manye ftatterynge wordes, persuaded me to leaue my opynyon. But my lorde God (I thanke hys euerlastinge goodnesse) gaue me grace to perseuer, Perseuer. and wyll do (I hope) to the verye ende.
Iohan Bale.
[Page]Euer more haue the olde modye tirauntes, vsed thys practyse of deuilyshnesse. Practyse. As they haue perceyued themselues not to preuayle by extreme handelinges they haue sought to proue masteries by the contrarye. With gaye glosynge wordes and fayre flatteryng promises, they haue craftelye cōpassed the seruauntes of God, to cause them consente to their wickednesse. And in this temptynge occupacyon, Tēptaciō are Wrisleye and Riche very conninge, Notwithstandinge they shal neuer fynde the chosen of God, all one with the forsaken reprouates. The elect vessels holde the eternall God for their most specyall treasure, and haue hym in soch intiere loue, that they had moch leuer to lose themselues, than hym. The wicked desperates haue the voluptuouse pleasures of thys vayne worlde so dere, that they hade leuer to forsake God and all hys workes, [...]. sortes. than to be sequestred from them. Thys godlye yonge woman referreth prayse vnto her lorde God, that he hath not lefte her in thys paynefull conflycte for his verytees sake, Prayse. but perseuered stronge with her, beynge in hope that he wolde so styll contynewe with her, to the verye ende, as without fayle he dyd.
Manye men sore wondre now a daies [Page] that Wrisleye whiche was in my lorde Cromwels tyme so ernest a doer against the pope, Wrisleye is now becomen agayne for his red larye wares so myghtye a captaine. But they remembre not the common adage, that honour chaungeth maners, and lucre iudgementes. These great ynne kepers (they saye) hadde leuer to haue one good horse man to hooste, Ynne kepers. than vi. men on fote, specyally if they weare veluet whodes or fyne rochettes. What els foloweth Chryst but beggery and sorowes whyche are verye hatefull to the worde? Where fatnesse is cawse of euerye mannys laboure, there is yet sum what to be loked for. Profyght If hys chrysten zele be soch, that he wyll haue no she heretykes vnponnyshed lete hym do fyrste of all, as we reade of dyuerse ryghtfull gouerners amonge y e heythen. Lete hym serch hys owne howse wele. My ladye Parauenture he maye fynde aboute my ladye hys wyfe, a rellycke of no lytle vertue, a practyse of Pythagoras, or an olde midwyues blessyng, which she carryeth closelye on her, for preseruacyō of her honoure. Her opinyō is (folke saye) that so lōge as she hath that vpō her, her worldlye worship can neuer decaye. Honour. I praye God this prouysyon in short space deceyueth her not [Page] as it hath done pope Siluester the seconde, and as it dyd of late yeares Thomas wolsye our late Cardynall. cardynall This heresye goeth neyther to the racke nor to the fyre, to Newgate nor yet Smythfelde, as contynuallye doth the pore Gospell.
Anne Askewe.
Then was I brought to an howse, and layed in a bed, with as werye and paynefull bones, as euer had pacyente Iob, I thanke my lorde God therof. Then my lorde Chauncellour sente me worde if I wold leaue my opyniō I shuld wāt nothinge. A tyraunt If I wold not, I shuld fourth to Newgate, & so be burned. I sente him agayne worde, that I wold rather die, thā to breake my faythe. Thus the lorde open the eyes of their blinde hartes, Swete woman. that the truthe maye take place. Fare wele dere frynde, and praye, praye, praye.
Iohan Bale.
[Page]Beholde in thys last parcell, most euydēt signes of a christē martyr and faythfull witnesse of God, A martyr besydes that went afore, She allegeth not in all thys longe processe, lienge legendes, popyshe fables, nor yet olde wiues parables, but y e most liuelie autoritees and examples of the sacred Byble. Gods creature Se putteth her selfe here in remembraunce, not of desperate Cayne, nor yet of sorowfull Iudas, but of most pacyent Iob, for example of godlye sufferaunce. For Anguysh and payne of her broken ioyntes and broused armes and eyes, she curseth not the tyme that euer she was borne, as the maner of the vnfaythfull is. But she hyghlye magnyfyeth and prayseth God for it. Neyther was she peruerted with flatteringe promyses, Christes seruaunt. nor yet ouer cōmen with terryble threttenynges of deathe. Neyther doubted she the stynke of Newgate nor yet the burnynge fyre in Smythfelde. But coueted rather deathe of her bodye for the syncere doctryne of Christe, than lyfe of the same vndre the ydolatrouse doctrine of the Romysh pope. She desyred God to take mercye of her enemyes, and exhorted all Christen people instauntlye to praye for them. A verye Saynt. If these be not the frutes of a true beleuer. what other frutes els can we axe?
Anne Askewes answere vnto Iohan Lassels letter.
Oh frynde most derelye beloued in God. I maruele not a litle what shuld moue yow, to iudge in me so slendre a faythe, as to feare deathe, Deathe. whiche is the ende of all myserye. In the lorde I desyre yow, not to beleue of me soch wyckednesse. For I doubt it not, but God wyll perfourme hys worke in me, lyke as he hath begonne.
Iohan Bale.
I woulde but knowe of them which are common readers of chronycles and Sayntes lyues, Chronycles. where they euer redde of a more feruente and lyuelye faythe than was in thys godlye yonge woman. As lyght a matter estemed she deathe, as dyd Eleazarus that auncyent senyour, or yet the vii. Machabees with their most worthie mother. ii. Mach. vi. & vii. Deathe. For she sayde, that it was but y e ende of al sorowes. She reckened not with the couetouse man, the remembraunce therof bytter, Eccle. xiiii. But with the [Page] righteouse she thought it a mooste redie & swyfte passage vnto lyfe, Ioan. v. The feare of deathe iudged she great wickednesse in a Christen beleuer, & was in full hope that God wold not suffer her to be troubled therwith. For whye, No feare. deathe lo [...] seth vs no life, but bringeth it in vnto vs lyke as the harde winter bringeth in the most pleasaūt somer. Who can thynke, whā the sunne goeth downe, y t it vtterly so perysheth? Death vnto the righteouse beleuer, is as a profitable haruest, Haruest. which after sweate & labour bringeth in moste dylectable frutes. None otherwyse thought it Anne Askewe, than a verye entraūce of lyfe, whā she had it thus in desyre, & faithfullie trusted with Paule that God wolde fynyshe in her that he than begonne to hys owne glorye. Philippen. i.
Anne Askewe.
I vnderstande, the counsell is not a lyttle dyspleased, that it shulde be reported abroade, that I was racked in the towre. Racked. They saye nowe, that they dyd there, was but to feare me. Wherby I perceyue, they are ashamed [Page] of their vncomelye doynges, and feare moch least the kynges mageste shuld haue informacion therof. Wherfore they woulde no man to noyse it. No noyse Well, their crueltye God forgeue them. Your hart in Christe Iesu. Farewele, and praye.
Iohan Bale.
Hypocrites and tyrauntes wolde neuer be gladly knowne abroade, for that they are in dyde. But for that they are not they loke alwayes to be gloryouslye noysed. Wrisleye & Ryche woulde yet be iudged of the worlde, Wrisleye & Ryche. ii. sober wyse men, and verye sage counsellers. But this ty [...]nnouse example of theirs, maketh a most manyfest shewe of the contrarye. Yea, and the God of heauen wyll haue it so knowne to the vnyuersall worlde, to their ignomynyt and shame. So is he wonte to rewarde all cruell Apostataes as he rewarded Iulianus, Iulianus for their wylfull cōtempt of his verite. The martyr of Christ for her pacyent sufferaunce shall leaue here behinde her a gloryouse report, whereas these forworne enemyes and pursuers of his worde, haue purchased [Page] themselu [...] a perpetuall infamy by their cruelte, and myschef. In excuse of their madnes, In excuse they saye, they dyd it only to feare her, Is it not (thinke you) a propre frayenge playe, whā our armes and eies are compelled to leaue theyr naturall holdes? Ye ment no lyght dallyaunce, whan ye wolde haue had so many great women accused, & toke the hangemannes offyce vpon youre owne precyouse personnes. O tourmentours and tyrauntes abhomynable. Tyraūtes Ye feare leaste your temporall and mortall kyng shuld know your madde frenesyes. But of the eternall kynge, which wyl ryghtly punysh you for it, with the deuyl & his angels (vnles ye sore repent it) ye haue no feare at all. It is so honest a part, ye haue played, that ye wyll not haue it noysed. But I promyse yow, so to dyuulge thys vnsemelye facte of yours in the latyne, that all christendome ouer, No noise. it shall be knowne what ye are.
Anne Askewe.
I haue redde the processe, whyche is reported of them that knowe not the truthe, to be my recantacyon. But as sure as the [Page] Lorde lyueth. I neuer mēt thing lesse, than to recāt. Notwithwandynge this I confesse, that in my first troubles. I was examined of the Byshop of Londō aboute the sacramē [...], Of Cayphas. Yet had they no graūt of my mouth but this. That I beleued therin as the worde of God dyd bynd me to beleue. More had they neuer of me.
Iohan Bale.
In the ende of her fyrste examynacyō is thys matter treated of more at large Here do she repete it agayne, onely to be knowne for Christes stedefast membre, Christes martyr. and not Antichristes. To the voyce of hym she faythfullye obeyed, but the voyce of that Romyshe monstre and other straungers she regarded not, Iohan. x. As she perceyued whan she was before the Byshopp of London, Bonnee. that all passed styll after theyr olde tyrannye, and nothynge after the rules of scrypture, she suspected their doctryne more than afore, and thoughte them none other than Christe warned his dyscyples to be ware of Luce. xii. Wolues. Whereupon she through [...]e couenaunted wyth her selfe, neuer [Page] to deny his verite afore men at theyr callynge on, lest he shuld agayne denye her before his eternall father. Math. x. For yf the confessynge therof bryngethe saluacion, as saynt Paule sayth it dothe, Romanorum. x. Saluacyō The denyeng therof on the other syde, must nedes bryng in damnacyon.
Anne Askewe.
Then he made a coppye, whyche is nowe in prynte, and requyred me to sette therunto my hande But I refused it. Then my. ii. suertyes dyd wyll me in no wyse to stycke therat, Hande wrytynge For it was no great matter, they sayd. Thē with moch ado, at the last I wrote thus. I Anne Askewe do beleue thys yf Gods worde do agre to the same, and the true catholycke churche.
Iohan Bale.
Commonlye is it spoken of popysh prestes, that in doynge their false feates, they syt in Gods stede. Gods stede. This poynt folowed the bludderinge Byshoppe of London here, which for their olde fantasied superstycyon, laboured in thys woman [Page] to displeace the sincere veryte of the lorde. But so surelye was she buylded vpō the harde rocke, Buylded. that neyther for enmite nor fryndeshyp, wolde she ones remoue her fote. Math, vii. Neyther anguyshe, trouble, tormente, nor fyre, coulde separate her from that loue of her lord God Rom. viii. A lambe. Though she were for his sake rebuked and vexed, and also appoynted as a shepe to be slayne. Psa, xliii. Yet did she strongely thorughe him ouercome, & haue (I doubt it not) obtayned y e crowne of lyfe. Apoc. ii.
Anne Askewe.
Then the byshoppe, beynge in greate dyspleasure wythe me, bycause I made doubtes in my wryttynge, commaunded me to prysone. Where I was a whyle, But afterwardes by the meanes of fryndes, I came oute agayne. Here is the truthe of that matter. And as concernynge the thynge that ye couete mooste to knowe. Resorte to the. vi. of Iohan, Eucharystys. and [Page] be ruled alwayes thereby. Thus fare ye well. Quoth Anne Askewe.
Iohan Bale.
In all the scriptures we reade not, Pryson. that eyther Chryste or yet hys Apostles commaunded anye man or woman to pryson for their faythe, Pryson. as thys tyraunt Byshope dyd here. But in dede we fynde that Christes holy Apostles, were oft tymes cruellye cōmaunded to pryson of the same spyghtfullye spirytual generacyon. Acto. iiii. v. xii. xvi. Christe wylled his true beleuers to loke for none other at theyr spirytual handes, Chryst than enprisonmentes and death. Math. x. Iohan. xvi. And therfore sayde Peter vnto hym. I am redye to go with the, Lorde, both into pryson and to deathe. Luce. xxii. Paule greatly complayneth of hys enprysonmentes and scourgynges by them. ii. Corinty. xi. Dyuerse in the congregacyon of Smyrna were enprisoned by that fearce synagoge of Sathan, Smyrna Apocal. ii. Esaye prophecyenge the condycyons of the spirytuall Antichriste, Antichrist saythe amonge other, that he shulde bolde men captyue in prison, Esaye. xiiii. Ezechiel reporteth that he shuld churlyshlye checke, and in cruelte rule. Ezech. xxxiiii. zacharye [Page] shewethe that he shulde eate vp the fleshe of the fattest. zacharie. xi. Daniel declareth that he shoulde persecute wyth swerde and fyre. With fire Daniel. xi. And saynt Iohan verefyeth that he shuld be all dronke wyth the bloude of the wytnesses of Iesu, Apoca. xvii. And therfore in these feates, hys Byshoppes do put their kyndes.
The confessyon of her faythe which Anne Askewe made in Newgate afore she suffered.
I Anne Askewe, of good memorye, althoughe my mercyfull father hathe geuen me the breade of aduersytie, and the water of trouble, Trouble. yet not so moche as my synnes hathe deserued, confesse my selfe here a synner before the trone of hys, heauenlye magestye desyerynge hys eternall mercye. And for so mouche as I am by the lawe vnryghtouslye condempned for an euyll doer concerninge [Page] opynions. I take the same moste mercyfull God of myne, Condempned. whyche hath made both heauē and earth, to record, that I holde no opynyons contrarye to hys mooste holy worde.
Iohan Bale.
What man of sober dyscresyon, can iudge thys woman yl, indyfferently but markynge this her last confessyon? Not a fewe of most euydent argumentes are therin, to proue her the true seruaunt of God. Proue her Her wyttes were not ones dystracted, for all her most tyrānouse handelynges. She was styll of a perfyght memorye, accountynge her emprysonmentes, reuylynges, rackynges, and other tormentes, but the breade of aduersyte and the water of trouble, as dyd Dauid afore her. Psa. lxxix. [...]nt [...]s of faythe. As the louyng chyld of God, she receyued them wythoute grudge, and thought them deserued on her partye. She toke them for hys hande of mercye, and gaue most hygh thankes for them. She mekelye confessed herselfe in hys syghte a synner, but not an haynouse heretyke, as she was falselye iudged of the world. Obedyēt to God. In that matter she toke hym most stronglye to witnes, that [Page] thoughe in faythe she were not agreable to the worldes wylde opynyon, yet was she not therin contrarye to hys heauenlye truth. She had afore that proued their spretes conferrynge both their iudegementes. i. Iohan. iiii. & perceyued them farre vnlyke. Esaye. iv.
