reforme me therin with most godlye counsell Iohan Bale O vengeable tyraunt and deuyll How subtyllye sekyst thu the bloude of thys innocent woman vndre a coloure of fryndelye handelynge God ones commaunded the ernestlye in no case to compasse thy neyber with deceyt to the effusion of hys bloude Leu. 19. But hys commaundement thu reckenest but a Caunterburye tale By swearynge by thy fydelyte thu art not all vnlyke vnto Herode whoÌ„ Christ for lyke practyses first to put Iohan and than hym to deathe called also a most craftye cruell foxe Luce 13. Thu laborest here to haue thys woman in snare with serten of her fryndes But God put in her mynde at thys tyme to recken the a dogge and a swyne Matth. 7. 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 And as I ca me before hym he sayd he was verye sorye of my trouble desyred to knowe my opynyon in soche matters as were layed agaynst me He requyred me also in anye wyse boldelye to vtter the secretes of my harte byd dynge me not to feare in anye poynt For what so euer I ded saye within hys house no man shuld hurte me for it I answered For so moche as your Lordeshypp appoynted iij. of the clocke and my fryndes shall not come tyll that houre I desyre yow to pardon me of geuynge answere tyll they come Iohan Bale In thys preuentynge of the houre maye the dylygent reader perceyue the gredyneffe of thys Babylon Byshopp or bloudrhurstie wolfe coÌ„cernynge thys praye Swyft are their fete sayth Dauid in the effusion of innocent bloude whych haue fraude in their tunges venym in their lyppes and most cruell vengeaunce in their mouthes Psal. 13. Dauid in that Psalme moche marueleth in the sprete that takynge vpon them the spi rytuall gouernaunce of the people they can fall in soche frencsye or forgetfulnesse of themselues as to beleue it laufull thus to oppresse the faythfull and to deuoure them with as lyttle compassyon as he that gredylye denoureth 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 They folowe vpon vs ouer the mountaynes and layepreâ—ye wayte for vs in the wyldernesse Trenorum 4. He that wyll knowe the craftye haukynge of Byshoppes to brynge in their praye lete hym lerne it here Iudas I thynke had neuer the x. part of their connynge warkemanshyppe Marke it here and in that whych foloweth Anne Askewe Then sayd he that he thougt it mete to sende for those iiii men whych were afore named appoynted Then I desyred hym not to put thè to the payne For it shuld not nede by cause the 〈◊〉 gentylmen whych were my fryn des were able ynough to testyfye that I shuld saye Anon after he weÌ„t into his gallerye with mastre Spylman and wylled hym in anye wyse that he shuld exhort me to vtter all that I thought Iohan Bale Christ sheweth vs in the vii chaptre of Mathew in other places more of the Gospell how we shall knowe a false prophete or an hypocryte and wylleth vs to be ware of them Their maner is as the deuyls is flatteryngly to tempt deceyt fullye to trappe that they maye at the lattre most cruellye â—ee Soche a won sayth Dauid hath not hynge in hys tun ge but playne deceyt He layeth wayte for the innocent with no lesse cruelte than the lyon for a shepe He lurketh to rauysh vp the poore And whan he hath gotteÌ„ hym into hys nette than throweth he hym downe by hys autoryte Psalm 9. Thys is the thirde temptacyon of thyâ— byshopp that the woman shuld vtter to her owne confusyon Anne Askewe In the meane whyle he commaunded hys Archebeacon to commeÌ„ with me who sayd vnto me Mastres wherfor are ye accused I answered Axe my accusers for I knowe not as yet TheÌ„ toke he my boke out of my hande and sayd Soche bokes as thys is hath brought yow to the trouble ye are in Be ware sayth he be ware for he that made it was brent in Smythfelde Then I asked hym if he were sure that it was true that he had spoken And he sayd he knewe wele the boke was of Io han frithes makynge Then I asked hym if he were not ashamed for to iudge of the boke be fore he sawe it within or yet kne we the truthe therof I sayd also that soche vnaduysed hastye iudgement is a token appareÌ„t of a verye slendre wytt TheÌ„ I opened the boke shewed it hym He sayd he thought it had bene an other for he coulde fyn de no faulte therin TheÌ„ I desyred hym nomore to be so swyft in iudgemeÌ„t tyll he through ye knewe the truthe And so he departed Iohan Bale Here sendeth he fourth an other Iudas of hys to betraye this true seruanÌ„t of God Marke the good workemanshypp hardelye and tell me if they be not the of sprynge of the serpent Moche are they offeÌ„ded with bokes for that they so play nelye do manyfest their myschefes Iohan Frith is a great moate in their eyes for so turnynge ouer their purgatorye and heauynge at their most monstruose Masse