is here made and manye subtyl wayes are sought out to brynge thys woman into their corrupted 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 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 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 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 remēbraunce and not to make hym agayne by blowynge vpon the breade Thys sacramentall eatynge and drynkynge in his remēbraunce 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 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 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 or tyll I drynke it new with yow in my fathers kingedome Math. xxvi Marci xiiii Here calleth it he the iuse of the 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 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 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 my extremyte of syckenesse For in all my lyfe afore 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 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 the waffer bakers And therūto must ye set your owne hāde writynge 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 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 bellye 's common welthe lyke as he afore came downe at the wyll of hys heuenlye father 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 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 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 it vp agayne sygnyfyenge hys owne bodye by the 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 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 tēple 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 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 the one wyll not do wele to your commodyte in ydelnesse withoute the other But take good hede of it yf ye lyst 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 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
worshyppynge of them consideryng that he so ernestly abhorreth them Fynallye ii sortes of people she reckeneth to be in the world 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 Salomon sayth saynte Steuen buylded an howse for the God of 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 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 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 for that endureth into the 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 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 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 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 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 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 wolde they nedes knowe if I wolde denye the sacramente to be Chrystes bodye and bloude 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 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 a breaker of their sabbot a subuerter of their people a defyler of their lawes and a destroyer of their temple or holye churche 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 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 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 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 we le as the breade 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 for I was sure that he wold heare me with fauer And so we were cōdempned without a queste Iohan Bale Prestes of godlye knowlege she dyd not refuse For the knewe that they are the massengers of the lorde 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 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 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 besides the vnryghteouse bestowynge of that lawe Do be vnto yow sayth the eternall God of heauen by hys prophete or dampnacyō be ouer your heades that make wicked 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.
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 As peruerse and blasphemouse was thys qwestmonger as she as beastlye ignoraūt in the doctryne of 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 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 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 nor yet taken frō it Put thou nothing vnto hys wordes saith Salomon Pro. xxx least thou 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 that I shoulde saye Yf an yll prest mynystred 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 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 and also hated them euen at the very hart wyllynge both heauen 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 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 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 he is to be sought vnto for godli coūsel 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 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 the wicked Pharisees by certē of their own faccyon or hyred satellytes with the Herodyanes to brynge Christ in daunger of Cesar so to haue hym slayne Mat. 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 the sprete of God Ioh. xiiii Their sowles are the sanctyfyed temples of the holye Ghost i. Corin. iii. He that hath not the spret of Christ saith Paule is non of Christes Rom. viii To them is the 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 whyche was there at hāde The preste asked me what I sayde to the Sacrament of the aultre required 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 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
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 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 to betraye this true seruaūt of god Marke the good workemanshypp hardely and tel me yf they be not the of sprynge of the serpent Moche are they offēded with bokes for that they so playnlye do many feste theyr myschefes Iohan Frith is a great moate in their eyes for so turnynge ouer theyr purgatorye 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 the mischefes of that generaciō For Ioakim the kyng of Iuda cut Hieremies prophecies in peces with 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 the popysh masse Mat. xxiiii the bokes of Gods law cōmaunded he to be torne in peces and brent in the fyre 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 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. 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 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 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 for him shoulde take me at aduauntage of anye worde I shuld speake 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 with 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 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 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 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 before he hadde seane it vncouered In lyke case saythe he can I geue yow no good 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 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 whom thou hast smytten to adde woūdes vnto wounde Psalm lxviii Their owne boches are insanable Esa. i. for the 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 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 the wyckednesse of the preste 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 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 the natural workynge of a very ful Antychrist He defēdeth sinne in his owne generaciō and condēneth vertue in Christes dere mēbre Malice pryde