Anne Askewe.
And I truste in my mercyfull Lorde, whyche is the geuer of all grace, that he wyll gracyoslye assyst me agaynste all euyll opynyons, No here [...]yke. whyche are contrarye to hys blessed veryte. For I take hym to witnes, that I haue, do, and wyll do, vnto my lyues ende, vtterlye abhorre them to the vttermost of my power. But this is the heresye which they report me to hold, that after the prest hath spokē the wordes of consecracyon, there remayneth breade styll. Breade.
Iohan. Bale.
Consydre without frowarde, party all or wylful affeccyon, the poyntes herin contayned, Proue yet and than iudge of what hatte [Page] or conscyence they haue rysen. The hope of thys woman was onlye in God? Hym she confessed to be of all grace the geuer. Alone in hys mercye she trusted. She instauntlye desyred hym to defende her from all errours. She abhorred all heresyes. She detested mennys superstycyouse inuencions. And most firmelye cleaued to hys eternall worde. If these with those that went afore, be not frutes of true christianyte, Frutes of faythe. or of a perfyght member of Gods eleccyon, what frutes will we demaūd? S. Paule saith No man can confesse that Iesus is the lorde (as she hath done here) but in the holye Ghost, i. Corinth. xii. Dauid also specifieth, that the lord neuer forsaketh them which call vpon hys name, & put their trust in hym. Psal. ix. And as touchynge the prestes consecraciō, Consecracyon. which is soch a charme of inchauntemēt as maie not be done but by an oyled offycer of y e popes generacyon, she dyd godlye to reiect it in that clowtynge kynde. For in all the Byble is it not that anye mā can make of a drie waffer cake, Waffer. a newe sauer a newe redemer, a newe Christ, or a new God. No though he shulde vtter all the wordes and scriptures therin.
Anne Askewe.
[Page]But they both saie, and also teach it for a necessarye artycle of faithe that after those wordes be ones spoken, there remayneth no bread, but euen the selfe same bodie that bynge vpon the crosse on good frydaye, Breade. both fleshe, bloud, and bone. To thys beleue of theirs, saye I naye. For then were our commen Crede false, whych saith that he sytteth on the right hāde of God the father almyghtye, and from thens shall come to iudge the quycke and the deade. Shall come. Loo, thys is the heresye that I holde, and for it muste suffer the deathe.
Iohan Bale.
Of Antichrist reade we in the scriptures, Antichrist. that he & hys oyled Apostles shulde do false myracles, Math. xxiiii.ii. Thes ii. & Apoca. xiii. We finde also in y e same selfe places, that he shuld exalte hymselfe aboue all that is called God, or that is worshypped as God. Who euer [Page] hearde of so greate a wondre that a drye cake myght become a God to be worshypped? A myracle were thys aboue all the myracles that euer were wrought, Myracle and a worke aboue al the workes that euer were done, if it were true as it is most false. Though our eternall God created heauen and earthe in the first begynnynge, and fourmed all other creatures, Gene. i. Yet reade we not of hym, that he made of hys creatures anye newe God to be worshypped. No God. In that poynt are our oiled Antichrystes afore hym. And where as he rested whollye in the seuenth daye, from that offyce of creacyon, Gene. ii. and neuer toke it vpon hym sens that tyme, as testyfyeth Iohan Chrisostome, Augustyne, Hierome, Bedas, Alcuinus, and all ther other doctors. Doctors Yet wyll they take vpon thē to create euerye daye a fresh, and whan their olde God stynketh in the boxe, Moulde in the boxes remoue hym out of the waye, and put a newe in hys rowme, yea, they can make of breade (whych is but mannys corruptyble creature, and ordayned only to be eate) soch a God as shall stande checkemate with the great God of heauen and parauenture deface hym also. Oh blasphemouse wretches and theues. Godmakers. Be ones a shamed of your abhomynable blyndenesse, [Page] and submyte your selues to a iuste reformacyon.
Anne Askewe.
But as touchynge the holye and blessyd supper of the lorde I beleue it to be a mooste necessarye remembraunce of hys gloryouse suffering and deathe. The supper. More ouer I beleue as moche therin, as my eternall and onlye redemer Iesus Christ wolde I shuld beleue. Fynallie I beleue al those scriptures to be true whom he hath cōfirmed with his most preciouse bloude. Scriptures.
Iohan Bale.
No godly institucion nor ordinaunce of Christ, do thys faythfull woman contempne, but reuerentlye submytteth herselfe therunto, Without Masse. in the kynde that he dyd leaue them. She protesteth here to beleue so moch, as can be shewed by the scriptures of bothe testamentes. And what is more to be requyred of a Christen beleuer: Onlye dyd she in conscyence refuse and abhorre, Idolatryes. the ydell obseruacyons, the paganes superstycyons, the sorcerers inchauntmentes, and the most [Page] parellouse ydolatryes, whyche the Romyshe pope and his clergye haue added to theyr Masse for couetousnesse. In thys (I suppose (she remembred the wordes of saynt Paule. i. Corint. ii. My talkynge (sayd he) and my preachyng, was not with persuasyble or entysynge wordes of mannes corrupt wysedom, Mannes wysdome but in vtteraunce of the sprete and of power, that your fayth shulde not stande in the wysedome of men, but in the power of God. For that (sayth Christ) whiche semeth hygh and holye afore men, is fylthye abhomynacyon before God. Luce xvi.
Anne Askewe.
Yea, and as saynt Paule sayth, those scryptures are suffycyente for oure lernynge and saluacyon, Scriptures. that Chri [...]te hathe lefte here wyth vs. So that I beleue, we nede no vnwrytten verytes to rule hys churche wyth. Therfore loke what he hathe layed vnto me wythe hys owne mouthe, in hys hoolye Gospell, that haue I with Goddes grace, Hope. closed vp in my [Page] harte. And my full trust is (as Dauid sayth) y t it shal be a lāterne to my fote steppes, Psa. cxviii.
Iohan Bale.
Styll are these frutes of inestymable wholsomnesse, declarynge thys woman a mooste perfyght and innocent membre of Iesus Christe. In thys whole processe (marke it hardelye) she ioyneth not for socourre to muddye waters or broken pyttes of the Phylystynes, proue styll Hieremye. ii. Whyche are the corrupte doctrynes and tradycyons of men. But she seketh to the verye welsprynge of helthe, and foūtayne of saluacyon. Ioan iiii. All vnwrytten verytees lefte she to those waueringe wanderers which will eternallye perysh with thē. And in y e verytees written, Frutes of faythe. appoynted she to iournaye amonge the true Christen beleuers towardes the lande euerlastinge. In all her affayres moste fyrmelye she cleaueth to the scriptures of God, which geueth both spret and lyfe, Ioan. vi. As the hate in the forest desyreth the plesaunt water brokes, so longed her sowle and was desyerouse of the manyfest glorye of her eternall God, Psal. xli. If her porcyon be not in the lande of the lyuynge, Her god. Psal. cxli. Yea, if she be not allowed a cytezen [Page] with the Sayntes, Ephe. i. And her name regestred in the boke of lyfe, Apoca. xxi. Yt wyll be harde with manye. But certayne and sure I am, that with Marye Marthaes syster, soch a sure part haue she chosen, A sure part. as wyll not be takē awaye from her, Luce. x.
Anne Askewe.
There be some do saye, that I denye the Eucharistie or sacramēt of thankes geuynge. Eucharystye. But those people do vntrulye reporte of me. For I both saye and beleue it, that yf yt were ordered lyke as Christe instytuted it and left it, a mooste syngular conforte it were vnto vs all. But as concernynge your Masse, as it is now vsed in our daies. I do saye & beleue it, to be the mooste abhomynable ydoll that is in the worlde. masse. an ydoll. For my God wil not be eatē with tethe, neyther yet dyeth he agayne. And vpō these wordes, that I haue now spoken, wyll I suffer deathe.
Iohan Bale.
All the workes of God and ordinaunces of Christ, she reuerenlye admytted. as grounded matters of Christen beleue But the Romysh popes creatures wolde she in no case allowe to stande vp checke mate with them. obidyēce. The Masse (whych is in all poyntes, The Masse of that fylthye Antychristes creacyon) toke she for the moste execreable ydoll vpon earth. And rightly. For non other is the chylde to be reckened, than was hys father afore hym, be he man or beast. The whelpe of a dogge, is non other than a dogge, whan he cometh ones to his age. Ydolles (sayth Dauid) are lyke them that make them. Ydolaters So are they also whych put theyr trust in them, Psalme. cxiii. An ydoll doth zacharye call that proude slaughterouse shepehearde, An ydoll zacharye. xi. Who then can denye hys prodigiouse ordynaunces to be the same? What other is the worke of an ydolatrouse worker, than an execrable ydoll. And loke what propertees anye ydoll hathe hadde, or feates hath wrought yet sens the worldes begynnyng, the popes prodygyouse Masse hath had and wrought the same, with manye conueyaunces more.
Of popes hath it receyued disgisynges, Popes. instrumentes, blessynges, turnynges [Page] and legerdemaynes, wyth manye straunge obseruacyons borowed of the Iewes and paganes olde sacryfyces, besydes pardons for delyueraunce of sowles. Of monkes haue it gotten a purgatorye after manye straunge apparycyōs wyth a longe ladder from thens to scale heauen with. Monkes. It hathe obtayned also to be a remedye for all dyseases both in man and beast, wyth innumerable superstycyons els. Of vnyuersytes and their doctours, haue it cawte all the subtyltees and crafty lernynges of the prophane phylosophers, to be defended by, as is to be seane in the workes of their sentencioners, Vniuersytees. lyke as I haue shewed in the mysteri of iniquyte. fo. xxxiii. It serueth all wytches in theyr wytchery, all sorcerers, charmers, inchaunters, The masse dreamers, sothsayers, necromansers, coniures, crosse dyggers, deuyll raysers, myracle doers, doggeleches, and bawdes. For wythout a Masse, they can not well worke theyr feates. The lawers, lyke wyse, whiche seke in Westmynstre hawle to get most moneye by falschede, can neyther be well wythoute it. It vpholdeth vayne glory, pryde, ambycyon, auaryce, glottonye, slouthe, ydelnesse, Profytable. hypocresye, heresye, tyrannye, and all other deuylyshnesse besydes. It maynteyneth [Page] the spirytuall souldiers of Antichriste, Necessaryes in all superfluouse lyuynge and wanton lecherouse lustes, with the chaste occupyenges of Sodome and Gomor.
What other ghostly frutes it hathe, I shall more largelye shewe in my boke called. The myracles of the Masse against Perine. myracles of the masse. Perchaunce some deuout Masse hearers wyl laye for the holynes therof, that it contayneth bothe pystle and Gospell. Truelye that Epystle and that Gospell maye well haue a name of lyfe, as S. Iohan saythe of the church of Sardis. Apoca. z. Yet is it in that offyce of massynge, nō other than the dead or mortyfienge letter. Dead letter. ii. Cor. iii. For the sprete that shuld quycken, is clerely taken from it. So that nothyng els therof remayneth to the common people, but a dead noyse and an ydle sounde, as it is now in the Romysh lāguage. Who can saye, but it was the scripture, that Sathan alleged vnto Christ vpon the pynnacle of the temple? Sathan. Mat iiii. Yet remayneth it there styll, after his vngracyous handelynge therof, as a false crafty suggestyon, a deuylyshe erroure, or a shylde of hys wyckednes, & wyll do euermore; Where are the names of God, Wytches of his Angels, & of his sayntes, more ryfe than among [Page] witches, charmers, inchaūters, & sorcerers? Yet can ye not saye, that they are amōge thē to anye mānes saluacyon as they wolde be in ryght handelynge. What it is that seruethe an ydoll, An ydoll. lette godly wyse men coniecture, whyche are not all ygnorraunt howe the Angel became a deuyll.
Anne Askewe.
O Lorde, I haue more enemyes now, Enemyes than ther be heares on my heade. Yet lorde lette them neuer ouercome me with vayne wordes. But fyghte thou lorde in my stede. For on the cast I my care. With al the spyght they can ymagine, thei fal vpō me which amthipore creature. Yet swete lorde, let me not set by thē which ar against the. For in y t is my whole delight. Hate thē.
Iohan Bale.
O blessed woman, and vndoubted cytyzen of heauen. Truthe it is that thou hast had manye aduersaryes, Aduersaryes. yea, and a far greatter nombre of them, than thou hast here reckened. And the more thou hast had, the greatter is nowe thy vyctorye [Page] in Christ. The great bodye of the Beast thou hast had to enemye, whiche cōprehendeth the malignaunt muster of Sathā on the one syde, & the earthly worshyppers of his blasphemous beastlines on the other syde, Haters. Daniel. xi. Apoc. xi:i. whose nōbre is as the sande of the sec, infynite. Apo. xx. But consydre agayne, what fryndeshyp thou hast gotten for it on the other part. Fryndes. Thou hast now to frinde for thy faythefull perseueraunce agaynst those ydoll mongers, the sempyternall trynyte, the father, the sonne, & the holye Gost. Ioā. xiiii. With the gloryouse multitude of Angels, the patriarkes, Prophetes, Aposteles & Martyrs, wyth all the electnōbre from righteous Abel hytherto. Thou hast also here vpō earthe, & euermore shall haue, the fauer of all thē which haue not bowed to that fylthy Beaste, Fauorers whose names are regestred in the boke of life. Apo. xxi. And as for thy vngodlye & cruell enemyes, as dust in the wynde the lorde wyll scattre them from the face of the earth, Northfolke. be they neuer so stowte and many. Psal. i.
Anne Askewe.
And Lorde I hartelye desyre of the, that thou wylte of thy [Page] mooste mercyfull goodnesse, forgeue them that vyolence, whyche they do and haue done vnto me. Open also thou theyr blynde hartes, Prayer. that they maye hereafter do that thynge in thy syghte, whych is onely acceptable before the. And to sette fourthe thy veryte a ryghte, wythoute all vayne fantasyes of synnefull men. So be it. O Lorde, so be it. By me Anne Askewe.
Iohan Bale.