or mammetrouse Mazon whych sygnyfyeth breade or feadynge Notwithstandynge Daniel calleth it Maozim betokenynge streÌ„gth or defence Dan. 11. because the false worshyppyng â—s therof shuld be so myghtelye defended by worldlye autoryte and power No newe thynge is it that good men their bokes are destroyed now a dayes whaÌ„ they toucht the myschefes of that ge neracyoÌ„ For Ioakim the kynge of Iuda cutt Hieremyes prophecyes in peces with a penne knyfe in hys madnesse threwe them into the fyre commaundynge both Hieremye whych taught them and Baruch that wrote them to be put to deathe Hieremie 36. Whan kynge Antiochus had sett vpon the aultre of God the abhomynable Idoll of desolacyon whych is now the poyshmasse Mat. 24 the bo kes of Gods lawe commaunded 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 about hym or that endeuoured themselues to lyue after the lawes of God the Kynges commaundement was they shuld be put to death 1. Machabeâ—rum 1. Anne Askewe Immedyatlye after came my cosyne Bryttayne in with dyuerse other as Mastre Hawe of Grayes inne soche other lyke Then my lorde of London persuaded my cosyne Bryttayne as he had done oft before which was that I shuld vtter the bot tom of my harte in anye wyse Iohan Bale Thys is the fort temptacyon or craftye callynge vpoÌ„ to vtter her mynde that he myght saye of her as Cayphas sayd of Christ. Matt. 26. what
me as they had before and I answered hym dyrectlye in all thynges as I answered the qweste afore Iohan Bale After thys sort was Christ ledde from the examinacyon of the clergye to Pylate Matth. 17. In that the examynacyon of the qweste and of the Mayre was all one ye maye wele knowe that they had both one scole mastre euen the brutysh byshopp of London The ignorauÌ„t magy strates of EnglaÌ„de wyll neyther be god lye wyse with Dauid SalomoÌ„ nor yet enbrace the ernest instruccyons of God to be lerned in the scriptures Psa. 2. Sa pieÌ„ 6. but styll be wycked mynysters and cruell seruaunt slaues to Antichrist and the deuyll Apoc. 17. More fyt are soche wytlesse mayres and gracelesse offycers as knoweth not whyght from blacke lyght froÌ„ darkenesse Esa. 5. to fede swyne or to kepe kaddowes than to rule a christen commynalte A terryble daye aby deth them whych thus ordereth the innocent Iaco. 2. Anne Askewe Besydes thys my lorde mayre layed one thynge vnto my charge which was neuer spokeÌ„ of me but of them â–ª And that was whether a mouse eatynge the hoste receyued God or no Thys questyonded I neuer aske but in dede they asked it of me wherunto I made them no answere but smyled Iohan Bale Is not here thynke yow wele fauerd wele fashyoned dyuynyte to establysh an artycle of the Christen faythe Wylye wynchestre answereth thys questyon as folysh as it is in hys wyse detectyoÌ„ of the deuyls sophystrye fo 16. Beleue sayth he that a mouse can not deuoure God Yet reporteth he after in fo 21. that Chri stes bodye maye as wele dwell in a mouse as it ded in Iudas Than foloweth fryre fynke fryre Peryn I shuld saye a bachelar of the same scole And he answereth in the ende of hys thirde sermon that the Sacrament eaten of a mouse is the verye and reall bodye of Christ. And whan he hath affermed it to be no derogacyon to Christes presens to lye in the mawe of that mouse He deuydeth me the one from the other the sacrameÌ„t froÌ„ Christes bodye coÌ„cludinge That though the sacrament be digested in the mouses mawe yet ys not Christes bodye there coÌ„sumed O blasphemouse beastes blynde bloderynge Balaamytes Bycause these ij workemen be scant wyttye in their owne occupacyon I shal brynge them forth hâ—re ij olde artyfycers of theirs to helpe theÌ„ Guimundus Auer sanus a byshopp to helpe byshopp Steuen Thomas walden a fryre to helpe fryre Peryn The sacramentes saye they both are not eaten of myce though they seme so to be in the exteryour symylytudes Forthe vertues sayth Guimundus of holye men are not eaten of beastes whan they are eaten of them li. 2. de câ—â—pore sanguine dâ—â—i No marrye quoth walden nomore is the paynters occupacyon destroyed whan a picture is destroyed Marke thys gere for your lernynge But now cometh Algerus a monke more craftye than they both and he sayth li. 2 cap. 1. de Eucharistia that as wele is thys meate spirytuall as materyall because Dauid calleth it the breade of Angels and a breade from heauen Psa. 77. That whych is materyall in thys breade sayth he is consumed by dygestyon but that whych is spirytuall remayneth vncorrupted If we wolde attende wele vnto Chri stes dyuynyte and lete these oyled dyuynes dyspute amonge olde Gossypes we shuld sone dyscharge myce and rattes weake stomakes and parbreakynge dronkardes of a farre other sort thaÌ„ thus he that eateth my fleshe sayth