conscience woulde both accuse me and condempne me of the vnconsyderaunce 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 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 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 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 in Babylō Apoca. xviii Iohā wycleue and Iohan Huse confesse in theyr writynges that they were by stronge force inwardlye constrayned of God to worke against the great antichrist Erasmus boldely vttered it that God for the euyls of this latter age hath prouyded sharpe phesycyanes Quenche not the sprete sayth S. Paule despyse not prophecyes 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 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 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 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 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 Psal. xiii Thus endeth the firste examynacion of Anne Askewe latelye done to deathe by the Romyshe popes malycious remnaunte and nowe canonysed in the preciouse blode of the lord Iesus Christ. Imprynted at Marpurg in the lande of Hessen in Nouembre Anno. 1546. ¶ The voyce of Anne Askewe oute of the. 54. Psalme of Dauid called Deus in nomine tuo FOr thy names sake be my refuge And in thy truth my quarel iudge Before the Lorde let me be harde And wyth fauer my tale regarde Loo faythles men agaynst me ryse And for thy sake my death practyse My lyfe they seke with mayne myght Which haue not the afore their sight Yet helpest thou me in this distresse Sauynge my soule from cruelnesse I wote thou wylt reuenge my wronge And vysyte them ere it be longe I wyll therfore my whole hart bende Thy gracyouse name Lorde to commende From euyl thou hast delyuered me Declarynge what myne enemyes be Prayse to God Who so euer lyueth and beleueth in me shall neuer dye Ioan. xi 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 Ioan. v. ¶ The latter examynacyon of Anne Askewe latelye martyred in Smythfelde by the wycked Sinagoge of Antychrist wyth the Elucydacyon of Iohan Bale Psalme cxvi 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 the Lord shall be saued Iohel ii ¶ Iohan Bale to the Christen Readers IN the primatiue churche as the horible persecucyons increased many dyligēt writers collected the godly answers tryumphaūte sufferinges of the martyrs as necessarye examples of Christen constancye to be folowed of other Of this nombre was Lucas which wrote the Apostles actes So were after him Linus Marcellus Egesippus Meliton Asianus Abdias Babilonius Iosephus Antiochenus Clemens Alexaūdrinus Antherus Phileas Eusebius Nicephorus a greate sorte more Fabianus not a chayre Byshopp but a pulpet Byshop of Rome ordayned in his tyme for that onely offyce vii deacōs so many notayres aboute the yeare of oure lorde CC. XXXVI that they shuld faithfully regestre theyr martyrdomes to holde thē in contynual remembraunce as witnesseth Platina Polydorus Masseus soch other chronyclers No les necessary is that offyce now though fewe mē attempt it nor no lesse profytable to the christē cōmō welthe than it was in those terryble dayes For now are persecucions all Christendome ouer so we le as were than Now are the true Christians vexed of the syttynge Byshoppes for their Christen beleue so wele as thā Now are they reuiled punyshed imprisoned haue all euyll spoken against them for Christes verites sake Math. v. so wele as than And what can be more confortable to the sufferers than to knowe the ernest constancye of their troubled companyons in that kingedome of pacience Apo. i. or to marke in them the stronge workynge of faythe beholde the myghtye mageste of God in their agonies what though they were afore synners of the worlde Saynt Barnard sayth in his homelyes vpon Salomons cantycles that the godlye sufferaunce of martyrs hath geuen as good erudycyon to the christen churche as euer dyd the doctryne of the sayntes Than is it mete that some besterynge and not that all men in these dayes be ydell concernynge that godlye offyce Manye haue suffered in thys realme of late yeares by the bolde calling on of Antichristes furyouse aduocates whose lattre confessyons causes answers are a great deale more notable godlye if they be ryghtlye wayed than euer were the confessyons causes and answers of
The first examinaciō of Anne Askewe latelye martired in Smythfelde by the Romyshe popes vpholders wyth the Elucydacyon of Iohan Bale Psame cxvi 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 Prouerb xxxi Iohan Bale to the Chrysten readers AMonge other mooste syngular offyces dylygent reader which the lord hath appointed to be done in the ernest sprete of Helyas by the forerōners of hys lattre aperaunce this is one verye specyall to be noted They shall turne the hartes of their auncient elders into the chyldren Mala. iiii And the vnbeleuers of theyr tyme to the wysdome of those ryghteouse fathers as ded Iohan Baptyste afore hys fyrste commyng Luce. i. That is say the Bedas cap. lxviii de temporum ratione the fayth and feruent zele of the prophetes and Apostles shal they plant in their hartes whych shal in those dayes lyue and be among men conuersaunt than wyl breake fourth sayth he as a verye true prophete such horryble persecucyon as wyl fyrst of all take from the worlde those myghtye helyases by triumphaunt martyrdom to the terryfyenge of other in the same faythe of whom some shal becom through that occasion most gloryouse martyrs vnto Christ also some very wycked Apostataes forsaking his lyuely doctrine For by the seyd Bedas testymony in the begynnyng of the same chaptre two most certayne sygnes shall we thā haue that the lattre iudgement daye is at hande The returne of Israels remnaunt vnto theyr lord God and the horryble persecucion of Antichrist Conferre with this treated scripture and former prophecye of that vertuous man Bedas the worldes alteracyon now with the terrible turmoilynges of our tyme. And as in a mooste clere myrrour ye shal well perceyue them at this present to be in moost quick workynge And as concernynge the Israelytes or Iewes I haue bothe seane and knowne of them in Germanye mooste faythfull Christen beleuers Neyther is it in the prophecye Osee. iii. that they shoulde at that daye be all conuerted no more than they were at Iohan Baptystes preachynge Luce. i. For as Esaye reporteth thoughe the posteryte of Iacob be as the see sande innumerable yet shall but a remnaunte of them conuerte than vnto theyr lorde God Esaie x. And thoughe the Lorde hathe syfted that howse of Israell as brused corne in a syffe amonge all other nacyons Amos. ix Yet shal not that remnaunt of theirs peryshe but at that daye be saued throughe the onelye electyon of grace Romano xi Nowe concernynge the afore seyd foreronners in this most wonderful change of the worlde before the latter ende therof I thynke within thys realme of Englande besydes other nacions abroade the sprete of Helyas was not all a slepe in good Wyllam Tydall Robarte Barnes suche other more whome Antychristes vyolence hathe sent hens in fyre to heauen as Helyas went afore in the fyrye charet iiii Regum ii These turned the hartes of the fathers into the chyldren suche tyme as they toke from a greate nombre of oure nacyon by theyr Godlye preachynges and wrytynges the corrupted beleue of the pope his mastery workers which were no fathers but cruel robbers destroyers Ioā x. reducynge thē agayn to the true faithe of Abraham and Peter Gene. xv and Math. xvi The pure beleue in Christes birthe and passion which Adam and Noe sucked out of the first promes of God Iacob and Moses out of the seconde Dauid and the prophetes out of the thirde and so fourthe the Apostles fathers oute of the other scriptures so firmelye planted they in the consciences of manye that no cruell kynde of deathe coulde auerte thē from it As we haue for example their constaunt discyples and now stronge witnesses of Iesus Christ Iohan Lassels and Anne Askewe with theyr other ii companions verye gloryous martyrs afore God what thoughe they be not so afore the wronge iudgynge eyes of the world whom the bloudye remnaunte of Antechrist put vnto mooste cruell deathe in Smythfelde at London in the yeare of our