Afore here she confesseth with Dauid that on God she had caste her care, Swete woman. and that in him was all her hartes delyght Psa. lx. She desyred hym also, neuer to fayle herin to is harde cōdicte, but strōglye to assist her, and in no case to permyt her to be ouercommen of the flatteryng worlde, neyther yet to geue place to his enemyes. And I doubt it not, but these are mooste euydent sygnes that she was hys faythful seruaunt. Goddes true seruaunt. I know certaynly, that all the power of hell, can not preuayle agaynst so earnest a faythe. Math xvi. For he hathe so spoken it there, whiche [Page] can not lye, Luc. xxi. and. i. Petri. ii. In thys lattre part, she sheweth the nature of Christes lyuelye membre, Christes membre. and of a perfyghte christen martyr in .ii. poyntes, first she desyreth god to forgeue her enemyes as Christe desyred hym in the tyme of hys passyon, Luc. xxiii. And as holy Steuen also did for the tyme of his death. Actorum. vii. Secondlye she desyreth theyr hartes to be opened, that thei maye trulye beleue and be saued. Actorum. xvi. Thys supernaturall affecte of charyte hadde she onelye of the sprete of Christe, Charyte. whyche wylleth not the deathe of a frowarde synner, but rather that he be from hys wyckednes turned, and so lyue Ezech. xxxiii. Thus is she a Saynt canonysed in Christes bloud, A Saynt. though she neuer haue other canonysacyon of pope, preste, nor Byshoppe.
The destroyer shall be destroyed without bandes,
The Balade which Anne Askewe made and sange whā she was in Newgate.
God saue the kynge.
God hath chosē the weake thynges of y e world to confounde thynges which are myghty. Yea, & thynges of no reputaciō, for to bryng to nought thynges of reputacion, that no fleshe shulde presume in his syght.
The Conclusyon.
THus hast thou (dylygente reader) the ende of these. ii. examynaciōs and answers of the moost christen martyr Anne Askewe, w t other addycyons besydes. Marke in thē the horryble mad furye of Antychrist and the deuyll how they worke in thys age by their tyrannous mēbres, Antichrist to brynge the last vengeaunce swyftlye vpon thē. Afore tyme hath not bene seane, soch frantyck outrage as is now, the iudges wythout all sober dyscressyon, ronnynyge to the racke toggynge, halynge, and pullynge therat, lyke tormentours in a playe. compassiō Compare me here Pylate wythe Wrisleye the hyghe chauncellour of Englande, wyth Riche and wyth other whych wyl be counted no small moates. And se howe moch the pagane Iudge excelleth in vertue and wisdom, the false christened iudge, yea, rather prodygyouse tyraunte. Whan Pylate had enquired, Pylate what accusacyon the Iewes clergye had agaynste Christ, he perceyued they dyd all of malyce, and refused to meddle therin. Ioan. xviii. In Wrisleye and Ryche is no suche equite. Wrisleye. But they rather seke occasyon to accomplyshe the full malyce of Antychriste.
Pylate shewed the accused all fauer Pylate [Page] possyble. He examyned hym pryuatelye he gaue hym fryndelye wordes, he had hym not feare to speake, he hearde hym wyth gentylnesse, he counselled wyth hym that he myght the more frelye suppresse theyr madde furye, and he promysed, they shulde do hym no wrong in case he wolde vtter his ful mynd. Ioā. xviii Farre contrarye to this were Wrisleye and Ryche, Wrysleye whych not all ignoraunt of the Byshoppes beastlye errours, malycyouslye wythout all feare of God and shame of the worlde, executed vpon this godly woman moste terryble tyrannye. Pylate spake for the innocent, Pylate. excused hym, defended hym, layed fourth the lawe, pleated for hym sharpelye, required them to shewe mercye, alleged for hym theyr custome, declared him an innocent & sought by all meanes to delyuer hym, Mat xxvii. These periured magistrates Wrisleye & Ryche, Wrisleye. not onlye examyned thys innocent woman with rigour, but also hated her, scorned her, reuyled her, condempned her, for an heretike, & with vnspeakable tormentes sought to enforce her to brynge by accusacion other noble women and men to death.
More ouer Pylate wolde shede no innocent bloud, Pylate. but laboured to mytigate the Byshoppes furye, & instaūted them [Page] as they were relygiouse, to shew godlye fauer, concludynge that he coulde by no lawe of iustice, iudge him worthie to die Marci. xv. These vengeable tyrauntes Wrisleye and Riche insaciably thirsted. Wrisleye not onlie the innocēt bloud of this faithfull seruaunt of God, but also the bloud of the noble duchesse of Sothfolke, the bloud of the worthye countesse of Hertforde, and of the vertuouse countesse of Suffexe, the bloude of the faythfull ladye Dennye, Ladyes. of the good lady Fizwilliams, and of other godlye women more, soche widowes and wiues as Paule, Peter, and Iohan commendeth in their epistles, besydes the bloude of serten noblemen of the kynges hygh counsell. And all at the spyghtfull callynge on of the Byshoppes. Slacke eare gaue Pilate to the prestes, Pylate. he regarded not ther dyspleasure, he detected their proternouse madnesse, by delayes he dyfferred the sentence, and fynallye washed hys handes as one that was clere from their tyrannie, Luce. xxiii. Swyft eare gaue Wrisleye & Ryche with their wycked affynyte to y e puffed vp porkelynges of the pope Gardiner, Wrisleye & Riche. Bonner, & soch other, they folowed their reuell counsell, they enprysoned her, iudged her, condempned her, & racked her, at the laste with their owne [Page] poluted bloudie tormentours hādes, till the vaynes and synnowes brast.
If ye marke the scriptures wele, ye shall easelye perceyue that Pylate was not in fawte of Chrystes bufferynges, Pylate, bearynges, scornynges, face spyttynges, crownynge with thorne, and soch other extreme handelynges. But the malycyouse Byshoppes & prestes which waged Iudas to betraye hym, Prestes. hyred false wytnesse to accuse hym, monyed the multitude to dyffame hym, fayned false matter agaynste hym, compelled the lawe and terrifyed the iudge, to haue their full myschefe accomplished, as our Bishoppes haue done in thys cruell acte and soche other. Whan the prestes wolde haue blemished hys name by the ignomyniouse deathe whiche he suffred amonge theues on the crosse, Pilate proclamed it gloriouse vnto all the worlde, Pylate. writinge his title in Hebrue, Greke, and Latine, Iesus of Nazareth kinge of the Iewes, and wolde not at their instaūt callinge on, chāge it, Ioā. xvi. Wrisleie & Riche with their vngracyouse affynyte, Wrysleye haue in euerye poynt folowed here the execrable affectes of the prestes. Fauorablye Pilate licensed Ioseph of Arymathye to take downe Christes bodie, and to burie it. [Page] Math. xxvii. Wrisleye cōmaunded thys martyr of God with her faythfull companyons to be brent to ashes. Pylate was ignoraunt of Gods lawes, Pilate. and a pagane Wrisleye and Ryche know both the lawe and the Gospell, Wrisleye and are christyanes, the more is it to their dampnacyon, to execute soch turkish tyrannye.
Now to conclude with Anne Askewe as the argument of thys boke requireth In the yeare of our lord a M.D.XLVI And in the moneth of Iulye, at the prodygyouse procuremente of Antichristes furyouse remnaunt, Gardyner, Brent. Bonner and soch lyke, she sufferd most cruell deathe ī Smythfelde with her iii. faithfull companyons, Iohā Lassels a gentylmā whych had bene her instructour, Iohan Adlam a tayler, Martyrs and a prest so constaunt in the veryte agaynst the sayd Antichristes supersticyons as they, whose name at this tyme I had not. Credybyle am I infourmed by dyuerse duche marchauntes whych were there present, that in y e time of their sufferinges, the skie abhorringe so wycked an acte, A sygne. sodenly altered coloure, and the cloudes frō aboue gaue a thōder clappe, not al vnlyke to that is writtē, Psa. lxxvi. The elemētes both declared therin the hygh dyspleasure of God for so tyrānouse a murther of innocentes. Gods hā de. [Page] and also expreslye sygnyfyed his mightye hande present to the comfort of them whych trusted in hym, besydes the most wonderfull mutacyon which wyll within short space therupon folowe. And lyke as the Centuryon with those that were with hym, Centurio for the tokens shewed at Christes deathe, confessed hym to be y e sonne of God, Math. xxvii. So dyd a greate nombre at the burnynge of these martyrs, vpon the syght of thys open experymēt, afferme them to be his faythfull members.
Full manye Christen hart haue rysen and wyll ryse from the pope to Chryste through the occasyon of their consumynge in the fyre. Christianes. As the saynge is, of their ashes wyll more of the same opynyon aryse. Manye a wone sayth yet both in Englande and Duchelande, also, Take hede O that woman that woman, O those men those men. If the popes generacyon and wycked remnaunt make manye more soch martyrs, they are lyke to marre all their whole market in Englande. It were best for thē now a dayes to lete men be at lyberte for their holye fathers gaudish ceremonies, Ceremonyes. as they are for beare baytynges, cocke fyghtynges tennys playe, tables, tombelinge, daunsynge, or hūtynge, who list & who maye. [Page] for as little haue those tradiciōs of his of the worde of God, in their prowdest out shewe, as they haue. Here wyll some tender stomakes be greued, Tendrelynges, and report that in our headye hastinesse, we refuse to suffre with our weake bretherne accordynge to the doctryne of Paule. But I saye vnto them, what so euer they be whyche are so scrupulouse wanderers, that they most execrablye erre in so bestowynge the scryptures. For abhomynable is that tolleraunce of our brethernes weakenesse, Hypocresye. where God is by ydolatrouse superstycyons dysobeyed, dyshonoured, and blasphemed. A playne practyse were thys of Sathan in hypocresye to vpholde all deuylyshnesse
On the other side was there an other sort at the deathe of these blessyd martyrs, Papystes and they iudged of this alteracion of the ayre and thonder clappe, as dyd the Iewysh Byshoppes with their peruerted multitude. Whyche waggynge their heades, rayled, reuyled, iangled, iested, scorned, cursed, mocked, and mowed at Christes precyouse sufferynges on the crosse, Prestes. Mat xxvii. and Luce xxiii. These were the ydle wytted prestes at London and their beastlye ygnoraunt broodes with olde superstycyouse bawdes [Page] and brethels, the popes blynde cattell. Bawdes. These cryed there like madde me dye bedlemes, as they hearde the thonder. They are dampned, they are dampned, their wyse preachers outasynge the same at Paules crosse, In dede full no billie are they ouerseane in the Bible that iudge the thonders to signifie dāpnacion. Thonder (saith the scripture) is y e voice of god, Thōders. Eccle. xliii. Thonder is y e helpinge power of y e lorde, Iob. xxvii. and no dampnacion. Christe called Iohan and Iames the sonnes of thonder, Marci iii. Whiche betokened that they shuld be ernest preachers, and no chyldren of dampnacion. The lorde by thonder sheweth hys inscrutable workinge, Thonder. Iob. xxxviii. Moses receiued y e lawe. Helias the sprete of prophecie, the Apostles the holye Ghost, & all in thonder. What wicked sole will saye, they receiued so dampnacion?
As the lambe had opened the first seale of the boke, the voice that went forth was as it had bene thonder, Apoca. vi. whiche is no dampnacion, Apocal. but a sharpe callinge of people to Godwarde. The thonderynges that apered whan the Angell filled his censer. Thōders. Apoc viii. were no dampnacions but Gods crueste wordes rebukinge the worlde for sinne. The [Page] best interpretours do cal those thōderinges which came from the trone of God. Apocal. iiii. soch verites of the scripture as terrifieth synners, and no dampnacions. Neyther were the vii. thonderynges whyche gaue their voices, Apoc. x. anye other than mysteryes at their times to be opened, Eucherius Lugdunensis & other moralisers, Eucheryꝰ call thonders in the scripture, the voyces of the Gospell, and their lighteninges, the clere openinges of the same. If thōder be a thretteninge or a fearfull iudgement of God (as in Psal. ciii.) it is to them that abyde here, and not to them that depart frō hens. A token is it also that the horrible tirauntes shall be as the meledust, For tyrauntes. that the winde taketh awaye sodenlie, Esaie xxix. If Plage do folow of thōder, as it dyd in Egypt, whan Moses stretched forth his rodde, Exodi. ix. North folke. It shal light vpon them which hath shewed the tirā nouse vyolence on the people of God, as it dyd vpon pharao and his cruell minysters.
At the mightye voyce which was both sensyble hearde and understandyd of the Apostles from heauen, Markewele. that the father was & wolde be glorified by Christ the people said nothinge but, It thondereth, Ioan. xii. For nothinge els they [Page] vnderstode therof. What Anne Askewe and her companyons both hearde and se in thys thonder to their sowles cōsolacyon in their paynefull sufferinges, no mortall vnderstandinge can discerne. Onlye was it Steuen (and paraduenture a fewe dysciples) that se the heauens open whan he suffered, S. Steuē and not the cruell multitude which ranne vpon him with stones, Acto. vii. Lete beastlie blinde babbyllers and bawdes with their charmynge chaplaynes than prate at large, out of theyr malycyouse sprete and ydle braynes. We haue in habundaunce the veryte of Gods worde and promes, gods wordes to proue them both saued and gloryfyed in Christe. For God euer preserueth them which trust in him, Psal. xvi. All that call vpon hys holye name, are saued, Iobel. ii. What reasonable man will thynke that they can be loste, whyche haue their lorde God more dere than their owne lyues? No man shall be hable (sayth Christ) to plucke my shepe out of my handes, Not lost. but I wyll geue thē eternall lyfe, Ioan. x. Beleue (sayth Paule to the iayler at Philippos) on y e lorde Iesus Christ, and thou shall be saued & thy whole howsholde, Acto. xvi. They that seme in the sight of the vnwyse to go into destruccyon, do rest in the [Page] peace of God, and are replenished with immortalite, Sapien. iii. With other in numerable scriptures, to the praise of God, whose name be glorified worlde without ende, Amen.
God saue the kynge.
The first examinacion of the worthye seruaunte of God mastres Anne Askewe the yonger doughter of Sir Wyllyam Askewe knyghte of Lyncolne shyre, lately martyred in Smythfelde, by the Romyshe popes vpholders.
The censure or iudgemēt of Iohan Bale therupon, after the sacred Scriptures and Chronycles.
OF no lesse Christen cō stancie was this faithfull wytnes and holy martyr of God, Anne Askewe nor no lesse a fast member of Christ by her myghtye persystēce in his verite at this tyme of mischife, thā was the afore named Blandina in the prymatiue churche. [Page] This shal wele apere in her. ii. examynacions or tyrannouse handelynges here folowinge, whome she wrote with her owne hāde, at the instāt desyre of certen faithfull men and wemē, yea rather at the secrete mocyon of God, that the truth therof myght be knowne y e world ouer. As within short space yt wyll be, yf the latyne spech can carye yt. Marke wel y e cōmunycaciōs here both of her and of her examyners, so prouing their spretes as S. Iohan y e Apostle geuethe yow counsell. Sprites. i. Io. iiii. And than shall ye know the tree by his frute, & the man by hys worke.