Christ Io. 6. and dryncketh my bloude dwelleth in me I in hym Thys eatynge is all one with the dwellynge is neyther for myce nor rattes brent chauncels not dronken prestes For as we eate we dwell and as we dwell we eate by a graunded and peâ—fyght faythe in hym The substaunce of that most godlye refeccyon lyeth not in the mouth catynge nor yet in the bellye seadynge though they be necessarye but in the onlye spirytuall or sowle eatynge No wyse man wyll thynke that Christ wyll dwell in a mouse nor yet that a mouse can dwell in Christ though it be the doctryne of these doughtye dowsepers for they shall fynde no scriptures for it If these men were not enemyes to faythe and fryndes to Idolatrye they wolde neuer teache soche fylthye lernynge More of thys shall I wryte God wyllynge in the answere of their bokes Anne Askewe Then the Byshoppes chaunceller rebuked me sayd that I was moche to blame for vtterynge the scriptures For S. Paule he sayd forbode women to speake or to talke of the worde of God I answered hym that I knewe Paules meanynge so well as he whych is j. Corinthiorum xiiij that a woman ought not to speake in the congregacyon by the waye of teachynge And then I asked hym how manye women he had seane â—go into the pulpett and preache He sayde he neuer sawe non Then I sayd he ought to fynde no faute in poore women except they had offended the lawe Iohan Bale PleÌ„teouse ynough is her answere here vnto thys quarellynge and as apereth vnlerned chancellour Manye godlye wo men both in the olde lawe and the newe were lerned in the scriptures and made vtterauÌ„ce of theÌ„ to the glorye of God As we reade of Helisabeth Marye and An na the wydowe Lu. 1. 2. yet were they not rebuked for it yea Marye Christes mother retayned all that was afterwar de written of hym Luc. 2. yet was it not imputed vnto her an offence Christ bla med not the woman that cryed whyls he was in preachynge happye is the wombe that bare the Luce 11. The women whych gaue knowlege to hys dyscy ples that he was rysen from deathe to ly fe dyscomfyted not he but solaced them with hys most gloryouse aperauÌ„ce Mat. 28. Io. 20. In the prymatyue churche specyallye in Saynt Hieromes tyme was it a great prayse vnto women to be lerned in the scriptures Great commendacyoÌ„s â—eueth our Englysh Cronycles to Heleâ—a Vrsula and Hilda women of our na â—yon for beynge lerned also in the scripâ—ures Soche a woman was the seyd Hil â—a as openlye dysputed in them agaynst â—he superstycyons of certen byshoppes But thys chancellour by like chaunced â—pon that blynde popysh worke whych â—alter Hunte a whyte fryre wrote iiij â—core yeares a go Contra doctrices muâ—ieres agaynst scole women or els some â—ther lyke blynde Romysh beggeryes Anne Askewe Then my Lorde mayre commaunded me to warde I asked hym if suretees wolde not serue me And he made me short an swere that he wolde take non Then was I had to the CouÌ„tre and there remayned xij dayes no frynde admytted to speake with me Iohan Bale Here is Christ yet troden on the hele by that wycked serpent whych tempted Eua. Gene. 3. Hys faythfull membre for beleuynge in hym is here throwne in pre son And no maruele for it
Gods wytnesses whan they are vexed by them Apoca. 11. Anne Askewe Then sayd my lorde There are manye that reade knowe the scripture yet do not folow it nor lyue therafter I sayd agayne My lorde I wolde wyshe that all men knewe my conuersacyon lyuynge in all poyntes For I am so sure of my selfe thys houre that there are non able to proue anye dyshonestie by me If yow knowe anye that can do it I praye yow brynge them fourth Iohan Bale I maruele that Byshoppes can not se thys in themselues that they are also no folowers of the scriptures But para uenture they neuer reade them but as they fynde them by chaunce in their popish portyfolyoms and maskynge bokes Or els they thynke all the scriptures fulfylled whan they haue sayd their mattens and their masses Christ sayd to the hypocryte Whye seist thu a moate in thy neybers eye and consyderest not the great beame that is in thyne owne eye Luce 6. Matth. 7. Christ forbode hys Byshoppes vndre payne of dampna cyon to take anye lordshyppes vpoÌ„ them Luce ii How is thys folowed of our pre lates He commanÌ„ded them also to pos sesse neyther golde nor syluer Matth. 