lorde M.D.XLVI in Iulye Yf they be onely as was Iohan Baptyst great afore the Lorde by the holye scriptures allowaunce which are strongelye adourned with the graces of hys sprete as faythe force vnderstandynge wisdome pacyence loue long sufferaunce and suche lyfe I dare boldelye afferme these iiii myghty wytnesses also to be the same so well as the martirs of the primatyue or Apostles churche For so strongelye had these those vertues as they and so boldelye obiected their bodyes to the deathe for the vndefyled Christen beleue agaynst the malygnaūt Synagoge of Sathan as euer ded they for no tyrannye admyttynge any create or corruptyble substaunce for theyr eternal lyuynge god Yf their blynd babyes to proue them vnlyke do obiect agaynst me the myracles shewed at theyr deathes more than at these as that vnfaythfull generacyon is euer desyerous of wonders Math. xii I wold but knowe of thē what myracles were shewed whan Iohā Baptystes head was cut of in the preson Marci vi and whan Iames the Apostle was byheaded at Hierusalem Acto xii These ii were excellent afore God what though they were but miserable wretches light fellowes sedycyouse heretykes busye knaues lowsye beggers in the syght of noble king Herode and hys honorable counsell of prelates For had not rochettes and side gownes bene at hande haplye they had not so lyghtlye dyed Yf they allege Steuen to maynteyne theyr purpose that he at his deathe behelde heauen open I aske of thē againe what they were whiche se it more than his own persone Sure I am that their wycked predecessours there presente se it not For they stopped theyr eares whan he tolde them therof Actoru vii Yf they yet bringe fourth the other hystoryes of Apostles and martyrs I answere them that all they are of no suche autorite as these here afore The popes martyrs in dede were moche fuller of myracles than euer were Christes as hys selfe tolde vs they shulde be so Mathey xxiiii Yet wrought fryre Forest Iohā Fisher Thomas More no miracles what though manye be nowe regestred in theyr lyues and legendes by the fryres of Fraunce Italye and Spayne Besydes that Iohan Cochleus hathe writtē of them ad Paulum Pōtificem ad regem Henricum and also in theyr defence against doctor Sampson With that Erasmus ded also ad Huttenū P. M. ad Basparem Agrippam Albertus Pighius Riuius Fichardus a great sort more And as for the holye mayd of kēt with Doctor Bocking though they wrought great wonders by theyr lyfe yet apered non at their deathes Of hys owne chosen martyrs Christ loketh
the olde canonysed martirs which in the popes Englysh churche haue had so many solempnitees seruices and sensinges Manye haue also moste desperatly recanted through their most wicked persuacions and threttenynges in whose vaine recantacioÌ„s are both to be seane theyr blasphemyes agaynste God and manyfest treasons agaynste their kinge Now in conferrynge these martyrs the olde with the newe and the popes with Christes I seclude first of all the Brytayne churche or the primatiue churche of thys realme which neuer had autoryte of the Romishe pope Her martirs in dede were agreable to that Chryste spake a fore in the Gospell concernyng his martyrs wherby we shulde knowe theÌ„ as we euydentlye finde in the liues of Emerita kinge Lucyes syster Amphibalus Albanus Aaron Iulius Dionothus soche other I sende yow forthe saith he as shâ—pe amonge wolues MeÌ„ shall delyuer ye vp in their counsels sinagoges Ye shall be brought before rulers and kinges and be hated of all men in a maner for my names sake Mathei x. Caste not afore in your mindes what answere to make For I in that houre shal gyue ye both vtteraunce and wisdome which al your aduersaries shall not be hable to withstande Luce xxi They shall excommunycate yow or condeÌ„pne yow for heretikes Yea they shall bring yow in soch hate of the world that who so euer killeth yow will thynke he doth God great good seruyce And thys shall they do bycause they knowe rightly neither father nor yet me Iohan. xvi Manye other lyke sentences left the lorde Iesus Christ in his holie Gospell that we shulde alwayes by theÌ„ discerne hys true martyrs froÌ„ the popes Mahomettes couÌ„terfet martyrs In EnglaÌ„de here sens the first plaÌ„tacion of the popes Englysh churche by Augustine other Romish moÌ„kes of Benettes supersticioÌ„ ii kindes of martyrs hath bene One of monasterye buylders and chaunterye founders whom the temporall princes secular magystrates haue dyuerslie done to death sumtyme for disobedience and sumtyme for manifest treason as we haue of Wallenus of Crowland Thomas of LaÌ„castre Rycharde Scrope Becket soch other The ymages of these haue bene set vp in their teÌ„ples lyke the olde Gods of the paganes haue had theyr vigyls holy dayes ringinges sacrifisiÌ„ges caÌ„dels offeriÌ„ges feastiÌ„ges moch a do besides as they had The other sort were preachers of the Gospell or poore teachers therof iÌ„ corners whaÌ„ the persecucioÌ„ was soche that it myght not be taught abroade And these poore sowles or true seruauntes of God were put to deathe by the holy spirituall fathers Byshoppes prestes monkes chanons fryers for heresye lollerye they saye These Christen martyrs were neuer soleÌ„pnysed of them No they had not so moch as a peny dirge or a grote masse of Requiem no more thaÌ„ had Iohan Baptyst and Steuen amonge the Iewes But they haue bene holden for condempned heretykes euer sens Who euer hearde anye goodnesse yet reported of Dionothus with his M. CC. companyous whom Augustyne can sed to be slayne at Westchestre in hys churches begynnynge bycause they wolde not preache as he dyd apoynt theÌ„ nor baptyse after the Romysh maner neyther yet hallow the Eastre feast as they dyd Many a blessed creature both men womeÌ„ haue bene breÌ„t sens Iohan Wycleues tyme a fore for onlye disclosynge the pharysees yokes teachynge the Gospels liberte And theÌ„ haue that bawdye bloudie Synagoge of SathaÌ„ dyffamed blasphemed condeÌ„pned execrated cursed to hell as most detestable heretykes and dogges Wher as if they were of Christ they ought in case they were their haters or enemies to suffre theÌ„ to saye wele of them to do them good to praye for them Math. v. Luce. vi not thus to vse more tyrannie ouer them than euer dyd Saracene Turke TirauÌ„t or deuyll A great dyfference is there of the martyrs whom they make from the martyrs whom they canonyse Of them whom they dampne from them whom they worshypp yea so great a difference or dyuersyte betwine them if ye marke them wele as is betwyxt golde and dyrt or light and darkenesse The martyrs whose deathes they haue procured by all ages of theyr bloud-thursty church harkned vnto Christ healde of ryghtousnesse and sought their lorde God in sprete Esa. li but the martyrs for the most part whom they haue with so manye latyne wawlynges torches candell burnynges magnyfyed in their temples harkened to the pope healde of hys vnrightousnesse sought out hys superstycyouse ydolatryes In the conferrynge of their olde canonysed martyrs with our newly condempned martyrs here Anne Askewe and her other iii. companyons with soche like their difference will be moch more easelie perceiued First lete vs beginne with Thomas Becket which was so gloryouse a martyr and precyouse aduocate of theirs that they made his bloude equal with Christes bloude and desyred to clime to heauen therby Manie wonderful miracles coulde that mitred patrone of theirs do in those dayes whan the monkes had fryre Bakons bokes and knew the bestowynge of fryre BoÌ„gaies mystes but now he can do none at al. Thys Becket in all hys floryshynge doynges harkened to the pope defended his pompouse kingedome supported his churches excesse wretchedlye dyed for the synnefull lybertees of the same Anne Askew her sort gaue diligeÌ„t hede to their lorde Iesus Christ soughte the kingedome of heauen in daylye repentaunce mightelye detested all ydolatrouse worshippynges in conclusyon suffered moste tryumphaunt deathe for the same CoÌ„cernynge other martyrs As Wenefrid otherwyse called Boniface an Englysh moÌ„ke archebyshopp of Magunce was slaine coÌ„firminge neophytes or professynge his newlie baptysed brode to the Romysh popes obedieÌ„ce There was fouÌ„de aboute hym a casket full of rellickes or dead meÌ„nis bones whaÌ„ he was put to death in the year of our lorde vii c. lv Anne Askewe here felyshyp had none other rellyckes aboute theÌ„ whaÌ„ they stode at the stake to be brent in Smythfelde but a bundell of the sacred scriptures inclosed in their hartes and redye to be vttered aganist Antichristes ydolatries Saynt Clare of Orchestre contemninge lawfull marryage made hym selfe an ydel prest was by headed in his owne gardene by procurimente of a womaÌ„ S. ClitaÌ„ke of Southwales was in like case stabbed in with a dagger bycause a yonge maiden loued him The only true honoure of God was it no worldlye cause that Anne Askewe her companye dyed for Saynt Edwyne being wel armed was slayne in battayle at Hatfelde in the North and S. Edwarde rydynge a Huntinge in the forest of Warham in the weast was killed vpon hys horse in drinkinge a cuppe of wine And all thys was done for the kyngedomes of thys worlde The martyrdome of Anne Askewe and her Bretherne was neyther in battelinge nor huntynge rydynge nor drynkynge but in that ryght course which Christ prescribed vnto his