Anne Askewe.
To satisfye youre expectacion, good people (saithe she) thys was my firste examynacyon in the yeare of oure Lorde M.D.xlv. and in the monethe of Marche, firste Christofer Dare examyned me at Sadlers hall, Christofer dare, beynge one of the queste, and asked yf I dyd not beleue that the sacramente hangynge ouer the aultre was the verye bodye of Chryste reallye. [Page] Thē I demaunded this question of him, wherfore S. Steuē was stoned to death? And he said he coulde not tell. Then I answered, that no more wolde I assoyle his vayne questyon.
Iohan Bale.
A sacrament (sayth Saynt Augustyne) is a sygne, shappe, or symylytude of that it representith, and no God nor yet thynge represented. This worde reall or reallye, Reallye. is not of beleue, for it is not in all the sacred scriptures. Onlye is it sophistycallye borowed of the paganes lernynge by wynchestre & his fellowes, to corrupt our Christen fayth. Be ware of that fylthye poyson. The perfyght beleue of Steuen, Actoru. vii. of Paule Act. xvii. & of Salomon. iii. Reg. viii. & ii, Par [...]. vi. was, that god dwelleth not in temples made with handes. Agreable vnto this was the faythe of thys Godlye woman, whych neyther coulde beleue that he dwellethe in the boxe. The boxe God sayth. Esaye. lxvi. Heauen is my seate, not the boxe. Dauid saythe. Psal. cxiii. oure God is in heauen, not in the pyxe. Christ taught vs to saye, whā we praye Mat. vi. Luce. xi. our father which arte [Page] in heauen, and not our father which art in the boxe. Now discerne and iudge.
Anne Askewe,
Secondly he sayde, that there was a woman, whyche dyd testyfye, that I should reade, howe God was not in temples made wyth handes. Temples. Then I shewed hym the. vii. and the. xvii. chapitre of the Apostles actes what Steuen and Paule had said therin. Wherupon he asked me, howe I toke those sentences? I answered, that I woulde not throwe pearles amōge swine, for acornes were good ynough.
Iohan Bale.
An ignoraūt woman, yea a beast wyth out fayth, is herin allowed to iudge the holy scriptures heresye, and agaynst al good lawes admitted to accuse thys godly woman the seruaūt of Christ, for an haynouse heretyke, for the only readinge of them. Accusers. As peruerse and blasphemouse was thys qwestmonger as she, & as beastlye ignoraūt in the doctryne of [Page] health, yet is neyther of them iudged yl of the worlde, but the one permitted to accuse this true membre of Christe, and the other to cōdēpne her. Wherfore her answere out of the. vii. chapter of Mathew, was most fytte for them. For they are no better than swine, that so contempne the precyous treasure of the Gospell, for the myre of mennes tradycions
Anne Askewe.
Thirdlye he asked me, wherfore I sayde, that I had rather to reade fyue lynes in the Byble, than to heare fyue Masses in the temple. Masses. I confessed, that I sayd no lesse. Not for the dysprayse of eyther the Epistle or Gospell. But bycause the one dyd greatly edyfye me, and the other nothynge at all. As saynt Paule doth wytnesse in the. xiiii. chaptre of hys fyrste Epistle to the Corinthes, where as he dothe say. Yf the trumpe geueth an vncertayn sounde, who wyll prepare [Page] himselfe to the battayle?
Iohan Bale.
A commaundement hath Christ geuen vs, to serche the holy scriptures, Iohan. v. for in them onlye is the lyfe eternal. Blessed is he (sayth Christ vnto Iohan) whych readeth & heareth the wordes of this prophecye. Apo. i. But of the latyne popysh masse, is not one word in al the Byble, and therfore it perteyneth not to fayth. A straight cōmaundement haue almyghty God geuen Deuteo. xii that nothing be added to hys word, Goddes worde. nor yet taken frō it. Put thou nothing vnto hys wordes (saith Salomon, Pro. xxx) least y u be foūde in so doynge, a reprobate persone and a lyar. S. Paule wylled nothynge to be vttered in a dead speche, i. Cor. xiiii. (as are your masse and mattens) but sylence alwayes to be in the congregacyons, where as is no interpretour, for fiue wordes (saith he) auaileth more to vnderstādynge, then. x. thousande wordes with the tong. This proueth tēple seruyce of the papystes all the yeare, to be worth nothynge.
Anne Askewe.
Forthly he layed vnto my charge [Page] that I shoulde saye, Yf an yll prest mynystred, The prest it was the deuyl and not God. My answere was, that I neuer spake suche thynge. But this was my sayenge. That what so euer he were, whych mynistred vnto me, his yll condycyons coulde not hurte my faythe. But in sprete I receyued neuer the lesse, the bodye and bloude of Christ.
Iohan Bale.
Christ saith, Ioan. vi. Haue not I chosen you. xii. & yet one of you is a deuyl? meanynge Iudas that false & vnfaythful prest. Iudas. No lesse sayth Peter. ii. Pet. ii of those lyēge curates, by whōe the truthe is blasphemed, and the people made marchaundyce of theyr couetousnes. Yf the yll frute than, be alone with the yl tree in noughtynesse, the worke of a deuyl must be deuelysh. God sayd vnto the wycked prestes, Esa. i. Hier. vi. Am. v. and Mala. ii. that he abhorred theyr sacrifyces, Sacryfyces. and also hated them, euen at the very hart, wyllynge both heauen & [Page] earthe to marke it. Into Iudas entered Sathan, after the soppe was geuē hym. Ioā. xiii. wher as the other Apostles receyued the bodye and bloude of Christ. The table was all one to them both, so was the bread which their mouthes receyued. The inwarde receyuynges than in Peter and in Iudas, made all the diuersyte, whiche was beleue & vnbeleue, or faithe and vnfaythfulnesse, as Christ largelye declareth in the vi. of Iohan, Thevi. of Iohan. wheras he shewed a fore hande, the full doctryne of that misticall supper. Only he that beleueth, hath there the promes of the lyfe euerlastinge, and not he that eareth the materyall breade. Of God are they taught, and not of men, whych trulye vnderstande this doctrine
Anne Askewe
Fyftly he asked me, what I sayd concernynge confession? Confessiō I answered hym my meanynge, whyche was as Saynt Iames sayth, that euerye man ought to acknowlege his fautes to other and the one to praye for the other.
Ihon Bale.
This cōfessyon onlye do the scripture appoīt vs: Ia. v. as we haue offēded our neighbour: But if we haue offēded god we must sorowfully acknowlege it before hym. And he (sayth Saint Iohan), i. Iohan. i. hath faythfull ye promysed to forgeue vs our synnes, yf we so do & to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse. If the lawe of truth be in the prestes mouthe, Prestes. he is to be sought vnto for godli coū sel. Mala. ii. But if he be a blasphemouse hypocryte or supersticiouse fole, he is to be shourned as a most pestilēt poyson
Anne Askewe
Syxhtly he asked me, what I sayde to the kynges boke. The kynges boke. And I answered hym that I coulde saye nothynge to it, bycause I neuer sawe it.
Iohan Bale.
All craftie waies, possible, sought this quaretlynge questmonger, or els the deuyll in hym, to brynge thys poore innocent lambe to the slaughter place of Antichrist. Moche after this sort sought y e wicked Pharisees by certē of their own faccyon or hyred satellytes with y e Herodyanes, Pharysees. to brynge Christ in daunger of Cesar, & so to haue hym slayne, Mat. [Page] xxii. Mar. xii. Luce. xx.
Anne Askewe.
Seuenthly he asked me, yf I hadde the sprete of God in me? I answered yf I hadde not, I was but a reprobate or caste awaye.
Iohan Bale.
Electe are we of God (sayth Peter) through the sanctifienge of the sprete. i. Pe. i. In euery true christē beleuer dwelleth y e sprete of God. The spyrite. Ioh. xiiii. Their sowles are the sanctyfyed temples of y e holye Ghost. i. Corin. iii. He y t hath not the spret of Christ (saith Paule) is non of Christes. Rom. viii. To them is y e holy Ghost geuē, which heareth the Gospell and beleueth it, and not vnto them which wil be iustified by theyr workes Gala. ii. All these worthye scryptures confirme her sainge.
Anne Askewe.
Then he said, he hadde sente for a prest to examyne me, A prest. whyche was there at hāde. The preste asked me, what I sayde to the Sacrament of the aultre? & required [Page] moche to knowe therin my meaninge. But I desyred hym agayne, to holde me excused concernynge that matter. None other answere wolde I make hym, because I perceyued hym a papyst.
Iohn Bale.
mockers.Mockynge prestes (sayth Esaye) hath rule of the lordes people. Whose voices are in their drōckennesse. Bid that may be bidden, forbid that may be forbyddē, kepe backe that may be kept backe, here a lyttle and there a lyttle. Esay xxviii. A plage shall come vpon these, for why, they haue chaunged the ordynaunces, and made the euerlastynge testamente of non effect, Esa. xxiiii. They wytholde (sayth. S. Paule) the veryte of God in vnryghtousnesse. Roma. i. They bred cockatryce egges (sayth Esay) and weue the spyders webbe. Who so eateth of theyr egges, dyeth. But if one treadeth vpon them, there cometh vp a serpent, A serpent ryseth. Esaye. lix.
Anne Askewe
Eyghtly he asked me, if I ded not thynke, that pryuate [Page] masses dyd helpe sowles departed. And I sayde, it was great Idolatry to beleue more in them, than in the deathe whyche Christ dyed for vs.
Iohan Bale.
Here riseth the serpent of the cockatryce egges, workemāly to fulfyll the afore alleged prophecye. If their Masses had ben of Gods creasyon, ordynaunce or commaundement, or if they had bene in anye poynt necessary for mannys behoue, they had ben regestred in the boke of lyfe, which is the sacred Byble. But therin is neyther mencyon of Masse pryuate nor publique, Masses pryuate. seuerall nor commē. single nor double, hygh nor low, by fote nor on horse back, or by note as they cal it. If they be thynges addes by mannys inucucion (as they can be non other, not beyng there named) thā am I sure that the scriptures call thē filthynesse, rust, chaffe, draffe, swille, dronckēnesse, fornycaciō, mēstrue, mannys dyrt, adders egges, poyson, snares, the bread of wicked lyes, & the cuppe of Gods curse. Theyr origynall grounde shulde seme to be taken of the Druydes or pagane Prestes, Druydes. whych inhabyted this reauile long afore [Page] Christes incarnacyon, and had than practysed sacryfices publique and pryuate. Loke Cornelius Tacitus, Caius Iulius, Plintus, Strabo, & soch othere authours. That name of pryuacyon added vnto their Masse, clerelie depriueth it of Christen communion, wher on man eateth vp all, & dystrybuteth nothinge.
How soche ware shulde helpe the sowles departed, I can not tell. But wele I wote, For sowles. that y e woūded man betwyxt Hierusalē and Hierico, had no helpe of thē Luce x. The Samaritane which was rekened but a pagane amonge them, was hys onlye cōfort, in y e most popysh tyme was neuer more horryble blasphemye, then this is. Thys wyckednesse impugneth all the promyses of God concerninge faithe, and remission of synnes. It repugneth also to the whole doctryne of y e Gospel. The applicaciō of Christes supper, auayleth them onlye that be alyue, takynge, eatynge, and drynkyng that is therin minystred. No more can the prestes receyuynge of that sacramente profight an other man, The prestes receyuynge. thā can hys receiuinge of Baptysme or of penaunce, as they call it. If it profyteth not the qwyck, how can it profyght the dead? No sacrifyce is y e Masse, nor yet good worke, but a blasphemouse prophanacyō of y e Lordes [Page] holy supper, a manifest wickednesse an horryble Idolatrie, and a fowle abhomynacyon, beynge thus a ryte of worshyppynge without the worde, yea agaynst the expresse word of God.
Anne Askewe.
Then they hadde me frō thens, vnto my lorde Mayre. Mayre. And he examyned me, as they had before and I answerede hym dyrectlye in all thinges, as I answered the qweste afore.
Iohan Bayle.
After thys sort was Christ ledde from the examinacion of the clergie to Pylate, Matth. xxvii. In y t the examynacion of the qweste and of the Mayre was all one, ye maye wele knowe that they had both one scole mastre, euen the brutysh byshoppe of Londō. Bonner. The ignoraūt magistrates of Englād will neyther be Godly wyse with Dauid & Salomō, nor yet enbrace the ernest instruccyons of God, to be lerned in y e scriptures, Psa. ii. Sapiē. vi. but still be wicked ministers, and cruell seruaunt slaues to Antichrist and the deuyll, Apoc. xvii. More fyr are soch witlesse mayres and gracelesse offycers, Ignoraū ce. [Page] as knoweth not whyght from blacke, & light frō darknesse. Esai. v. to fede swine or to kepe kaddowes, than to rule a christen comminalte. A terryble daie abideth them, which thus ordereth the innocent. Iaco. ii.
Anne Askewe.
Besydes thys my lorde Mayre layed one thynge vnto my charge whiche was neuer spoken of me, but of them. And that was whether a mouse eatynge the hoste, receyued God or no? Thys questyon ded I neuer aske but indede they asked it of me, wherunto I made them no answere, but smyled.
Iohn Bale.
Is not here (thynke yow) wele fauerd & wele fashyoned dyuinyte, to establysh an artycle of the Christen faythe? Wilie wynchester answereth this questyon as folysh as it is, Wynchester. in hys wyse detectiō of y e deuyls sophystrye, fo. xvi. Beleue (saith he) that a mouse can not deuoure God. Yet reporteth he after, in fo. xxi. y t Christes body may as wele dwell in a mouse [Page] as it ded in Iudas. Thā foloweth fryre fynke, fryre Perin I shuld say, Peryn. a bachelar of the same scole. And he answereth in the ende of hys third sermon, that y e Sacramente eaten of a mouse, is the verye and reall bodye of Christe. And whan he hath affermed it to be no derogacyon to Christes presens, to lye in the mawe of that mouse. Diuisio. He deuydeth me the one from the other, the sacramēt frō Christes body, cōcluding. That though the sacrament be digested in the mouses mawe, yet ys not Christes body thee cō sumed. O blasphemouse beastes, & blynde bloderynge Balaamytes.