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 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 whose blessed quarel she toke Mark the forth chaptre of Iohan and so fourth almost 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 for readynge the Byble as their fore fathers wondered vpon Christ for preachynge and doynge miracles Anne Askewe Then my lorde asked 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 maye ye se their spirytuall occupyenge agaynst Christ and his faythfull members Such is the study sayth S. Iohā of that congregacion whiche is a spiritualte called Sodome and Egypte They reioyce in mischefes amonge thēselues 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 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 But parauenture 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 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 we le as prestes marryage whom Christe neuer inhibyted 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 that 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 Then my lorde wente awaye and sayde he wolde entytle sumwhat of my meanynge And so he wrytte a greate cyrcumstaunce 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 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 the promysed whyte aparel Apoc. iii. Anne Askewe Be it knowne saythe he to all men that I Anne Askewe do confesse this to be my faith beleue notwtstanding my reportes made afore to the cōtrary I beleue that thei which ar howseled at the hādes of a preste whether his conuersaciō be good or not 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 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 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 can be no impedyment to their God making What is it els to be sworne but the 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. 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 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 Wherfore I desyre yow that ye wyll adde that therunto Then he answered that I shulde not teache him what he shulde wryte With
lyes as they can ymagyne for other armour they haue not And we shal on the other syde canonyse thē agayne wyth the myghty wordes and promises of Christ which they shall neuer be hable to resist The father of our lorde Iesus Christ graunt the light of his word so to spred the world ouer that the dark mysces of Sathan maye clerely be expelled to the specyall conforte of his redemed Churche and glorye of his eternall name Amen ¶ 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 to signyfye by wrytynge to the ouersear or preacher of the cōgregacion 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 that Sathan regneth as a most myghtye kyng ouer al the spiritual chyldren of pryde Iob. xlii A murtherer sayth Christ to the spirytualte of the Iewes a blasphemouse lyar 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 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 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 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 Whos 's lattre handelynge here foloweth in course lyke as I receyued it in coppye by serten duche marchauntes cōmynge frō thens which had bene at theyr burnynge and beholden the tyrannouse vyolence there shewed 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 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 for a sacramentall communyon or a mutuall partycypacyon of the inestymable 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 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 to the scriptures of both testamētes 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 of God shall hunger more and more they that drincke me shall thirst more desirouslie for me 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 Mathew Marke and Luke sheweth nothynge els of the lordes supper but the playne historye Saint Iohan writynge laste of thē all many festeth there the whole cōplete doctrine full vnderstāding therof after Christes owne instruccyons and meanynge Requyred it is there that the 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 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 saith he which came downe from heauen He onlye that beleueth in me hath the 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 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 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 The sprete it is onlye that geueth lyfe 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 rulethe ouer hys howse whose howse are we and not the deade temple yf we hold
whyche is the geuer of all grace that he wyll gracyoslye assyst me agaynste all euyll opynyons 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 spokeÌ„ the wordes of consecracyon there remayneth breade styll Iohan. Bale Consydre without frowarde party all or wylful affeccyon the poyntes herin contayned and than iudge of what hatte 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 or of a perfyght member of Gods eleccyon what frutes will we demauÌ„d 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 consecracioÌ„ which is soch a charme of inchauntemeÌ„t as maie not be done but by an oyled offycer of the popes generacyon she dyd godlye to reiect it in that clowtynge kynde For in all the Byble is it not that anye maÌ„ can make of a drie waffer cake 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 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 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 haÌ„de of God the father almyghtye and from thens shall come to iudge the quycke and the deade Loo thys is the heresye that I holde and for it muste suffer the deathe Iohan Bale Of Antichrist reade we in the scriptures that he hys oyled Apostles shulde do false myracles Math. xxiiii ii Thes ii Apoca. xiii We finde also in the same selfe places that he shuld exalte hymselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshypped as God Who euer 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 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 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 Yet wyll they take vpon theÌ„ to create euerye daye a fresh and whan their olde God stynketh in the boxe 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 Be ones a shamed of your abhomynable blyndenesse 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 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 coÌ„firmed with his most preciouse bloude Iohan Bale No godly institucion nor ordinaunce of Christ do thys faythfull woman contempne but reuerentlye submytteth herselfe therunto 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 the ydell obseruacyons the paganes superstycyons the sorcerers inchauntmentes and the most 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 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 that Chriâ—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 closed vp in my harte And my full trust is as Dauid sayth that it shal be a laÌ„terne 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 Hieremye ii Whyche are the corrupte doctrynes and tradycyons of men But she seketh to the verye welsprynge of helthe and fouÌ„tayne of saluacyon Ioan iiii All vnwrytten verytees lefte she to those waueringe wanderers which will eternallye perysh with theÌ„ And in the verytees written 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 Psal. cxli. Yea if she be not allowed a cytezen 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