it is vnto them appropriate of the holye Ghoste in manye places of the scryptures In the lattre dayes sayth Iudas the apostle shal 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 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 I answered that 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 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 greate shame for them to counsell contrarye to theyr knowledge Wherunto in fewe wordes they dyd saye 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 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 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 but mercyfullye delyuered hym out of theyr malycyous handes Hieremi xxvi Pylate in lyke case concernynge the newe lawe pleated wyth the Iewes spirytualte to haue saued Christ frō the deathe Math xxvii Io. xviii So dyd the captaine Claudias Lisias delyuer Paule frome their mortal malyce after that the hygh prest 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 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 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 yeas For as greate offence 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 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 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 the true lyuynge god the false God Baal as we do now in Englāde betwyne Christes Gospell and the popes olde rotten customes We slenderlye consydre with S. Paule 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 the straūgers yoke wyth the vnbeleuers and so come neyther whote nor colde that god maye spewe vs out of his mouth as vnsauerye morsels 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 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 scripture geueth vs to knowe an Antychrist by 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 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 the gentiles Treno iiii Or be cōmitted to prisō of the wordli powers so put vnto death by thē We maruele not therfore though these partes be played of proude Byshoppes Cōsydering the 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 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 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 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 For than ye wyll make hym a verye dore a vyne a lambe and a stone cleane contrarye to the 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 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
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 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 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 that Wrisleye whiche was in my lorde Cromwels tyme so ernest a doer against the pope 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 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 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 the heythen Lete hym serch hys owne howse wele 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 preseruacyoÌ„ of her honoure Her opinyoÌ„ is folke saye that so loÌ„ge as she hath that vpoÌ„ her her worldlye worship can neuer decaye I praye God this prouysyon in short space deceyueth her not as it hath done pope Siluester the seconde and as it dyd of late yeares Thomas wolsye our late 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 opynioÌ„ I shuld waÌ„t nothinge If I wold not I shuld fourth to Newgate so be burned I sente him agayne worde that I wold rather die thaÌ„ to breake my faythe Thus the lorde open the eyes of their blinde hartes that the truthe maye take place Fare wele dere frynde and praye praye praye Iohan Bale Beholde in thys last parcell most euydeÌ„t signes of a christeÌ„ martyr and faythfull witnesse of God besydes that went afore She allegeth not in all thys longe processe lienge legendes popyshe fables nor yet olde wiues parables but the most liuelie autoritees and examples of the sacred Byble 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 nor yet ouer coÌ„men 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 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 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 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 For she sayde that it was but the ende of al sorowes She reckened not with the couetouse man the remembraunce therof bytter Eccle. xiiii But with the 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 deathe loâ—seth vs no life but bringeth it in vnto vs lyke as the harde winter bringeth in the most pleasauÌ„t somer Who can thynke whaÌ„ the sunne goeth downe that it vtterly so perysheth Death vnto the righteouse beleuer is as a profitable haruest which after sweate labour bringeth in moste dylectable frutes None otherwyse thought it Anne Askewe than a verye entrauÌ„ce of lyfe whaÌ„ 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 They saye nowe that they dyd there was but to feare me Wherby I perceyue they are ashamed of their vncomelye doynges and feare moch least the kynges mageste shuld haue informacion therof Wherfore they woulde no man to noyse it 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 ii sober wyse men and verye sage counsellers But this tyâ—â—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 for their wylfull coÌ„tempt 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 themseluâ—â— a perpetuall infamy by their cruelte and myschef In excuse of their madnes they saye they dyd it only to feare her Is it not
for non other myracle but that onelye they perseuer faythfull to the ende Mathe. x. And neuer denye his verite afore men Luce. xii For that worthye vyctorye of the synnefull worlde standethe in the inuyncyblenesse of fayth and not in myracles and wonders as those waueringe wittes suppose i. Ioan. v. Ryght wonderfullye wyl this apere in the. ii myghtye conflyctes here after folowynge whych the faytfull seruaunt of Iesu Anne Askewe a gentylwoman verye yonge dayntye and tender had with that outragynge Synagoge in her ii examynacions about the xxv yeare of her age whom she sent abroade by her owne hand writynge The handelynges of her other iii. companyons shall be shewed in other seuerall treatyses at layser For the glorye and greate power of the lorde so manifestlye aperynge in hys elect vessels maye not nowe perysh at al handes be vnthankefullye neglected but be spred the worlde ouer as we le in Latyne as English to the perpetuall in famye of so willfully cruel and spyghtfull tyrauntes Nothynge at all shall it terryfye vs nor yet in anie point lete vs of our purpose that our bokes are nowe in Englande condempned and brente by the Byshoppes and prestes with their frantick affinite the great Antichristes vpholders whyche seke by all practises possyble to turne ouer the kynges most noble and godlye interpryse But it wyll from hens forth occasyon vs to set fourth in the Latine also that afore we wrote onlie in the English and so make theyr spirytuall wyckednesse and treason knowne moche farther of What auayled it Ioakim to burne Hieremies proyhecye by the vngracyouse counsell of his prelates Hiere xxxvi Either yet Antiochus