Bycause these. ii. workemen be scant wittye in their owne occupacion, I shal brynge thē forth here. ii. olde artyfycers of theirs to helpe thē, Guimūdus Auersanus a byshopp, Guimundus. to helpe byshopp Steuen, & Thomas walden a fryre, Waldenus. to helpe fryre Perin. The sacramētes (saye they both) are not eatē of myce, though they seme so to be in the exteryour simylytudes. For y e vertues (saieth Guimundus) of holye men are not eaten of beastes, whan they are eaten of thē, li. ii. de corpore & sanguine dn̄i. No marrie (quoth walden) no more is the paynters occupacyon destroyed. whan a picture is destroyed. Marke this gere for your lernyng. [Page] But now cometh Algerus a mōke, Algerus. more craftye thē they both, and he sayth li.ii. cap. i. de Eucharistia, that as wele is thys meate spyrituall, as materiall because Dauid calleth it the breade of Angels, and a breade frō heauē. Psa. lxxvii That which is materyall in thys bread (sayth he) is consumed by digestion, but that which is spirituall remaineth vncorrupted.
If we wolde attende wele vnto Christes dyuynyte, and let these oyled diuynes dispute amonge olde Gossypes, we shuld sone discharge myce and rattes, weake stomakes and parbreakyng dronkardes, of a farre other sort thā thus, he y t eateth my fleshe (sayth Christ) Io. vi. and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in me & I in him. Christus. This eatyng is all one with the dwellinge, & is neyther for myce nor rattes, brent chauncels nor dronkē prestes. For as we eate we dwell, and as we dwell we eate, by a grounded and perfyght faythe in hym. The substaunce of that most godlye refeccyon lyeth not in the mouth eatynge nor yet in the bellye feadyng, though they be necessarye, but in the onlye spirituall or sowle eatynge, No wyse man wyll thynke, Fayth. that Christ wyll dwell in a mouse, nor yet that a mouse can dwell in Christ, though it be [Page] the doctryne of these doughtye dowsepers, for they shall fynde no scriptures for it. If these men were not enemyes to fayth and frindes to Idolatrie, they wold neuer teach soche fylthye lernynge. More of this shall I wryte (God. Nota. willing) in the answere of their bokes
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshoppes chaunceller rebuked me, and sayde, that I was moche to blame for vtterynge the scryptures. For S. Paule (he sayde) forbode women to speake or to talke of the worde of God. Women. I answered hym, that I knewe Paules meanynge so well as he, whyche is. i. Corintheorum. xiiii. that a woman oughte not to speake in the congregacyon by the waye of teachynge. And then I asked hym, how manye women he hadde seane, go into the pulpette & preache. He sayde he neuer sawe none. [Page] Thē I said, he oughte to fynd no faute in poore women, excepte they had offended the lawe.
Iohan Bale.
Plēteouse ynough is her answer here vnto this quarellinge, and (as apereth) vnlerned chancelloure. Manye godlye women both in y e olde lawe & the newe, were lerned in the scriptures, Scripture women. and made vtteraūce of thē to the glorie of god. As we reade of Helisabeth, Mary, and Anna the wydowe, Lu. i. &. ii. yet were they not rebuked for it, yea, Marye Christes mother retained all, y t was afterwarde wrytten of hym, Luc. ii. yet was it not imputed vnto her an offence. Christ blamed not the woman that cryed whyls he was in preachynge, happye is the wombe that beat the, Luce. xi. The women which gaue knowlege to his discyples, Women. that he was rysen from death to lyfe, discomfited not he, but solaced them w t hys most gloriouse aperaūce. Mat. xxviii. Io. xx. In y e primatyue churche, specially in Saint Hieromes time, was it a great praise vnto womē to be lerned in the scriptures. Great commendaciōs geueth our Englysh Cronicles to Helena, Vrsula, and Hilda, womē of our nacyon, Englyshe women. for beynge lerned also in the scriptures. [Page] Soch a woman was the seid Hilda, as openlye disputed in them against the superstycyons of certen byshoppes. But thys chancellour by like, chaunced vpon that blynde popysh worke whych Walter Hunte a whyte fryre, Walter hunte. wrot iiii. score yeares ago, Contra doctrices mulieres, against scole women, or els some other lyke blynde Romysh beggeryes.
Anne askewe
Then my Lorde Mayre commaunded me to warde. Preson. I asked him, if suertees woulde not serue me. And he made me short answer that he wold take non Then was I had to the Counter, and there remayned xii. dayes, no frynde admytted to speake with me.
Iohan Bale.
Here is Christ yet troden on the hele. Christ troden on the hele. by that wycked serpent whych tempted Eua. Gene. iii. His faithful membre for beleuyng in him, is here throwne in preson. And no maruel, for it was his owne ꝓmes, ye shall be brought before rulers & debitees (saith he) for my truthes sake Mat. x. ye shal be betraied of your owne nacyon and kindred, & so throwne in presō, [Page] Luc. xxi. If they haue persecuted methinke not but they wyll also persecute yow, Io. v. This serpent is agayne becomē y e prince of this world, & holdeth y e gouerners therof captyue, Io. xiiii. Suertees wold haue ben takē for a thefe or a mourtherer, but not for Chrystes mēber, y e bishoppes chaūcellour being at hande, nor yet her fryndes permitted to confort her.
Anne Askewe.
But in the meane tyme there was a prest sent to me, A prest. whiche sayd that he was comaunded of the byshopp to examyne me, and to geue me good counsell, which he dyd not. But fyrst he asked me for what cause I was put in the Coūter? And I tolde hym I coulde not tell. Then he sayde, it was great pitie that I shulde be there with out cause, and concluded that he was verye sorye for me.
Iohan Bale.
O temptacion of Sathan. Christ beinge in y e solitarie wildernesse alone, was [Page] after thys flattering sort assaulted first of his enemye. Matt. iiii. This Iudas was sente afore to geue a frindelie kisse y e more depelie to trappe y e innocēt in snare. Iudas. But Gods wisdom made her to perceiue what he was. A false prophete is sone knowne by hys frutes, amonge thē that are godlye wyse. Mat. vii. She cōsidered with Salomon, that more to profyght are the strypes of a frinde, thā the fraud [...]lent kysses of a deceitful enemye, Prouerb. xxxvii.
Anne Askewe.
Secondly he sayd, it was tolde hym that I shuld denye the sacrament of the aultre. The sacramente. And I answered hym agayne, that that I had sayd, I had sayd.
Iohan Bale.
In this brefe answere, she remēbred Salomōs coūsell, Answer not a fole, all after his folishnesse. Beware of thē (saith Christ) which come in shepes clothinge, for inwardlye they are most rauenynge wolues, Mat. vii. God destroieth y e craftes of the wicked (sayth Iob) so y t they are not hable to perfourme that they take in hande. Iob. v.
Anne Askewe.
Thirdly he asked me, yf I were shryuen, I tolde hym no. Then he sayde, he wolde brynge one to me, for to shryue me. And I tolde hym, Shrifte. so that I myghte haue one of these. iii. that is to saye, doctor Crome, syr Gyllam, or Huntyngton, I was contented, bycause I knewe them to be men of wysedome. As for yow or anye other, I wyll not dysprayse, bycause I knowe ye not. Then he sayde, I woulde not haue yow thynke, but that I or an other that shall be broughte yow, shall be as honest as they. For yf we were not, ye may be sure, the king wolde not suffer vs to preache. Then I answered by the saynge of Salomon. Prechers. By commonynge with the wise, I maye lerne wysedome, but by talkynge with a fole [Page] I shall take skath, Prou. i.
Iohan Bale.
Se how thys aduersary cōpaseth lyke a rauenyng lyon, to deuoure this lambe i. Pet. v. Now temptethhe her with Cō fession, Confessyō which hath bene such a bayte of theirs, as hath broughte into theyr nettes and snares the myghtiest prynces of the worlde, both kynges and emprours Se here yf they leaue anye subtylte vnsought, to obtaine theyr praie. He reckened by this to winne his purpose, which waye so euer he had taken. Yf she hadde bene confessed to hym, he had knowen whyche waye she had bene bente. If she had vtterlye refused confessyon, Practise. he had more matter to accuse her of. O subtyle sede of the serpēt. This part plaied your olde generacion the Pharisees and prestes with Christ, to bring him in daūger of the lawe. Mat. xxii. & Ioha. viii. No Christē erudiciō bringeth this prest, nor yet good counsels of scripture. But as Esay sayth. The hypocryte ymagyneth abhomynacion agaynst God, hypocryte to famysh the hungry, and witholde drinke from the thirstye Yet shall not the eyes of the seynge be dymme, nor the eares of the hearyng be deffe, Esa. xxxii. Yf the king admit soch preachers (as I can not thinke preachers. [Page] it) a sore plage remaineth both to him and to his people.
The host [...]Anne Askewe.
Forthly he asked me yf the hoste shulde fall, and a beaste dyd eate it, whether the beaste dyd receyue God or no? I answered. Seynge ye haue taken the paynes to aske thys questyon, I desyre yow also to take so moche payne more, as to assoyle it youre selfe. For I wyll not do it, bycause I perceyue ye come to tempte me. And he sayde, it was agaynste the ordre of scoles, that he whiche asked the question, shuld answer it. I told him I was but a woman, & knewe not the course of scoles.
Iohan Bale.
Beastlye was that question, and of a more beastlye brayne propouned to this womā. Lytle nede shall other men haue to manyfest theyr blasphemous folyes, whā they do it so playnely theyr selues Who euer hearde afore, that their hoste [Page] was a God, and myght fall, A fallynge God. and be eaten of a beaste, tyl they now so beastelye tolde the tale? Thoughe Saynt Paule where as it is ryghtlye mynistred, doth call it the bodye of the Lord. i, Corin. xi. Yet doth he not call it a God. Thoughe Christ sayth. This is my bodye, Math. xxvi. Mar. xiiii. Luc. xxii. yet saythe he not this is a God. For God is a sprete, & no bodye, Ioan. iiii. Where God is eaten, it is of the sprete, and neyther of mouse nor ratte, as wynchestre and Peryn, Wynchestre. Peryn. wyth other lyke popyshe heretikes haue taught now of late by their owne hande wrytynges. Oure God is in heauen, and cannot fall nor yet be eaten of beastes. Yf they haue soche a God, as maye both fall, and so be eaten, as thys prest here confessethe, it is some false or counterfet god of theyr owne makyng. If he maye putryfye or be consumed of wormes, moule, rust, beast, or fyre, Baruch sayth, it is an Idoll, An Idolle & no God. Baruch. vi.
These witles ydolators haue no grace in thys age, to hyde theyr olde legerdemaynes. They fare lyke those dronkē Gossypes, Lyke olde Gossyppes. whych tel more than al, whā their heades be full of well gyngerdeale. The proude crowne of the dronken Ephraemytes (sayth Esaye) shal be troden [Page] vnder fote. The prestes and the prophetes do stacker, they are so ouerseane wyth wyne. Esa xxviii. They stomble in the stretes, & haue stained thēselues w t bloud. Tren. iiii. Al the dwellers of Iuda (sayth the lorde) shal I fyl with drō ckennesse, Dronckennesse. both the kynges and the prestes. I wyl neyther pardone them, spare them, nor yet haue pytie on them, Hier. xiii. And where as that dronckennes is (sayth Salomō) there is no coūsel kept Pro. xiii. In the ende, this hipocrite ful lyke him selfe, hypocrite. allegeth to this woman, a manner vsed of his olde predecessours in the scholes of falshed. But frome the scole of truth he bryngeth nothynge to the confort of her conscience. He declareth ful workemanly in this, what he & his generacion seketh, by such their spyritual and iustyfyenge workes, ex opere operato.
Anne askewe.
Fyftly he asked me, yf I intended to receyue the sacramente at Easter, Howsell. or no? I answered, that els I were no Christen woman, and that I dyd reioyce, that the tyme was so nere at hande. And [Page] thā he departed thens, with manye fayre wordes.
Iohan Bale.
This hongrye wolfe practiseth by all crafty wayes possible, to sucke the bloude of this innocent lambe. Is not that (thynke yow) an holye congregacyon, whych is thus spyrytuallye occupyed? Spirituallye. Some Godlye menne wyll wondre, that they be not ashamed. But maruele not of it. For the holy Gost saith, in his fore iudgemētes, that the same holy mother which hath hatched thē vpin oyles & in shauynges, is an vnshamefast whore. Apo. xvii. & Dan. viii. A whore. Thā of veri nature must her whelpes be shameles chyldren. Suche shameles dogges are they (saythe Esaye) as be neuer satysfyed. Dogges Es. lvi. whā they kyl you (saith Christ) they shall thynke they do God good seruyce. Io, xvi. so greatly haue their malice blinded them. Sap. ii. which is partly the dronkennesse afore spoken of.
Anne Askewe.
And the. xxiii. daye of Marche, my cosyne Brittayne came into the Counter to me, and asked there, whether I myghte be [Page] put to bayle or no? Baylynge Then wente he immedyatlye vnto my Lorde Mayre, desyerynge of hym to be so good Lorde vnto me, that I myght be bayled. My lorde answered hym, and sayde, that he wolde be glad to do the bests that in him laye. Howbeit he coulde not bayle me without the consent of a spyrytuall offycer. So requyrynge hym to go and speake wyth the chauncelloure of London. For he sayde, lyke as he coulde not commytte me to prysone without the consent of a spirytuall offycer, no more could he bayle me wythout consente of the same.
Iohan Bale.
True is it here, that is written of S. Iohan in the Apocalyppes, that Antychrist is worshipped of the potentates & kynges of y e earth. antichryst Apo. xiii. The mayre of London, which is the kynges liefe tenaunt, and representeth there hys owne persone, standeth here lyke a dead Idol [Page] or lyke suche a seruaunt slaue as can do nothynge wythin hys owne cytye concernynge theyr matters. Who is lyke the Beaste (sayth Saynte Iohan) who is able to warre wyth hym? The beast He hathe brought al lādes and theyr kyngdomes in feare (saith Esaye) the strengthe of their cytyes hath he taken awaye, and restrayned the deliueraunce of theyr presoners. Esai. xiiii. The parētes of hym that was borne blynde, Examples feared this spyritual tirannye or captyuyte of theirs, such time as they were examined of the byshoppes for y e sight of their sonne. Io vi. Such as beleued in Christ amonge y e chefe rulers of the Iewes, wolde not be acknowne therof, for feare of lyke vyolence, Io. xii. No newe thyng is it than in that spirituall generacyon, but a custome of old antyquite. A custome Both Christ and his Apostles haue suffered like tyrannie vnder them. But neuer dyd they yet ministre it to anye creature after theyr example.
Anne Askewe.
