is here made and manye subtyl wayes are sought out to brynge thys woman into their corrupted and false beleue that the corruptyble creature made with handes myghte stande in place of the eternall creatore or maker God and man for the prestes aduauntage But all is in vayne In no case wolde he so accept it Nothing lesse mynded Chryst than to dwell in the breade or to become a feadinge for the bodye whan he sayd Take eate Thys is my bodye For a contrarye doctryne he taughte hys dyscyples the yeare afore hys last supper as we haue in the vi chaptre of Iohan Where as he declareth hys flesh to be a spirtiuall meare hys bloude a spirituall drynke and both thē to be receyued in faythe the breade and the wyne remaynynge as sygnes of his euerlastinge couenaunt Reason is it that he rather be iudged the receyuer whyche lyueth in that refeccyon than he which lyueth not therby Whyche is the sowle not the bodye What neaded Christe to haue geuen to those bodies a newe body lye feadynge whiche were suffycyently fed afore with the passe ouer lambe If he had not ment therin some other maner of thynge But he sufficiētlye ynough declareth hys owne meanynge Luce xxii Where he cōmaundeth vs to do it in his remēbraunce and not to make hym agayne by blowynge vpon the breade Thys sacramentall eatynge and drynkynge in his remēbraunce S. Paule more largely declareth i. Cor. xi So oft saith he as ye shall eate of that breade and drynke of that cuppe ye shall shewe the lordes deathe tyll he come If ye ernestlie marke that lattre clause tyll he cōe ye shall wele perceiue that hys bodilye presēce in the breade is vtterly denyed there More ouer in the afore said xxii chaptre of Luke bycause we shuld not be to scrupulose Christe sheweth what that wyne breade of hys supper were yea as he left thē there euē ī these wordes I saie vnto yow saith he that hens forth I shall not drynke of thys frute of the vyne or eate of thys frute of wheate tyll the kyngdome of God be come or tyll I drynke it new with yow in my fathers kingedome Math. xxvi Marci xiiii Here calleth it he the iuse of the grape or frute of the vyne and not the bloude yssuynge from hys bodye Yet is that cuppe as S. Paule sayth the partakynge of Christes bloude and the bread that we breake there the partakynge of Chrystes bodye i. Corint xi But that is in faythe and sprete as afore in Iohan. Anne Askewe Then came to me doctor Coxe and doctor Robynson In conclusion we coulde not agree Thē they made me a byll of the sacrament wyllynge me to set my hande therunto but I wolde not Then on the sondaye I was sore sycke thynkynge no lesse than to die Therfore I desyred to speake with Latimer it wolde not be Thē was I sente to Newgate in my extremyte of syckenesse For in all my lyfe afore was I neuer in soche payne Thus the lorde strengthē yow in the truth Praye praye praye Iohan Bale What an hurly burlye is here for this newe beleue that Christ shulde dwelle in the breade which is mannys creature not gods Christe is the liuynge breade which came from heauē Iohan. vi But that is not sufficyēt saye the prestes on lesse ye beleue also that he is that deade breade which came frō the waffer bakers And therūto must ye set your owne hāde writynge els wyll it not be allowed in the spirytuall courte For he that speaketh greate thynges and blasphemyes whiche is Antichriste makinge warre with the sayntes wyll haue it so Apo. xiii In the Apostles time many yeares after it was ynough for a chrystē mān is ryghtwysnesse to beleue with the hart that Iesus is the lorde that God raysed hym vp from the dead Roma x. But now we must beleue that he cōmeth downe agayn at the wyll of the prestes to be inpaned or inbreaded for their bellye 's common welthe lyke as he afore came downe at the wyll of hys heuenlye father to be incarnated or infleshed for our vnyuersall sowles helth And vnto thys we muste set our hande writynge that we may be knowen for Antichristes catrell Els shall we to stinkynge Newgate by their spyrytuall appoyntment be we neuer so sycke and with in a whyle after to the fyre in Smythfelde For Christes member muste tast with him both esell and gall Anne Askewe The confessyon of me Anne Askewe for the tyme I was in Newgate cōcernynge my beleue I fynde in the scriptures saythe she that Chryste toke the breade gaue it to his dyscyples sainge Eate This is my bodye whyche shall be broken for yow meaning in substaūce his owne verye bodie the breade beinge therof an onlye sygne or sacramente For after lyke maner of speakynge he sayde he woulde breake downe the temple and in iii. dayes buylde it vp agayne sygnyfyenge hys owne bodye by the temple as Saynte Iohan declareth it Ioā ii And not the stonye temple it selfe So that the breade is but a remembraunce of hys