to set fyre on the other scriptures i. Macha i. After the Apostles were brought afore the counsell and strayghtlye cōmaunded to cease from preachynge they preached moch more thā afore Acto iiii In most terrible persecucions of the primatiue churche were the examynacions answers tormentes and deathes of the constaunt martyrs written and sente abroade all the whole worlde ouer as testyfyeth Eusebius Cesariensis in his ecclesyastyck hystorye Their coppyes haboūde yet euery where Great slaughter burnynge hath bene here in Englande for Iohan wycleues bokes euer sens the yeare of our lorde M. CCC LXXXII Yet haue not one of them throughlye perysheth I haue at thys houre the tytles of a C. and XLIIII of them which are many more in nombre For some of thē vndre one title comprehendeth ii bokes some iii. some iiii Yea one of them contayneth xii I thinke not the contrary but ere the worlde be at a full ende God wyll so gloryfye that twentye tymes condempned heretyke execrated cursed spitted and spatled at that al your popish writers before hys tyme and after wyll be reckned but vyle swyne heardes to hym for the good fauer he bare to Chrystes holye Gospell A very madnesse is it to stryue agaynst God whā he wyll haue the longe hydden inyquytees knowne As the godlye wyse man Gamaliel sayd Acto v. If this enterpryse that is now taken agaynst yow be of God ye shal neuer be able with all your tirannouse practyses to dyssolue it Now concernynge that blessed woman Anne Askewe which latelye suffered the tyrannye of this world for right wisnesse sake In Lyncolneshyre was she borne of a verye auncyent and noble stocke Sir William Askewe a worthy knyght beynge her father But no worthynesse in the fleshe neyther yet anye worldlye noblenesse auaileth to god warde afore whome is no acceptacyon of persone Actorum x. Onlye is it faythe with his true loue and feare which maketh vs the accepte noble and worthye chyldren vnto God Ioan. i. Whereof by hys gyfte she had wonderfull habundaunce Soch a wone was she as was Lydia the purple sellar whose harte the lorde opened by the godlye preachynge of Paule at Thiatira Acto xvi For dylygent hede gaue she to his worde whan it was ones taught wythoute supersticion would no lōgar be a false worshipper or ydolatour after the wicked scole of Antichrist But became frō thens forth a true worshipper worshipping her lorde God whych is a sprete not breade in sprete in veryte accordinge to the worde of his Ioan. iiii The Gospell of Christ bare she in her harte as ded the holye mayde Cecilia neuer after ceased frō the study therof nor frō godlye cōmunycacion prayer tyll she was clerlie by most cruel tormentes taken from thys wretched worlde By her do I here dere fryndes in the Lord as ded the faithfull Bretherne in Fraunce at the cities of Lions and Vicuna by a lyke faythfull yonge woman called Blandina Whyche was there put to deathe with iii. myghtye companyons more amonge other as thys was for her Christē beleue about the yeare of our lorde C. and. lxx in the primatiue sprynge of their Christyanyte They wrote vnto their Bretherne in the landes of Asia Phrygia verye farre of her mightie stronge sufferinges for Christes faith which the knewe nothing of afore I write here vnto yow in Englād the double processe of this noble woman wherof ye are not ignoraunt for so moch as it was there so manyfestly done amonge yow Coupled I haue these ii examples togither bycause I fynde them in so manye pointes agree Blandina was yonge and tender So was Anne Askewe also But that which was fraile of nature in thē both Christ made most stronge by hys grace Blandina had iii. ernest companions in Christ. Maturus Sanctes and Attalus so feruently faythfull as her selfe So had Anne Askewe iii. fyre fellowes a gentylman called Iohan Lassels her instructour a preste and a tayler called Iohan Adlam men in Chrystes veryte vnto the ende most cōstaunt With Blādina were in preson to the nombre of x. whych denyed the truthe and were clerelie forsakē of God for it How manye fell frō Christ besydes Crome Shaxton whan Anne Askewe stode faste by hym I am vncerteyne But I counsell them as saynte Iohan counselled the Laodycyanes in the myserable estate they are now in to hye them through tryed golde of Christ least they perysh all togither Apoca. iii. If they had not styll remayned in that chauncell whome Christe commaunded Iohan in no wyse to measure Apoc. ii They had neuer so shamefullye blasphemed lyke as Bedas also toucheth in hys former prophecye Prompt was Blandina and of most lustye corage in renderynge her lyfe for the lyberte of her faythe No lesse lyuelye and quyck was Anne Askewe in all her enprisoninges and tormētes Great was the loue Blandina had to Christ. No lesse was the loue of Anne Askewe Blandina neuer faynted in torment No more ded Anne Askewe in sprete whan she was so terrybly racked of the chaūceller and Ryche that the strynges of her armes and eyes were peryshed Blādina deryded the cruelte of the tyrauntes So ded Anne Askewe
Who so eateth of theyr egges dyeth But if one treadeth vpon them there cometh vp a serpent Esaye lix Anne Askewe Eyghtly he asked me if I ded not thynke that pryuate 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 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 whych inhabyted this reauile long afore 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 that the 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 the 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 the 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 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 the Masse nor yet good worke but a blasphemouse prophanacyō of the Lordes 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 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 that 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 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 the 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 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 in hys wyse detectiō of the deuyls sophystrye fo xvi Beleue saith he that a mouse can not deuoure God Yet reporteth he after in fo xxi that Christes body may as we le dwell in a mouse as it ded in Iudas Thā foloweth fryre fynke fryre Perin I shuld say a bachelar of the same scole And he answereth in the ende of hys third sermon that the 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 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 cōsumed 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 to helpe byshopp Steuen Thomas walden a fryre 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 the 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 But now cometh Algerus a mōke 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 that eateth my fleshe sayth Christ Io. vi and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in me I in him 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 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 fayth and frindes to Idolatrie they wold
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 was a God and myght fall 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 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 no God Baruch vi These witles ydolators haue no grace in thys age to hyde theyr olde legerdemaynes They fare lyke those dronkē Gossypes 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 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 with bloud Tren iiii Al the dwellers of Iuda sayth the lorde shal I fyl with drōckennesse 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 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 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 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 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 Thā of veri nature must her whelpes be shameles chyldren Suche shameles dogges are they saythe Esaye as be neuer satysfyed 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 put to bayle or no 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 the earth Apo. xiii The mayre of London which is the kynges liefe tenaunt and representeth there hys owne persone standeth here lyke a dead Idol 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 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 feared this spyritual tirannye or captyuyte of theirs such time as they were examined of the byshoppes for the sight of their sonne Io vi Such as beleued in Christ amonge the 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 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 requyrynge of him as he dyd afore of my lord Mayre He answered hym that the 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 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 offēde God or man their offence maye be no lesse than prison and deathe 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