So vpon that he wente to the chauncellour, The chaū celler, requyrynge of him as he dyd afore of my lord Mayre. He answered hym, that the [Page] matter was so haynouse, that he durste not of hymselfe do it, withoute my Lorde of London were made preuye therunto. But he sayde, he wolde speake vnto my Lorde in it. And bad hym repare vnto hym the next morowe and he shulde wele knowne my lordes pleasure.
Iohan Bale.
Ryghtwysnesse iudge they synne, & synne rightwisnesse. Es. v. so vnperfight is their syght, Io. xii. in that God hath geuen thē vp to their owne lustes. Fayth in Christe. Rom. i. What an haynouse matter is it holden here, to beleue in Christ after the scriptures, & not after their supersticiouse maner? For non other cause could they laye to thys woman, as ye haue heard here afore, and as ye shall here after perceiue more largelie. What so euer it be to offē de God or man, their offence maye be no lesse than prison and deathe. Tyrannye The Turke is not more vēgeable, thā is thys spightfull spirituall generaciō. Yet boast they Christes religion, and the holye mother churche.
Anne Askewe.
And vpon the morowe after, he came thydre, and spake both with the chauncellour, and wyth my lorde byshopp of Londō. My lorde declared vnto hym, that he was verye wele contented that I shulde come forthe to a communycacyon. And appoynted me to apere afore hym the next daye after, at .iii. of the clocke. at after noone. More ouer he sayde vnto hym, that he wolde there shulde be at that examynacyon, Wylye. Wylye. soche lerned men as I was affeccyoned to. That they myghte se, and also make report that I was handeled with no rygoure. He answered hym, that he knewe no man that I hadde more affeccyon to than othere. Than sayd the byshoppe. Yes, Subtyle. as I vnderstande, she is affeccioned [Page] to Doctor Crome, Sir Gyllam, Whyteheade, and Huntyngton, that they might heare the matter. For she dyd knowe them to be lerned, and of a godlye iudgement.
Iohan Bale.
A foxysh fauer was thys both of the chauncellour & byshopp, and soch a benyuolent gētilnesse, as not onli sought her bloude, but also the bloude of all them whych are here named, A wolfe. yf thei had than come to thys examynacyon. For the euenynge afore (as I am credybly infourmed) the Bishopp made boast amonge hys owne sort, that if they came thydre he wolde tye them a great deie shorter. A voyce was thys full lyke to hym that vttered it. For therby he apereth, not one that wyll saue and fede, but rather soche a one as seketh to kyll & destroye. Iohannis x. The foxes runne ouer the hyll of Syon (sayth Hyeremye) because she is fallen from God, Foxes. Threnorum. v. O Israel (sayth the Lorde) thy prophetes are lyke the wylye foxes vpon y e drye feldes, Ezechiel. xiii. The Poete hath a by worde, that happy is he which can take hede by another [Page] mannes hurte. I adde thys here, that ye shulde be ware, yf ye come in lyke daunger of any soch foxish byshopp. By one of hys day deuyls, A prest. whom thys Cayphas sent to cammen with y e woman in preson, he knewe part of her meanynge, and what they were also which fauered her opynyons. Yea, he craftelye vndermyned this gentilman which intreated for her, if ye marke it wele. Trust not to moche in the flatterouse faunynge of soche wylye foxes.
Anne Askewe.
Also he requyred my cosyne Bryttayne, that he shuld ernestlie persuade me to vtter, euen the verie bottom of my harte, A thefe. And he sware by hys fydelyte, that no man shuld take any aduauntage of my wordes. Neyther yet wolde he laye ought to my charge, for anye thynge that I shulde there speake. But if I saide any maner of thynge amys, He with othere more wolde be glade to reforme me therin, wyth mooste godlye [Page] counsell.
Iohan Bale.
O vengeable tyraunt and deuill. How subtillie sekist thou the bloud of this innocent woman, vndre a coloure of fryndelye handelyng. Iudas. God ones commaunded the ernestlye, in no case to compasse thy neyber with deceyt, to the effusiō of his bloud. Leu. xix. But hys commaundement, thou rekenest but a Caunterburye tale. By swearynge by thy fydelete, thou arte not all vnlyke vnto Herode, Herode. whō Christe for lyke practyses, fyrst to put Iohan, & than hym to death, called also a most craftie cruell foxe. Luc. xiii. Thou laborest here, to haue this womā in snare, with certē of her frindes. But God put in her mynde at this tyme, to recken y t a dogge & a swyne. Matth. vii. and therupon to haue fewe wordes.
Anne Askewe.
On the morowe after, my lorde of London sent for me, at one of the clocke, hys houre beynge appoynted at thre. A false lyar. And as I came before hym, he sayde, he was verye sorye of my trouble, and desyred to knowe my opynyon in [Page] soche matters, as were layed agaynste me. He requyred me also in any wyse, boldelye to vtter the secretes of my harte, byddynge me not to feare in anye poynte. O traiter. For what so euer I dyd saye with in hys house, no man shulde hurte me for it. I answered. For so moche as your Lordeshyppe appoynted. iii. of the clocke and my fryndes shall not come till that houre. I desyre yow to pardon me of geuinge answere tyll they come.
Iohan Bale.
In thys preuentynge of the houre, maye the dylygent reader perceyue the gredynesse of thys Babylon Byshopp, or bloud thurstie wolfe, A tyraunt. cōcernynge this praye. Swyft are their fete (sayth Dauid) in the effusion of innocent bloude, whiche haue fraude in their tunges, venym in their lippes, and most cruell vengeaūce in their mouthes. Psal. xiii. Dauid in that Psalme moch marueleth in the sprete that takinge vpon thē the spirytuall [Page] gouernaunce of the people, they can fall in soche frenesye or forgetfulnesse of themselues, Murtherers. as to beleue it lauful thus to oppresse the faythfull, and to deuoure them with as lytle compassyon, as he that gredylye deuoureth a pece of breade. If soche haue redde anye thynge of God, they haue lyttle mynded their true dewtye therin. More swyft (sayth Hieremye) are our cruell persecuters, than the egles of the ayre. Egles. They folowe vpon vs ouer the mountaynes, and laye preuye waite for vs in the wildernesse. Trenorū. iiii. He that will knowe the craftye haukynge of Bishoppes to brynge in their praye, lete him serue it here. Iudas (I thynke) hade neuer ther parte of their connynge warkemanshippe. Marke it here, and in that which foloweth.
Anne Askewe.
More lā bes to deuoure.Then sayd he that he thought it mete, to sende for those. iiii. men which were a fore named, and appoynted. Then I desyred hym not to put thē to the payne. For it shuld not nede, bycause the. ii. gentylmen whyche were my fryndes, [Page] were able ynough to testyfye that I shulde saye. Anon after he wēt into his gallerye with mastre Spylman, and willed him in any wyse, that he shulde exhort me, to vtter all that I thoughte.
Iohan Bale.
Christ sheweth vs in the vii. chaptre of Mathew, & in other places more of the Gospell, how we shall know a false prophete or an hypocrite, and willeth vs to be ware of them. Their maner is as the deuyls is flatteringly to tempt, & deceitfullye to trappe, Lyke the deuyll. that they maye at the lattre, most cruellye slee. Soche a won (sayth Dauid) hath nothinge in his tunge, but playne deceyt. He layeth wayte for the innocent, with no lesse cruelte than the lion for a shepe. He lurketh to rauysh vp the poore. And whan he hath gottē hym into his nette, thā throweth he him down by his autorite. Psalm. ix. This is the thirde temptacion of thys byshopp, that the womā shulde vtter, to her owne confusyon.
Anne Askewe.
In the meane whyle he commaunded hys Archedeacon to Archedeacon. [Page] commē with me, who sayde vnto me. Maystres wherfore are ye accused? I answered. Axe my accusers, for I knowe not as yet. Then toke he my boke out of my hande, and sayde. Soche bokes as thys is hath brought yow to the trouble ye are in. Beware (sayth he) be ware, for he that made it, was brente in Smythfelde. Then I asked hym, yf he were sure that it was true that he had spokē. And he said, he knewe wele, the boke was of Iohan Frithes makynge. A lyar. Then I asked hym, yf he were not ashamed for to iudge of the boke before he sawe it within, or yet knewe the truthe therof, I sayde also, that soche vnaduysed and hastye iudgemente, is a token apparent of a verye slendre wytte. Then I opened the boke and shewed it [Page] him. He sayde, he thoughte it had bene an other, for he coulde fynde no faulte therin. Then I desyred hym, no more to be so swyfte in iudgemēt, tyl he throughly knewe the truth. And so he departed.
Iohan Bale.
Here sendeth he fourth an other Iudas of hys, Iudas. to betraye this true seruaūt of god. Marke y e good workemanshypp hardely, and tel me yf they be not the of sprynge of the serpent. Moche are they offēded with bokes, for y t they so playnlye do many feste theyr myschefes. Iohan Frith is a great moate in their eyes for so turnynge ouer theyr purgatorye, Iohan. Frith. and heauynge at theyr most monstruose Masse, or mammetrouse Mazon, whyche sygnyfyeth breade or feadynge Notwithstandynge Daniell calleth it Maozim, betokenynge strēgth or defence. Dani. xi. because the false worshyppynges therof shuld be so myghtelye defended by worldly autoryte and power No newe thynges is it, that good men & theyr bokes ar destroyed now a dayes whā they touch y e mischefes of that generaciō. Bokes cō dempned. For Ioakim the kyng of Iuda cut Hieremies prophecies in peces with [Page] a penne knyfe, & in his madnesse threwe them into the fyre, commaundyng both Hieremye whych taught them, and Baruch that wrot them, to be put to death Hiere. xxxvi. Whan kynge Antiochus had set vpon the aultre of God, the abhomynable Idoll of desolacion (which is now y e popysh masse. Mat. xxiiii) the bokes of Gods law cōmaunded he to be torne in peces and brent in the fyre, Bokes brent. sendynge fourth therupon, thys cruell proclamacyon. That what so euer he was, whych had a boke of the Lordes Testament founde aboute hym, or that endeuoured them selues to lyue after the lawes of God, the Kynges commaundement was, they shulde be put to deathe. i. Mach. i.
Anne Askewe.
Immedyatlye after came my cosyne Bryttayne in wyth dyuerse other, Her fryndes. as Master Hawe of Graies inne, and suche other lyke. Then my lorde of London perswaded my cosyne Bryttayne, as he had done oft before, which was, that I shuld vtter the bottom of my hart in any wyse.
Iohan Bale.
This is the fourth tēptacyon, or craftye callyng vpō, to vtter her mynd, that he myght saye of her, as Cayphas sayde of Christ. Cayphas. Mat. xxvi. what nede we anye more witnesses? Lo, now ye haue herde a blasphemye or an heresye. How say ye now to it, which are her frindes? Is she not gyltye of deathe? Yf they shuld haue sayd nay, vnto thys, they shuld haue bene so, in as depe daūger as she. This serpentyne practise, Practise. was as wel to trappe them as her, let it not be vnmarked.
Anne Askewe.
My lorde sayde after that vnto me, that he wolde I shuld credyte the counsell of my fryndes in his behalfe, whyche was, that I shoulde vtter all thynges that burdened my conscyence. Sathan. For he ensured me, that I shulde not nede to stāde in doubte to saye anye thynge. For lyke as he promysed thē (he sayd) he promysed me, and wolde perfourme it. Which was that neyther he, nor anye man [Page] for him, shoulde take me at aduauntage of anye worde I shuld speake. Tempter. And therfore he bad me, saye my mynde withoute feare. I answered him I had noughte to say. For my cōscyence (I thanked god) was burdened w t nothynge.
Iohan Bale.
Styll foloweth this ghostly enemye, his former temptaciō, and calleth vpon mortall vtteraunce, or vtteraunce full of deathe, that he myght crie wyth Cayphas. Cayphas Luc. xxii. what nede we further testymonye? Her owne mouthe hath accused her. We are able wytnesses therof, for oure owne eares haue hard it. Thus laye they wayte for bloude (saythe Salomon) and lurke pryuelye for the innocente, wythout a cause. Prouerbiorū. i. Consent not (sayth he) vnto soche tyrauntes, Enemyes yf they entyce the. For though their worde apere as honye. Prouerbiorum. xvi. Yet shalt thou fynde thē in the ende, so bytter as wormewode. Prouerbiorum. v. Though that whory she generacion pretendeth a coloure of gentelnesse, yet byte the it at the latter lyke a serpent, and styngeth lyke an adder throwynge [Page] forthe poyson Prouer. xxiii.
Anne Askewe.
Then brought he fourthe thys vnsauerye symylytude. That yf a man hadde a wounde, no wyse surgeon woulde mynystre helpe vnto it, Surgerye before he hadde seane it vncouered. In lyke case (saythe he) can I geue yow no good counsell, Counsell vnlesse I knowe where wyth youre conscyence is burdened. I answered, that my conscyence was clere in al thynges. And for to lai a pliaster vnto the whole skinne, it might apere moch folye.
Iohan Bale.
Hath not he (thynke yow) moch nede of helpe, which seketh to soch a surgeon Vncircumspect is that pacyente, and mooste commonlye vnfortunate, which goeth to the commē murtherer to be healed of his disease. A murtherer. Christe had vs euermore to be ware of all suche, vnlesse we wolde be woryed. Matth. vii. The nature of these, Lorde (sayth Dauid) is not to make whole, but to persecute them [Page] whom thou hast smytten, & to adde woū des vnto wounde. Psalm. lxviii. Their owne boches are insanable, Botches. Esa. i. for y e multitude of their myschefes. Hie. xxx. The prest and the Leuyte, which trauayled betwine Hierusalem and Hierico, healed not the wounded man, yet were they no wounders. Lu. x. Who can thynke that he wyll vnburden the cōscyence, wych studyeth nothynge els but to oute loade it with most greuouse and daūgerouse burdens: Math. xxiii.
Anne Askewe.
Then ye dryue me (saythe he) to laye to your charge, youre owne report, whyche is thys. Gathered store. Ye dyd saye, he that dothe receyue the sacrament by the handes of an yll prest or a synner, he receyueth the deuyll, and not God. To that I answered, that I neuer spake soch wordes. But as, I sayde a fore both to the qwest and to my lorde Mayte, so saye I nowe agayne, that Sinon cast. the wyckednesse of the preste [Page] shuld not hurte me, but in sprete and fayth I receyued no lesse, the bodye and bloud of Christ. Then sayd the byshoppe vnto me, what a saynge is this? In sprete. I wil not take you at that aduauntage then I answered, my lorde with out fayth and sprete, I can not receyue him worthelye.
Iohan Bale.