10. How is thys coÌ„maundemeÌ„t obeyed If we loked so ernest lye to Christes instytucyons as we loke to the popes to be obserued these wolde also be seane to by acte of parlement so we le as prestes marryage whom Christ neuer inhibyted I doubt it not but thys wyll also be one daye scane to Godly ded thys wo man in defendynge here her innocencye For S. Peter sayth j. Petri 4. Se that non of yow suffre as an euyll doer But in your harde sufferynges committ your sowles vnto God with wele doynge aâ— vnto your faythfull creator Anne Askewe Then my lorde went awaye and sayd he wolde entytle sumwhat of my meanynge And so he writte a great cyrcumstaun ce But what it was I haue not all in memorye For he wolde not suffre me to haue the cop pie therof Onlye do I remembre thys smal porcyon of it Iohan Bale Here wrote he serten artycles of the popes Romish faythe wyllynge her to subscrybe vnto theÌ„ so blaspheme God or els to burne Hys sekynge was here to make her to worshyp the first beast whose deadlye wounde is healed agayne Apoc. 13. But she wolde not so haue her name raced out of the laÌ„bes boke of lyfe Apoca. 20. Rather wolde she contende to the ende hopynge by the myght of hys sprete at the last to ouercome and so to be clothed wyth the promysed whyte aparell Apoca. 3. Anne Askewe Be it knowne sayth he to all men that I Anne Askewe do confesse thys to be my faythe and beleue notwithstandynge my reportes made afore to the contrarye I beleue that they whych are howseled at the handes of a prest whether hys conuersacyon be good or not do receyue the bodye and bloude of Christ in substaunce reallye Al so I do beleue it after the conse cracyoÌ„ whether it be receyued or reserued to be no lesse than the verye bodye and bloude of Christ in substaunce Fynallye I do beleue in thys and in all other sacrameÌ„tes of holye chur che in all poyntes accordynge to the olde catholyck faythe of the same In witnesse wherof I the seyd Anne haue subscrybed my name There was sumwhat more in it whych because I had not the coppie I caÌ„not now 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 moche more than a M. yeares What haue Christen mennes conscience than to do with soche a progydyouse confessyon Are not Christ and hys Apostles teachers suffycyent ynough for our ChristeÌ„ beleue and their holye doctrynes lawfull but we must haue these vnsauerye brablementes We must now beleue in the bawdrye of prestes or that their Sodometrye and Whoredome for want of marryage can be no impediment to their Godmakynge What is it els to be sworne vnto the beleue of soche artycles but to honour their abhomynable Iecherye O most swynish sacryfyers of Baal peor Psalme 105. Yow is it that the Apostle Iudas in hys canonycall epystle speaketh of Ye haue turned the grace of God into your Iecherie denyenge our onlye gouernour Ihesus Christ. The holye Ghost sheweth vs. Apoca. 21. 22. that noÌ„ are of the newe hallowed cytie or congregation of the lorde whych worketh abhomynacyon or maynteyneth lyes as ye do them both here Anne Askewe Then he redde it to me and asked me if I ded agre to it Anâ— I sayd agayne I beleue so moche therof as the holye scri pture doth agre to Wherfor I desyre yow that ye wyll adde that therunto Then he answered that I shuld not teache hym what he shuld write With that he went forth in to hys great chamber and redde the same byll afore the audyence whych enuegled and wylled me to sett to my hande saynge also that I had fauer shewed me Iohan Bale In euerye matter concernynge our Christen beleue is the scripture reckened vnsuffycyent of thys wycked genera cyon God was not wyse ynough in settynge the order therof â–ª but they must adde therunto their swybber swylle that he maye abhorre it in vs as he ded the Iewes ceremonyes Esa. 1. Hiere 7. Zacha. 7. Amos 5. Michee 6. But thys godlye woman wolde corrupt her faythâ— with no soche beggerye least she in so doynge shuld admitt them and â—ir po pe to sytt in her conscyence aboue the eternall God whych is their daylye stodye 2. Thes. 2 A vyrgyne was shein that behalf redemed froÌ„ the earthe folowynge the lambe hauynge in her fore head the fathers name written Apocalypsys 14. Anne Askewe Then sayd the Byshopp I myght thanke other noâ— my selfe of the fauer I founde at hys hande For he consydered he sayd that I had good fryn des and also that I was come of a worshypfull stocke Then answered one Christofet a seruaunt to mastre DeÌ„nye Rather ought ye my lorde to haue done it in soche case for Godâ— sake than for mannys Iohan Bale Spirytuall wyll these fathers be named and yet they do all to be seane of men Math. 23. Their olde condycyons wyll they change whan the blacke moreane change hys skynne and the catte of the mountayne her spotres Hieremyc 13. If I sought to please meÌ„ sayth S. Paule I were not the seruaunt of Christ. Gala. 1. Whan thys tyrannouse Byshopp can do nomore myschefe than flattereth he the worlde sekynge to haue thankes where he hath non deserued And as concernynge the loue or true feare of God as is herelayed vnto hym he hath non at all Psal. 13. Anne Askewe Then my lorde sate downe and toke me the wrytynge to sett therto my