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
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 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 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 I answered that I neuer sayde so But in dede the quest asked 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 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 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 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 the right hand of God the eternall father and sende it to a boxe of your braynyshe deuysynge 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 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 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 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 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 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 Then asked he me whate my faythe and beleue was in that matter I answered hym I beleue as the scripture doth teache me 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 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 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 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 cōfort in them myght haue hope and ye wyll robbe vs therof Christ commaunded all peoples 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 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 wōders 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 that Christ warned vs of Mathei vii and now vnto yow that saing of S. Paule Acto xvii That God dwelleth not in tēples made with handes which also were the wordes both of Salomon longe afore iii. Reg. viii of Steuen 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 with Aristotles Phisickes and fawced with Iohan Donses subtyltees 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 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 that of these mē Neuerthelesse he helde hys peace Mar. xiiii But whan he was ones throughly compelled by the name of the lyuynge 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 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 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 sayd I yet was it good ynough for the question Iohan Bale About the lattre dayes of Iohan wycleue in the yeare of our lorde a M.CCC LXXXII as Henrye Spenser than Bishopp of Norwich 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 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 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 the churche yeardes from their graues thydre warde Thys moste deuilishe blasphemie wyth suche other lyke prouoked the sayde 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 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 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 and therfore I wrytte the lesse here Anne Askewe Then I tolde my Lorde that there was a prest whyche dyd heare what I sayde there before my lord Mayre them with that the chaunceller answered 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 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 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 Mathei iii. and to Christe Iesus preachynge Luce. xi I thynke ye shall fynde them the same generacion Anne Askewe And then doctor Standyshe desyered my lorde 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 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 of the popes dyuynyte and a scolasticall interpretour of the scriptures to his behoue Here wold the swynysh gētylman haue proued both that S. Steuen dyed an heretyke and S. Paule a scysmatyke for teachynge that God dwelleth not in tēples made with handes Act vii xvii if he might haue reasōe◠out the matter with thys woman But she toke a swyne for a 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 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 maye come oute of the mouthe of these spirytuall fathers But dogges rhetorycke and curres curtesye 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 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 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 dede not beynge afrayed because I knewe my matter to be good More ouer I remayned there vi
dyscyples vnder the cruell Byshoppes for his onlye glorye Saynet Cadocke of Cowbridge a Bysshop was pearced through with a speare as he stode at his Masse at one of the clocke at after non bicause he wolde be of the ordre of martyrs Saynte Elphege archebishopp of Caunterburye was stoned to deathe of the Danes bycause he wolde not pase them thre M. Marke in the yeare of our lorde M. xii Of soch martyrs moch doubted Lāfrancus which suceeded him in that office about a iiii score years after and disputed therof with Anselmus The cause of Anne Askewe and her companions was neither madnesse nor moneye but the onlie sekinge of their lord God righte As Sainte Indract with other deuoute pilgrimes of Rome laie in bed in their inne at Shapwyck by Blastenbury their throtes were cut in the night for moneie which was reckened to be in their pylgrymes scryppes Saynt Iuthware a virgine was behedded also for layenge fresh chese or cruddes whether ye will to her brestes The cause of Anne Askewe and her other fellowes conferred with Christes scriptures semeth a farre other matter Hewalde the blacke and Hewalde the whyght ii Englysh mōkes goynge frō place to place with cruettes chalyce and superaltare to do their daylye sacrifices were done to deathe in Frislande by the bowers of the contrey for teachynge a straunge relygyon and are worshypped at Coleyne for martyrs For bearynge about Christes testament which is most heauenlye treasure and for spredynge the wholsom doctrine therof was Anne Askewe and her sort brēt by the prestes procuremēt yet are they no honour for it Osytha runnynge awaye frome her husbande by the intysement of ii monkes became a professed nonne and was murthered of the Danes Wenefryda by counsell of a prest dysdaynouslye refusynge the marryage of a prynce chrystened lost her head for it Maxentia also played a parte not al vnlyke to thys Soch pylde popysh martyrdomes compared to the martyrdome of Anne Askewe and her faythful companye is as is rustye yron compared to pure syluer S. William of Rochestre a Scotte leauynge both wife houshold ydly to trudge on pylgrymage was strycken in the heade wyth an axe of his owne companyon by the waye Saynte Thomas of Douer a monke was suche a wone as was slayne of the frenche men for hydynge the churches iewels crosses chalyces copes No such light corruptible vanytees were they that Anne Askewe her constaunt bretherne dyed for but for the precyouse veryte of God Yonge S. Wyllyam of Norwych yonge S Robert of Burye yonge S. Hugh of Lyncolne yōge S. Melor of Cornewayle yōg s. Kenelme of Glocestre yonge S. Eldrede of Rāsaye his brother wyth soch other lyke were but verye babes they saye were martyred of the Iewes of other enemyes Wherfore their martyrdomes shal be but babysh in cōparysō of these the verite hauing by thē so smal furtheraūce Foillanus his iii. bretherne goynge homeward in the nyghte after they had well banketed wyth S. Gertrude her nonnes were killed in a wod of one murtherer and their horses solde in the next market towne Iustinanus S. Dauyes ghostlye father in Wales was slayne in a gardene of hys iii. monkes bycause he compelled them to do more laboure than he wolde do hys selfe After Kilianus was come home frome Rome he was