Now sheweth thys Cayphas where about he goeth, for all his false flatterynge colours afore. And seynge he can winne none aduaūtage to his cruel purpose, of her owne cōmunycacion, he shaketh the bougettes of his prouyded Iudases and betrayers of innocent bloud He bryngeth fourth suche stuffe and store, Bowgittes. as that wycked qwest had gathered of her answer to them, to flatter and to please his tyranny therwith. It is to be feared, that as farre was the feare of God here from thē, as from him, Psa. xiii. for as wel practised they thys myschefe agaynst her, as he. Marke, here y e natural workynge of a very ful Antychrist. Antichrist He defēdeth sinne in his owne generaciō, and condēneth vertue in Christes [Page] dere mēbre. Malice, pryde whoredome, sodometrie, wyth other moste deuylysh vyces, reckeneth he not to hurte the minystracyon of a prest, yet iudgeth it he an heresye, no lesse worthye then deathe, to beleue that Christes fleshe and bloude is receyued in faythe and spret. What though it be Christes most ernest doctrine, a sore heresye. Ioan. vi. what a saynge (sayth this Bishopp) is thys? In sprete. I wyll not take yow at the worste, sayth he. As though it were a most haynous heresye. But mooste dyscrete and godlye was the womannes answere, declaringe her a ryghte membre of Christ, where as those prestes, Prestes. whō he here defendeth, are vnworthye receyuers and membres of the deuyl. Ioan. xiii. & i. Corin. xi. This is an Antichrist here knowne by hys frutes. For he vttereth blasphemyes agaynst god Daniel. vii. Apoc xiii. he calleth euyll Good, and Good euyll. Esa. v. & Prouerbiorum. iii.
Anne Askewe.
Then he layed vnto me, that I shoulde saye, that the sacramēt remaynynge in the pixte, was but breade. Breade. I answered that I neuer sayde so. But in dede the quest asked [Page] me soche a question, whereunto I wold not answere (I said) tyll soche tyme as they hadde assoyled me this question of myne. Wherfore Steuen was stoned to deathe, Steuen. They sayde, they knewe not Then sayd I agayne, no more wolde I tell them what it was.
Iohan Bale.
O Idolouse shepehearde (sayth zach.) thou sekest not to heale the wounded, but to eate the fleshe of the fatte. zach. xi The watche men of Israel (sayth the lorde) are verye blynde beastes and shamelesse dogges. Beastes. They haue no vnderstandinge, but folowe their owne beastly wayes for couetousnesse. Esaie. lvi. Who euer redde in the scripture or autorysed Chronycle, that breade in a boxe shulde be Christes bodye? The boxe. Wher or whā commaunded he his moste holye bodye, so to be bestowed? What haue ye to laye for thys doctrine of yours? Are ye not yet ashamed of your vnreuerent and blasphemouse beastlynesse? will ye still plucke our Christen beleue from y e right hand of God the eternall father, and sende it to a boxe of your braynyshe deuysynge?
[Page]The first boxer of it, was pope Honorius the thyrde in the yeare of our lorde M.CC.XVI. after the many folde reuelacyons of dyuerse relygyouse women. Honorius Neyther was there anye great honour geuen vnto it of the common people, till a sorye solytarye syster or Ankorasse in the lande of Leodiū or Luke, called Eua after certen visions, Eua reclusa. had procured of pope Vrbanus the forth in the yeare of our Lorde. M.CC.LXIIII. the feaste of Corpus Christi to be holdē solempne all Christendome ouer. As testifieth Arnoldus Bostius, Bostius. Epist vi. ad Ioannem Paleonydorum. In al the. xii. hondred yeares afore that, was it neyther boxed nor pixed, honoured nor sensed vnyuersally And se what an horrible worke here is now, for the boxinge therof, and what a great heresie it is to beleue that Christ dwell not therin, contrary both to hys owne & to hys Apostles doctryne. Iudases. Marke also how this Gods creature is handeled here for it, and how subtyllye she is betraied of the Bishoppes begles and lymmes of the deuyll.
Anne Askewe.
Then layde it my Lorde vnto me, that I hade alleged a certen [Page] text of the scripture. I answered that I alleged none other but Saynte Paules owne saynge to the Athenianes, in the. xvii. chapter of the Apostles actes. That God dwelleth not in temples made wyth handes. Temples. Then asked he me, whate my faythe and beleue was in that matter? I answered hym. I beleue as the scripture doth teache me. A tēpter. Then enquyred he of me, what yf the scripture dothe saye that it is the bodye of Chryste? I beleue (sayde I) lyke as the scrypture doth teache me. Then asked he agayne, what yf the scrypture dothe saye that it is not the bodye of Christ? My answere was styll. I beleue as the scrypture infourmeth me. And vpon thys argumente he taryed a greate whyle, to haue dryuen me to [Page] make him an answer to his minde Howe be it I wolde not, but concluded thus with hym, that I beleued therin and in all othere thynges, as Christ and hys holy Apostles dyd leaue them.
Iohan Bale.
Se what an horryble synne here was. She alleged the scripture for her beleue, scripture. whyche is a sore and a daungerouse matter For it is agaynste the popes canon lawes, and agaynst the olde customes of holie churche. Sens kynge Henryes dayes the fourth, hath it ben a burnynge matter, onlye to reade it in the Englyshe tunge, and was called wycleues lernyng, tyll now of late years. And it wyll not be wele with holye churche, tyll it be brought to that point agayne. For it maketh manye heretykes agaynst holye churche. O insipyent papystes. These are your corrupted, practyses and abhomynable studyes, practyses. to dryue the symple from God, and yet ye thynke, he seyth yow not, Psalme. xiii. S. Paule sayth (Roma. xv.) what so euer thynges are wrytten in the scriptures, are written for our lernynge, that we through pacyence and cō fort [Page] in them, myght haue hope, and ye wyll robbe vs therof. Christ commaunded all peoples, Christ. both men and women (Iohan. v.) to serche the scryptures, yf they thynke to haue euerlastynge lyfe, for that lyfe is no where but in thē. Yet wyll yow in payne of deathe kepe them kyll from them.
For ye take vpon ye to sytte in Gods stede, In Gods stede. and thynke by that vsurped offyce, that ye maye turne ouer all. ii. Thes. ii. But Christ bad vs to be ware both of yow and your chaplaines, whā he said. There shall aryse false Christes and false prophetes, workynge many great wō ders, and saynge. Lo, here is Christ, and there is Christ. Beleue them not. Matt. xxiiii. And therfore alleged this womā vnto your qwestmongers (the dogges y t Christ warned vs of, Mathei. vii.) and now vnto yow that saing of S. Paule. Acto. xvii. That God dwelleth not in tē ples made with handes which also were the wordes both of Salomon longe afore. iii. Reg. viii. & of Steuen. Temples. Act vii. in his tyme. That scripture somoch offēded yow, that ye wolde nedes knowe therof the vnderstādynge. For soche textes as agre not with the cloynynges of youre cōiurers, and the conueiaunces of your sorcerers, must nedes be seasoned [Page] with Aristotles Phisickes, and fawced with Iohan Donses subtyltees. Arystotle. Dons. Here make ye a wonderfull turmoylynge to wrynge out of this Womānes beliue in that matter, that she might eyther become a creature of your olde God the pope or els be burned, yet haue she not ones remoued her fote from the harde foundacyon or sauynge rocke Ihesus Chryst. i. Corinth. xi. Blessed be hys holye name for it.
Anne Askewe.
Then he asked me, whye I had so fewe wordes? Fewe wordes. And I answered God hath geuen me the gyfte of knowlege, but not of vtteraunce. And Salomō sayth, that a womā of fewe wordes, is a gifte of God, Prouer. xix.
Iohan Bale.
Whā Christ stode before Cayphas he asked him, moche after thys sort, wherfore he had so few wordes: Thou answerest not (sayth he) to those thynges which are laied Here against y t of these mē. Neuerthelesse he helde hys peace Mar. xiiii. Sylence. But whan he was ones throughly compelled by the name of the lyuynge [Page] God, to speake and hadde vttered a verye fewe wordes, he toke him at suche aduauntage, though they were the eternall veryte, as he was able through thē to procure hys death. Matth. xxvi. lyke as thys bloudye Bishopp Bonner, Bonner. of the same wycked generacion, dyd at the lattre, by thys faythful woman.
Anne Askewe.
Thirdelye my lorde layed vnto my charge, that I shulde saye, that the Masse was ydolatrye I answered hym. No, I sayde not so. Howbeyt (I sayde) the quest dyd aske me, whether pryuate Masses dyd releue sowles departed, Priuate Masses. or no? Vnto whome than I answered. O Lorde, what ydolatrye is thys? that we shulde rather beleue in pryuate masses, than in the helthsome deathe of the dere sonne of God Than sayde my lorde agayne. What an answere was that? Thoughe it were but meane [Page] (sayd I) yet was it good ynough for the question.
Iohan Bale.
About the lattre dayes of Iohan wycleue, in y e yeare of our lorde a M.CCC. LXXXII. as Henrye Spenser than Bishopp of Norwich, Henrye. Spenser was with a great nombre of English warryours besieginge the Towne of Hypers in Flaunders, in the quarell of pope Vrbanus the. vi. The vessels of perdycyon or verye organes of Sathan, the iiii. orders of beggynge fryres, Frires. preached all Englande ouer, that that moste holye father of theirs, had lyberallye opened the wele of mercye, and graunted cleane remyssyon to all them that wolde eyther fyghte, or geue anye thynge towardes the mayntenaunce of those warres in the quarell of holye churche agaynst scysmatykes and heretikes. For than was thys matter of their popyshe Masse, Masses. in great controuersye lyke as it is now. More ouer thei promised by vertue of hys great pardons, to sende the sowles departed, to heauen. And diuerse of them sayd, they had seane thē flye vp, out of y e churche yeardes from their graues thydre warde.
Thys moste deuilishe blasphemie [Page] wyth suche other lyke, prouoked the sayde Iohan wycleue, Iohan Wycleue. the verye organe of God, and vessell of the holy Ghost not onlye to replye than agaynste them at Oxforde in the open scooles, but also to wryte a greate nombre of bookes agaynst that pestylente popyshe kyngedome of theyrs lyke as Martyn Luther hath done also in our tyme, wyth many other godly men. And lyke as those false prophetes the frires dyd than attribute vnto the popes pardons, Pardons. the remyssyon of synnes, the deliueraunce from dāpnacyon, and the fre enteraunce of heauē whych peculyarly belongeth to the precyouse payment of Christes bloud. i. Petri. i. &. i. Io. i. So do these false anoynted, or blasphemouse Byshoppes and prestes now, Druydes attrybute them agayne vnto theyr pryuate and publique Masses the popes owne wares as prowlynge and pelferynge as the pardons, with no lesse blasphemye. The deuylysshenes of this newe doctrine of theyrs, shall be refelled in my bokes agaynst fryre Peryn and Wynchestre, Perin. and therfore I wrytte the lesse here.
Anne Askewe.
Then I tolde my Lorde, that there was a prest, whyche dyd heare [Page] what I sayde there before my lord Mayre & them, with that the chaunceller answered, Chaunceler. which was the same prest. So she spake it in veri dede (saith he) before my lord the Mayre & me. Then were there certen prestes as doctor Standyshe & other, Stādyshe which tempted me moche to knowe my mynde. And I answered them alwayes thus. That I haue sayd to my lorde of London, I haue sayde.
Iohan Bale.
By thys ye may se, that the Byshoppes haue euery wher their watchmē, Watchemen. lest the kynges offycers shulde do anye thynge, contrarye to their bloudie behoue. This Chauncellour wolde not haue thus answered hardely, so agreablye to her tale, had it not bene to theyr aduauntage agaynste her, as here after wyll apere. Marke here the fashyon of these temptynge serpentes, Standysh and hys fellowes. And tel me if they be not lyke vnto those vypers whelpes whyche came to Iohans Baptym, Vypers. Mathei. iii. and to Christe Iesus preachynge, Luce. xi. I [Page] thynke ye shall fynde them the same generacion.
Anne Askewe.
And then doctor Standyshe desyered my lorde, I tempter. to byd me say my mynde, concernyng that same text of S. Paule. I answered, that it was agaynste saynt Paules lernynge, that I beynge a woman, shulde interprete the scriptures, specyallye wher so many wyse lerned men were.
Iohan Bale.
It is not yet halfe a score of yeares ago, sens thys blasphemouse Idyote Standyshe, Stādyshe compared in a lewde sermon of his, the dere pryce of our redempcion, or precyouse blode of Christ, to the bloud of a fylthy swyne, lyke himselfe a swyne. And for hys good doyng, he is now becomen a dawe, a doctor I shuld saye, Doctor. of the popes dyuynyte, and a scolasticall interpretour of the scriptures to his behoue. Here wold y e swynysh gē tylman haue proued, both that S. Steuen dyed an heretyke, and S. Paule a scysmatyke, for teachynge that God dwelleth not in tēples made w t handes [Page] Act vii. &. xvii. if he might haue reasōe [...] out the matter with thys woman. But she toke a swyne for a swyne, Swyne. and wold laye no pearles afore hym, as Christe had charged her afore. Mathei. vii For all their interrogacions are now about the temple and the temple wares. Matthei. xxvi.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde of London sayde he was infourmed, that one shulde aske of me, yf I woulde receyue the Sacramente at Easter, and I made a mocke of it. Accuser. Then I desyred that myne accuser myghte come fourth, whyche my lorde wolde not. But he sayde agayne vnto me. I sente one to geue yow good counsell, and at the first worde ye called him papyste. That I denied not, for I perceyued, he was no lesse, yet made I non answere vnto it.
Iohan Bale.
No confortable scriptures, nor yet anye thynge to the sowles consolacyon, [Page] maye come oute of the mouthe of these spirytuall fathers. But dogges rhetorycke and curres curtesye, Dogges rhetoryck. narrynges, brawlynges, and quarellynges. Whan she was in the myddes of thē, she myght wele haue sayd wyth Dauid. Delyuer me lord from the quarelouse dealynges of men, that I maye kepe thy cōmaundemētes. I deale with the thynge that is lawfull and ryght. O geue me not ouer to these oppressers, lette not these proud quarellers do me wronge. Quarellers. Psal. cxviii. But among all these quarellynges, her accusers myght not be seane, whych were the grounders of them.
Anne Askewe.
Then he rebuked me, and saide that I shoulde reporte, that there were bente agaynste me thre score prestes at Lyncolne. Thre score prestes. In dede (quothe I) I sayde so. For my fryndes tolde me, yf I dyd come to Lyncolne, the prestes woulde assaulte me and put me to greate trouble, as therof they had made theyr boast. And whan I hearde it, I wente thyder in [Page] dede, not beynge afrayed, because I knewe my matter to be good. Prestes. More ouer I remayned there. vi. dayes, to se what woulde be sayde vnto me. And as I was in the mynster, readynge vpon the Byble, they resorted vnto me by. ii. and by. ii. by v. and by. vi myndynge to haue spoken to me, yet they went theyr wayes agayn with oute wordes speakynge.