murthered in his selle wyth other holye pylgrymes by a woman as they laye there a slepe in the nyght Saynt Vrsula also and her she pylgrymes with theyr chaplaynes nurses and suckyng babes were but homely handeled at Coleyne of the hunnes and pietes if that legende be true as they were commynge homewardes from Rome Compare me Anne Askewe and her condempned companye wyth these clowted canonysed solempnysed sensed matrensed and massed martyrs and tell me by the Gosples trial whyche of them seme moste Christenlyke martyres Yea brynge saynte Edmound of Burye saynt Fremūd of Dunstable saynt Ethelbert of Herforde S. Oswalde of Glocestre saynte Oswyne of Tynmoth and Saynte Wynstane of Euesham whych are the best of the Englyshe martyres to the touche stone of Goddes worde and ye shall fynde theyr martyrdomes and causes full vnlyke to theyrs whome the Byshoppes murther now apace in Englande In all these Englysh martyrs reherced here afore ye shall fynde verye fewe coloures or yet tokens that Christ sayd his martyrs shuld be knowne by on lesse ye take pylgrimages pōpes rellyckes women battels hūtynges ydelnes monkeryes moneye treasure worldlye kingdomes contēpt of marryage superstycyōs suche other vanitees for thē And than wyll I saye and not lye in it that ye are moch better ouerseane thā lerned in the scriptures of God as youre olde blynde bludderynge predecessours hath bene Ye wyll axe me here if I reckē Englāde thā all barrē of Christē martyrs Naye marry do I not For I knowe it hathe had good store sēs the popes faith came first into Englande to the Gospels obscuracyō though their names be not knowne to al mē Greate tyrānye was shewed by the heythnysh emprours kynges at the fyrst preachynge of the Gospel in the primatyue churche of the brytaynes by the cruel callynge on of the pagane prestes But nothinge lyke to that hath bene shewed sēs in the Englysh church by the spiritual tyraūt of Rome his mytred termagaūtes at the prouocacyō of theyr oyled swylbolles blīd Baalamites For they most cruellye brēt those innocētes whych dyd but only read the testamēt of God in their mother runge do not yet repente them of that myschefe but contynewe therin Yf ye marke wel these ii examinaciōs of Anne Askewe ye shal fynde in her in her other iii. cōmpaniōs besydes other whō the Byshoppes in our tyme afore hath brēt the expresse tokēs that Christ sealeth his martyrs wt. Thei apered as shepe amonge wolues They were throwne in strōg presō They were brought forth into coūsels synagoges Their answeres were out of gods spret as herin apereth not out of their own They were reuyled mocked stocked racked execrated condempned and murthered as is sayde afore By a spiritualte also as he promised they shuld be Mat. xxiii and xxiiii Yea those spiritual tyrauntes besydes theyr mortal malyce vpō the innocent bodyes haue most blasphemouslye vttered in theyr spyghtful sermons and writynges that their sowles are dampned as is to be seane in the bokes of winchestre and Peryn But let them be ware lest they dampne not theyr own wretched soules For ful sure we are by Christes stronge promes Luce. xii That theyr sowles they can not harme wyth all theyr popes blacke curses Ful swetelye rest they now in the peace of God where theyr slaunderous and malyciouse iudgementes can not hurte them at al Sapi. iii. Lette those Epycures pygges dampne them with as manye blasphemouse
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 for so are they 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 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 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 the kynges counsell at Grenewyche Your request as concernynge my preson fellowes 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 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 yet myslyked not he to heare ii poore common womē 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 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 to saue the moneye he constrayned thys to supplye her to wine So that in the ende she was cōpelled against her wyll or fre consent to marry with him Notwithstandynge the marryage ones paste she demeaned her selfe lyke a Christen wyfe 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 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 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 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 the chefe autor of marryage 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 My answere was thys I beleue that so oft as I in a Chrysten congregacyon do 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 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 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 But that ye muste as Dauid saythe temper your tunges wyth venemouse wordes to destroye the innocent Psal. lxiii Could yow haue brought in agaynst her a matter of more daunger concernynge your lawes 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 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 in all thynges as they 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 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 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 And as concernynge mockes and scornefull reuylynges 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
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 the onlye remedye of our sowles recouer And that therby we also receyue 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 that 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 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 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 haue denyed hys incarnacyon nor deathe in thys her confessyon of faythe 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 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 and the. ix chaptre of Daniel ye. 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 the sūne some the mone some the fyre some the water with soch other lyke for their Godes as witnesseth Dioderus Siculus Herodotus Plynius Lactantius dyuerse autours more Now come our dottinge papistes here wadinge yet more deper in ydolatrye 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 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 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 this blessed woman sheweth her selfe in the answere makynge to thys blasphemous beggerye 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 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 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 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 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 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 me to be wayed in an vneuen payer of balaunces But I remyt my matter cause to almyghtye 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 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 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 Notwithstandyng she layeth forth here both before chauncelloure kynge the matter wherupon she is condempned to deathe 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 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 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 yet not so moche as my synnes haue deserued desyre thys to be knowne to 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 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 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 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 as Lāfrācus in his boke de Eucharistia aduersus Berengariū Thomas waldē in his worke of sermōs Ser. xxi 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 the thefe that sytteth vpō the bēche or he that standeth at the barre 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 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 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 But I dyde not exteme their glosynge pretenses Then came there to me Nicolas 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 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 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 or who els procureth her deathe Ye wyll thynke parauenture concerning mastre Ryche that though he be an enemye yet is he no spirytuall enemye 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 betraynge with Iudas at the Bishoppes malycyouse callynge on the poore innocente sowles for moneye or at the least for ambycyouse fauer O 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 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 to a mooste blessyd offyce If ye had bene worthye that vacacyon as ye are but swyne Mathei vii ye hade perseuered faythfull and 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 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 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 where I remayned tyll thre of the clocke Then came 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 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 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 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 lorde Iesus Christ after the Gospell not after your Romysh father But where was euer yet a more pestylent and deuilish 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 the vertuouse ladies most noble women 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 For Christes worde is quicke and bringeth nothinge els to the 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 that I coulde name if I wolde a 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 the seruaunt of God Mardocheus was a traitour which neuerthelesse had discouered ii traytours a lyttle afore and so saued the kynges lyfe Hester iii. But Haman that false coūseller 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 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 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 was for hys 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 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 sūwhat 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 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 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 that there was no creature that therein dyd strengthen me And as for the helpe that I had in the counter 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 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 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 nor yet hys olde frynd Onesipherus for personally there vysytynge hym and supportyng hym 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 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 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 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 And an other in a vyolette 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 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 cōcernynge his bodylye nedes Luce. viii These with 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 called Lydia by name a purple seller verye rytche in marchaundyse receyued Paule Sylas and Timothe wyth other suspected brethrene into her
house habundantly releued theÌ„ there Acto xvi yet was she not troubled for it In lyke maner at Thessalonica a great noÌ„bre of the Grekes and manye noble women amonge theÌ„ 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 EnglaÌ„d that your horryble tyraÌ„nyes shuld exeede all other Iewes or Gentyles turkes or ydolaters More noble were these womeÌ„ 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 A through ChristeÌ„ charite is not lyghtlye terrifyed wyth the tempestes of worldlye affliccyons no more than true fayth is chauÌ„ged in men that be Christenly coÌ„staunte Soch can not chose but considre that it is both gloryouse to be afflicted 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 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 meÌ„bers 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 bycause I coÌ„fessed no ladyes nor geÌ„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 one of the hyghe counsell was sore rebuked amonge the senyours of the Iewes for defeÌ„ding Christes innoceÌ„cye whaÌ„ they went aboute to flee hym IoaÌ„ 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 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 But no matter So longe as it is Christes worde he shal be also vndre the same iudgemeÌ„te of treasoÌ„ Let no man care to be condeÌ„pned 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 men forget themselues and lose 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 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 What chaplayne of the pope hath inchaunted yow or what deuyll of hell bewytched yow to execute vpon a poore condempned woman so ê“dygyouse a kynde of tyrannye Euen the very Mammon of iniquyte and that insaciable hunger of auarice whyche compelled Iudas to betray vnto death hys most louynge master IoaÌ„ 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 womeÌ„ accused But what els haue ye wonne in the ende than perpetuall shame and confusion God hath suffered yow so to dyscouer youre owne myscheues that ye shal no more be fogotteÌ„ of the world than are now Adomsedech Saul Hieroboam Manasses Olophernes Haman Tryphon Herode Neto Traianus and soche other horryble 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 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 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 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 tyraÌ„tes Where was your chrysten professyon ye helle houndes Where was your othe and promes to do true iustice ye abhominable 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 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 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 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 and wyll do I hope to the verye ende Iohan Bale Euer more haue the olde modye tirauntes vsed thys practyse of deuilyshnesse 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 coÌ„passed the seruauntes of God to cause them consente to their wickednesse And in this temptynge occupacyon 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
thinke you a propre frayenge playe whaÌ„ 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 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 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 Lorde lyueth I neuer meÌ„t thing lesse than to recaÌ„t Notwithwandynge this I confesse that in my first troubles I was examined of the Byshop of LondoÌ„ aboute the sacrameÌ„â— Yet had they no grauÌ„t 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 examynacyoÌ„ is thys matter treated of more at large Here do she repete it agayne onely to be knowne for Christes stedefast membre 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 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 Whereupon she throughâ—â—e couenaunted wyth her selfe neuer 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. 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 For it was no great matter they sayd TheÌ„ 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 This poynt folowed the bludderinge Byshoppe of London here which for their olde fantasied superstycyon laboured in thys woman to displeace the sincere veryte of the lorde But so surelye was she buylded vpoÌ„ the harde rocke 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 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 the 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 and be ruled alwayes thereby Thus fare ye well Quoth Anne Askewe Iohan Bale In all the scriptures we reade not that eyther Chryste or yet hys Apostles commaunded anye man or woman to pryson for their faythe as thys tyraunt Byshope dyd here But in dede we fynde that Christes holy Apostles were oft tymes cruellye coÌ„maunded 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 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 Apocal. ii Esaye prophecyenge the condycyons of the spirytuall Antichriste 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 shewethe that he shulde eate vp the fleshe of the fattest zacharie xi Daniel declareth that he shoulde persecute wyth swerde and fyre 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 Thus endeth the lattre examynacyon 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 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 opynions I take the same moste mercyfull God of myne whyche hath made both heaueÌ„ 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 Her wyttes were not ones dystracted for all her most tyraÌ„nouse 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 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 In that matter she toke hym most stronglye to witnes that 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