Iohan Bale.
Rebukes in that generacyō, are moch more redye at hande, than eyther Chrysten admonyshmentes, or gentyll exhortacions, though they be all spyrytuall. And that cometh by reason of theyr lordeshyppes, Lordshyp. which wāteth due fournyshynge out, vnlesse they haue tyrannouse bragges and braulynges. Herin folowe they the examples of theyr natural predecessours the Iewysh byshoppes, pharysees, and prestes. Ioan. vii. &. ix. She myght full well saye, that the prestes were agaynst her. For hypocresy & Idolatrie were neuer yet wyth hym, Hypocresi whose blessed quarel she toke. Mark the forth chaptre of Iohan, and so fourth almost [Page] to the ende of hys Gospell. Behold also how hys Apostles & disciples were handeled of the prestes, after hys gloryouse ascencyon, Acto. iiii. & all that boke folowynge & ye shal fynde it no new thynge The seruaūt is no better thā her mastre which suffred of that malignaunt generacion lyke quarellynges and handelynges, Iohā. xv. Se here how thei wondered vpō her by couples, Wonders for readynge the Byble, as their fore fathers wondered vpon Christ for preachynge and doynge miracles.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde asked, I prest. if there wer not one that dyd speake vnto me. I tolde hym, Yeas, that there was one of them at the laste whych dyd speake to me in dede And my lorde than asked me, whate he sayde? I tolde hym, his wordes were of so smal effecte that I dyd not now remēbre thē.
Iohan Bale.
So farre was not Lyncolne from London, but the Byshoppe there hade knowledge of thys tragedye. Hereby [Page] maye ye se their spirytuall occupyenge agaynst Christ and his faythfull members. Occupyenge. Such is the study (sayth S. Iohā) of that congregacion, whiche is a spiritualte, called Sodome and Egypte. They reioyce in mischefes amonge thē selues, and sende massengers one to an other agaynste Gods wytnesses, whan they are vexed by them, Apoca. xi.
Anne Askewe.
Then sayde my lorde. There are manye that reade and knowe the scripture, Scripture & yet do not folowe it, nor lyue therafter. I sayde agayne. My lorde, I wolde wishe that all men knewe my cōuersaciō and lyuynge in all poyntes, For I am so sure of my selfe thys houre, that there are non able to proue anye dyshonestye by me. If yow knowe anye that can do it. I praye yow bring them forth.
Iohan Bale.
I maruele that Byshoppes can not se thys in themselues, that they are also no folowers of the scriptures. Folowers But parauenture [Page] they neuer reade them, but as they fynde them by chaunce in their popish portifolioms and maskyng bokes. Or els they thynke all the scriptures fulfylled whan they haue sayd their mattens and their masses. Chryste sayde to the hypocrite. Whye seist thou a moate in thy neybers eye, and consyderest not the greate beame that is in thyne owne eye? Luce vi. Matth. vii. Christe forbode hys Byshoppes vndre payne of dampnacion to take anye lordshyppes vpō them. Luce xxii. Lordships possessiōs. How is thys folowed of our prelates? He commaūded thē also to possesse neyther golde nor syluer. Matth. x. Howe is this cōmaundemēt obeyed? If we loked so ernestlye to Chrystes instytucions, as we loke to the popes to be obserued, these wold also be seane to, by acte of parlement, so wele as prestes marryage whom Christe neuer inhibyted. Marryage. I doubte it not, but thys wyll also be one day seane to. Godly dyd this woman in defendynge here her innocencye. For S. Peter sayth, i. Petri iiii. Se y t non of yow suffre as an euyll doer. But in your harde sufferynges, cōmitte your sowles vnto God with wele doynge, as vnto your faythfull creator.
Anne Askewe.
[Page]Then my lorde wente awaye and sayde, he wolde entytle sumwhat of my meanynge. And so he wrytte a greate cyrcumstaunce. He wryteth. But what it was. I haue not al in memorye. For he woulde not suffre me to haue the coppye therof. Only do I remembre this smal porcion of it.
Iohan Bale.
Here wrote he certen articles of the popes Romish faythe, wyllynge her to subscribe vnto thē, & so blaspheme God or els to burne. His sekynge was here, to make her to worshyp the first beaste, Worshyp th [...] beaste whose deadly woūd was healed againe Apo. xiii. But she wolde not so haue her name raced out of the lābes boke of lyfe Apoca. xx. Rather woulde she contende to the ende, hopynge by the myghte of his sprete, at the lasie to ouer come, and so to be clothed with y e promysed whyte aparel. Apoc. iii.
Anne Askewe.
Be it knowne (saythe he) to all men, that I Anne Askewe, do confesse [Page] this to be my faith & beleue, notw tstanding my reportes made afore to y e cōtrary. I beleue y t thei which ar howseled at y e hādes of a preste whether his conuersaciō be good or not, Holye lecherye. do receyue the body & bloude of Christe in substaunce reallye. Also I do beleue it after the consecracion, whether it be receyued or reserued, to be no lesse than the verye body and blod of Christ in substaunce. Fynallye I do beleue in this and in all other sacramētes of holy churche, papystyck in all pointes accordynge to the olde catholycke fayth of the same. In witnesse wherof, I the sayde Anne haue subscrybed my name. There was sumwhat more in it, whyche because I had not the coppye, I can not nowe remembre.
Iohan Bale.
All the worlde knoweth, that neyther [Page] in Christes tyme, nor yet in the dayes of hys Apostles, was anye soche confession of faythe. Neyther yet in the churche that folowed after, by the space of moch more than a M. yeares. What haue Christen mennes conscience than to do with soche a progydyouse confessyon? Are not Christe and hys Apostles, teachers suffycyent ynough for our Christē beleue, and their holye doctrynes lawfull, but we muste haue these vnsauerye brablementes? We muste now beleue in the bawdrye of prestes, or that their Sodometrie and Whoredome for want of marryage, Canonysed lecheri can be no impedyment to their God making. What is it els to be sworne but y e beleue of soche artycles, but to honour their abhominable lecherye? O most swynish sacrifiers of Baal Peor, Psalme. cv. Yow is it that the Apostle Iudas, in his canonicall epistle speaketh of. Ye haue turned the grace of God, into your lecherye, denyenge our only gouernour Ihesus Christ. Priapystes. The holie Ghost sheweth vs. Apoca. xxi. & xxii. that non are of the newe hallowed cytie or congregation of the lorde, whyche worketh abhomynacyō or maynteyneth lyes, as ye do them both here.
Anne Askewe.
[Page]Then he redde it to me, and asked me, if I dyd agre to it. And I sayde agayne. I beleue so moche therof as the holye scripture dothe agre to. Scripture Wherfore I desyre yow, that ye wyll adde that therunto. Then he answered, that I shulde not teache him what he shulde wryte. With that, he wente forthe in to hys greate chamber, and redde the same byll afore the audyence. whiche enuegled and wylled me to sette to my hande, saynge also that I hade fauer shewed me.
Iohan Bale.
In euerye matter concernynge our Christen beleue, is the scripture reckened vnsuffycyent of this wycked generacyon. Vnsuffycient. God was not wyse ynough in settynge the order therof, but they muste adde therunto their swybber swylle, that he may abhorre it in vs, as he dyd y e Iewes ceremonies, Esa. i. Hiere vii. zacha. vii. Amos. v. Michee vi. But thys [Page] godly woman wolde corrupt her fayth with no suche beggerye, leaste she in so doynge shuld admit them and theyr pope to syt in her conscience aboute the eternall God, The pope whyche is their daylye study. ii. Thes. ii. A virgin was she in that behalfe, redemed frō the earth & folowynge the lambe, and hauinge in her forehead the fathers name written. Apocalypses. xiiii.
Anne Askewe.
Then sayde the Byshoppe, I myght thanke other and not my selfe, of the fauer I founde at hys hande. Fauer. For he consydered (he sayd) that I hadde good fryndes and also that I was come of a worshypfull stocke. Then answered one Christofer, a seruaunte to master Dennye. Rather ought ye (my lorde) to haue done it in suche case for Gods sake thā for mānes
Iohan Bale.
Falshede.Spirituall wyll these fathers be named, and yet they doo all to be seane of men. Mat. xxiii. Theyr olde condicions [Page] wyl they change, whan the blacke moreane change his skynne, and the catte of the mountayne her spottes. Hieremy. xiii. Yf I sought to please mē (saith S. Paule) I were not the seruaunte of Christ. Gala. i. Whan thys tyrannouse Byshoppe can do no more myschefe, than flattereth he the worlde sekynge to haue thanke where he hath non deserued. Flatterye. And as concerning the loue or true feare of God (as is here layed vnto hym) he hath non at all. Psal. xiii.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde sate downe, and toke me the wrytynge to set therto my hande, and I wrytte after this maner, I Anne Askewe do beleue al maner thinges contayned in the faythe of the Catholycke Churche. catholyck Then because I dyd adde vnto it, the Catholycke Churche, he flonge into hys chambre in a greate furye.
Wyth that my cosyne Bryttayne folowed hym, desyerynge [Page] hym for Gods sake to be good lorde vnto me. He answered that I was a woman, [...] woman and that he was nothynge deceyued in me. Then my cosyne Brittaine desyred hym to take me as a woman, and not to sette my weake womānes wytte, to hys lordshippes greate wisdome,
Iohan Bale.
Was not this (thinke yow) a sore matter to be so greuously taken of this prelate? But that they are naturallye geuen to soch quarellinges. Math. xxiii. This worde Catholyck was not wonte to offend them. Catholick How becometh it than now a name so odeose? Parauēture through thys onlye occasion. They knewe not till now of late years (for it came of the Greke) the true sygnyfycacyon therof. As that it is so moche to saye in the Englysh, as the vnyuersall or whole. Afore tyme, Frō oyle. they toke it to mean their oyled cō gregaciō alone. But now they perceyue that it includeth the layte so wel as thē no lōgar they do esteme it. Other cause can I non coniecture, whye they shulde now more contempne it than afore.
Anne Askewe.
Then went in vnto him doctor weston, Weston. and sayde, that the cause whye I dyd wrytte there the Catholyke churche, was, that I vnderstode not the churche written afore. So with moche a do, they persuaded my lorde to come oute againe, and to take my name with the names of my suerties, whiche were my cosyn Brittayne and mastre Spylman of Grayes inne.
Iohan Bale.
For an holye churche wyl they be taken, and seme moche to differ frome the lewde lowsye layte or prophane multitude of the common people, Layte. by reason of their holye vnccyons and shauynges whych came from theyr pope. Most specyallye because they haue nothyng a do with marryage, reckened a most cōtagiouse poyson to holy orders, as theyr for sayd Romysh father hath taught, why she bryngeth vp al his chyldrē in Sodō & Gomor. Iude. i. Apoca. xi. Sodomytes. And thys point haue they lerned of theyr predecessours the olde pharyses and prestes, [Page] which were not, sicut ceteri hominū, as the cōmon sort of men are, but holie, spirituall gostly fathers, Luce xviii. Wherfore they wyl not now be called a catholyck, but an holy spiritual churche.
Anne Askewe.
Thys beinge done, we thought that, I shulde haue bene put to bayle immedyatlye, accordynge to the order of the lawe, Manye delayes. Howbeit he wolde not so suffre it, but commytted me from thens to preson agayne vntyll the nexte morowe. And than he wylled me to apere in the guylde halle, and so I dyd. Notwithstandynge they wolde not put me to bayle there neyther, but redde the Byshoppes wrytynge vnto me as before, and so commaunded me agayne to preson.
Iohan Bale.
A verye seruitude of Egypte is it, to [Page] be in daunger of these papystyck Bysshoppes, as in thys acte doth apere. Se what cauillaciōs this Pharao dyd seke here to holde this Christē womā still vndre his captiuite, Pharao. so louth is the gredye wolfe to depart from his desyred praye Ioan. x. These delaies and these sendinges from Cayphas to Pilat, and frō Pylate agayne to Annas in Paules, Practyse were not els but to seke more matter agaynste her, and to knowe more depelye who were her fryndes and maynteners, They that shall conferre the fashyons of thys termagaunt Byshoppe concernynge thys woman, with the cruell maners of great Parao in the delyueraunce of the people of Israel at Gods commaūdemēt. Exo. v. or with the handelinges of the Iewes spirytualte cōcerning Christ, Math. xxvi. & Iohan. xviii. they shall not fynde them all vnlyke.
Anne Askewe.
Then were my suerties appoynted to come before them on the nexte morowe in Paules churche, whyche dyd so in dede. Notwithstandinge they wolde ones agayne heaue broken of Knauery spirituall. [Page] with them, bycause they woulde not be boūde also for an other womā at theyr pleasure, whom they knewe not, nor yet what matter was layed vnto her charge. Notwythstandynge at the laste, after moche a do and reasonyng to and fro, they toke a bonde of them of recognisaunce for my fourth commynge. And thus I was at the last, delyuered. Written by me Anne Askewe.
Iohan Bale.
No veryte (sayth Oseas the Prophet) no mercy nor yet knowlege of God, is now in the earth, but abhomynable vyces haue euerye where gotten the ouerhande, one bloud gyltynesse folowynge an other, Osee. iiii. Thinke you that the Byshoppes and prestes coulde take so cruel wayes, With prestes & wolde worke so false feates, if they had the true feare of God, or yet reckened to fele a ryght wyse iudge at the lattre daye? Suppose it not. Not onlye mynded they to shew no mercy to this womā, Tyraūtes but also to werie al her frindes and acquayntaunce, whych is most [Page] extreme cruelte and malyce.
The other woman, whom they wolde here mooste craftely haue delyuered wyth this (as I am credyblye infourmed) was a certē popysh queane, whych they had afore prouyded both to betray her, and accuse her. In more depe daunger of the lawe at that tyme, Practyse. was thys for her false accusement wythout recorde, than was the other which was so falselye accused. Faine wolde the prelates therfore haue hadde her at lyberte, but they feared moche to be noted parcyall. Marke thys craftye poynt for youre lernynge, and tell me yf they be not a subtyle generacyon. Subtylte. More of their spirytuall packynges and conueyaūces, for the deathe of thys faythfull woman, and most dere membre of Christe Anne Askewe, shal ye well perceyue in the latter part here folowynge, by her owne confession and hande wrytynge also to the honoure of God and theyr great dishonour. So be it.
Vayne is the conuersacyon, whiche ye receyued by the tradycions of youre fathers.
The veryte of the lorde endureth for euer.