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 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 but I wyll geue theÌ„ eternall lyfe Ioan. x. Beleue sayth Paule to the iayler at Philippos on the 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 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 FINIS God saue the kynge Thus endeth the lattre conflict of Anne Askewe latelye done to deathe by the Romysh popes malycyouse remnaunt and now canonysed in the preciouse bloude of the lorde Iesus Chryste Imprynted at Marpurg in the lande of Hessen 16 die Ianuary anno 1.5.4.7 Bedes prophecy 2. sortes 2. sygnes Israelytes preachers Tyndale Barnes The fathers Martyrs Christen martyrs Breade myracles rochettes Steuen Legendes Forest. Fysher More Writers Christen martirs Anne Askewe Goddes power Bokes coÌ„dempned Latyne God wyll be knowne Iohan Wlcleues bokes Canonise Gamaliel Anne Askewe True nobylyte Lydia Cecilia Blandina Anne Askewe Companions RecaÌ„ters Tryed Golde The chauncell Corage Rakced Burned Beastes ShaxtoÌ„ Graces Sprete Hygh stomacke Mother Asshes Autors Not all deed Weakenesse Martyrs Example Sprites Christofer dare Reallye The boxe Temples Accusers Masses Goddes worde The prest Iudas Sacryfyces Thevi of Iohan. ConfessioÌ„ Prestes The kynges boke Pharysees The spyrite A prest mockers A serpent ryseth Masses pryuate Druydes For sowles The prestes receyuynge Mayre Bonner IgnorauÌ„ce Wynchester Peryn Diuisio Guimundus Waldenus Algerus Christus Fayth Nota. Women Scripture women Women Englyshe women Walter hunte Preson Christ troden on the hele A prest Iudas The sacramente Shrifte Prechers ConfessyoÌ„ Practise hypocryte preachers The hostâ— A fallynge God Wynchestre Peryn An Idolle Lyke olde Gossyppes Dronckennesse hypocrite Howsell Spirituallye A whore Dogges Baylynge antichryst The beast Examples A custome The chauÌ„celler Fayth in Christe Tyrannye Wylye Wylye Subtyle A wolfe Foxes A prest A thefe Iudas Herode A false lyar O traiter A tyraunt Murtherers Egles More laÌ„bes to deuoure Lyke the deuyll Archedeacon A lyar Iudas Iohan. Frith Bokes coÌ„dempned Bokes brent Her fryndes Cayphas Practise Sathan Tempter Cayphas Enemyes Surgerye Counsell A murtherer Botches Gathered store Sinon cast Bowgittes Antichrist a sore heresye Prestes Breade Steuen Beastes The boxe Honorius Eua reclusa Bostius Iudases Temples A teÌ„pter scripture practyses Christ. In Gods stede Temples Arystotle Dons Fewe wordes Sylence Bonner Priuate Masses Henrye Spenser Frires Masses Iohan Wycleue Pardons Druydes Perin Chaunceler StaÌ„dyshe Watchemen Vypers I tempter StaÌ„dyshe Doctor Swyne Accuser Dogges rhetoryck Quarellers Thre score prestes Prestes Lordshyp Hypocresi Wonders I prest Occupyenge Scripture Folowers Lordships possessioÌ„s Marryage He wryteth Worshyp thâ— beaste Holye lecherye papystyck Canonysed lecheri Priapystes Scripture Vnsuffycient The pope Fauer Falshede Flatterye catholyck â— woman Catholick FroÌ„ oyle Weston Layte Sodomytes Manye delayes Pharao Practyse Knauery spirituall With prestes TyrauÌ„tes Practyse Subtylte Byshoppes KyngedoÌ„ of God Popes kyngedom A change Polycye No felde â–ª Counsel Sylence Perryn take hede Germanes Peryns sermons Wynchestre modestie Oke groue CoÌ„scyeÌ„ce Hate them ExaÌ„ples Wycleue and huse Sprete Waues Pray and obeye Abhorre Wryters notaireye Martyrs Sufferers Bernardus Barnes other RecaÌ„ters Brytayne churche Christ. Byshoppes Englysh churche Martyrs Other martyrs No dyrge Augustine Wycleue Suffre Difference of martyrs Martyrs Compare Becket Miracles Ryght matyrs Bonifacius Anglê° Clarus Clitancus Edwinê° Edwardus Cadocus Lanfrancus Indractus Iuthwara Newaldy duo Anne Askewe Ositha Wenefrida MaxeÌ„tia Guilhelmus Thomas Yonge Sayntes Foillanê° Iustinanus Kilianus Vrsula Proue the ipretes EdmuÌ„dê° FremuÌ„dê° and other Tokens the autor Brytannyshe Englyshe Tokens Answers TyrauÌ„tes Winchostre Peryn Epycures pygges Lyght S. IohaÌ„ Sathan Christes heares Christes fete Fyre Coppye Christ. Breade RemeÌ„bre Edere Bibere Beleue Euangelystes Doctryne Faythe Christ. Communyon Loue. Letter Christe Foreheades Hartes A membre CoÌ„panyons Kyme Salomon Kyme An vse Marryed Exyled Dyuorcement A beast Sacrament Wynchestre Answere Tyraunt Daunger Parables Rebukes v. houres Parables Wynchestre Mockers Hypocrytes SacrameÌ„t Wynchester Godlye Prynces â–ª Micheas Hieremye Pylate Lisias Cesares Wynchester Treason Christes Sacrament Halte Englande Tepidi Brenne Antichrist To breÌ„ne Prestes God laugheth Christes meanyng Sygnyfye Remembraunce Idolatrye Not in breade The eater Remembraunce Tyll he come Frute of the vyne Partakynge Coxe and RobynsoÌ„ newgate In breade A waffer antychrist Inpaned newgate Breade Temple Moses vayle Blessed Temple warnynge The masse Idolles Tyberius Caligula Masses Antichrist Shurns them The vails Darkenesse Syght Daniel Strength Promes Faythe A martyre TyrauÌ„tes Stedefast Valcaunt Faythe Helchesytes In constaunt Prayer Ephraim Oseas Ydolatrie Ephraimytes ii sortes S. SteueÌ„ Temple Worshyp Meate 3. bulwerkes â—omystes Lo here Se there Heretyke Sacrament Moulde in the boxe Christ coÌ„dempned Membre Sacrament no sygnes the wyne Confesse Teachers Belles Prestes Tyranny Wycked lawes Remembraunce Apostles â–ª Eatynge The suÌ„mâ— of belefe O beastlye ydolaters O constaunt martyre Olde ydolaters Newe ydolaters A waffer The supper Answere An ydoll Death Promises To the Chauncellour The kyng To God Stronge ObedyeÌ„t Her matter Theyr offyce To God Trouble Heresyes Faythe Dyscharge Heresye What it is Who is the heretyke The kyng Ryche Shaxton Sathan 3. ghostlye enemyes Wynchestre spirytuall MammoÌ„ Shaxton Double Vnworthy Hypocrytes IudgemeÌ„t Ryche Christen ladyes Babylon Obedyence A secte Ladyes Helthe The kyng Mardocheus Haman Papystes Craftye Pyghius Bucer Obseruauntes Letters to accuse Ioseph Paule Onesymus Iudges Prelates Gentyllwomen Ladyes Christ. Noble women Lydia Noble women TyrauÌ„tes Prelates Faythe Masses hearynge The racke Nicodemus Fryndes Hygh treason Frenesye A tourmentour Chaunceller Riche MaÌ„mon wretches TyrauÌ„tes Tyrauntes A lambe TyrauÌ„tes Christe Periures A mylstoÌ„ Vnlosed Perseuer Practyse TeÌ„ptacioÌ„ â— sortes Prayse Wrisleye Ynne kepers Profyght My ladye Honour cardynall A tyraunt Swete woman A martyr Gods creature Christes seruaunt A verye Saynt Deathe Chronycles Deathe No feare Haruest Racked No noyse Wrisleye Ryche Iulianus In excuse TyrauÌ„tes No noise Of Cayphas Christes martyr Bonnee Wolues SaluacyoÌ„ Hande wrytynge Gods stede Buylded A lambe Eucharystys Pryson Pryson Chryst Smyrna Antichrist With fire Trouble Condempned Proue her â—â—ntâ—s of faythe ObedyeÌ„t to God No hereâ—yke Breade Proue yet Frutes of faythe Consecracyon Waffer Breade Shall come Antichrist Myracle No God Doctors Moulde in the boxes Godmakers The supper Scriptures Without Masse Idolatryes Mannes wysdome Scriptures Hope proue styll Frutes of faythe Her god A sure part Eucharystye masse an ydoll obidyeÌ„ce The Masse Ydolaters An ydoll Popes Monkes Vniuersytees The masse Profytable Necessaryes myracles of the masse Dead letter Sathan Wytches An ydoll Enemyes Hate theÌ„ Aduersaryes Haters Fryndes Fauorers Northfolke Prayer Swete woman Goddes true seruaunt Christes membre Charyte A Saynt Antichrist compassioÌ„ Pylate Wrisleye Pylate Wrysleye Pylate Wrisleye Pylate Wrisleye Ladyes Pylate Wrisleye Riche Pylate Prestes Pylate Wrysleye Pilate Wrisleye Brent Martyrs A sygne Gods haÌ„de Centurio Christianes Take hede Ceremonyes Tendrelynges Hypocresye Papystes Prestes Bawdes ThoÌ„ders Thonder Apocal. ThoÌ„ders Eucheryê° For tyrauntes North folke Markewele S. SteueÌ„ gods wordes Not lost