death or a sacrament of thankes geuynge for it wherby we are knytte vnto hym by a communyon of Chrysten loue Although there be manye that can not perceyue the true meanynge therof for the vayle that Moses put ouer hys face before the children of Israel that they shuld not se the clerenesse therof Exo. xxxiiii ii Cor. iii. I perceyue the same vaile remayneth to this daye But whā God shall take it a waye than shall these blynde men se. Iohan Bale Ye wyll saye parauenture that the symplitudes here of breade and of the tēple are not like For he blessyd the breade with thankes geuynge So wyll ye saye an other tyme for your pleasure aduauntage that he blessyd the temple also and called it both the howse of his father and also the howse of prayer I pray ye be as good here to your market place as ye are to your sale wares therin for your only bellyes sake For the one wyll not do wele to your commodyte in ydelnesse withoute the other But take good hede of it yf ye lyst For christ hath alredye called one of them an howse of merchaundyse and a denne of theues by reason of your vnlawfull occupyenge therin Ioan. ii and Luce xix He hath also promysed to ouerthrowe it Math. xxiiii and not to leaue one stone therof standyng vpon an other Marci xiii Bycause ye haue not regarded the tyme of your vysytacyon or not accepted hys eternall worde of helthe A warnynge might the turnynge ouer of your monasteryes haue bene vnto yow if ye were not as ye are altogyther blynde I can not thynke the contrarye but he calleth the other also as ye handle it now a dayes in the popes olde toyes of conueyaunce the abhomynacion of desolacyon
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
whyche is the geuer of all grace that he wyll gracyoslye assyst me agaynste all euyll opynyons whyche are contrarye to hys blessed veryte For I take hym to witnes that I haue do and wyll do vnto my lyues ende vtterlye abhorre them to the vttermost of my power But this is the heresye which they report me to hold that after the prest hath spokeÌ„ the wordes of consecracyon there remayneth breade styll Iohan. Bale Consydre without frowarde party all or wylful affeccyon the poyntes herin contayned and than iudge of what hatte or conscyence they haue rysen The hope of thys woman was onlye in God Hym she confessed to be of all grace the geuer Alone in hys mercye she trusted She instauntlye desyred hym to defende her from all errours She abhorred all heresyes She detested mennys superstycyouse inuencions And most firmelye cleaued to hys eternall worde If these with those that went afore be not frutes of true christianyte or of a perfyght member of Gods eleccyon what frutes will we demauÌ„d S. Paule saith No man can confesse that Iesus is the lorde as she hath done here but in the holye Ghost i. Corinth xii Dauid also specifieth that the lord neuer forsaketh them which call vpon hys name put their trust in hym Psal. ix And as touchynge the prestes consecracioÌ„ which is soch a charme of inchauntemeÌ„t as maie not be done but by an oyled offycer of the popes generacyon she dyd godlye to reiect it in that clowtynge kynde For in all the Byble is it not that anye maÌ„ can make of a drie waffer cake a newe sauer a newe redemer a newe Christ or a new God No though he shulde vtter all the wordes and scriptures therin Anne Askewe But they both saie and also teach it for a necessarye artycle of faithe that after those wordes be ones spoken there remayneth no bread but euen the selfe same bodie that bynge vpon the crosse on good frydaye both fleshe bloud and bone To thys beleue of theirs saye I naye For then were our commen Crede false whych saith that he sytteth on the right haÌ„de of God the father almyghtye and from thens shall come to iudge the quycke and the deade Loo thys is the heresye that I holde and for it muste suffer the deathe Iohan Bale Of Antichrist reade we in the scriptures that he hys oyled Apostles shulde do false myracles Math. xxiiii ii Thes ii Apoca. xiii We finde also in the same selfe places that he shuld exalte hymselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshypped as God Who euer hearde of so greate a wondre that a drye cake myght become a God to be worshypped A myracle were thys aboue all the myracles that euer were wrought and a worke aboue al the workes that euer were done if it were true as it is most false Though our eternall God created heauen and earthe in the first begynnynge and fourmed all other creatures Gene. i. Yet reade we not of hym that he made of hys creatures anye newe God to be worshypped In that poynt are our oiled Antichrystes afore hym And where as he rested whollye in the seuenth daye from that offyce of creacyon Gene. ii and neuer toke it vpon hym sens that tyme as testyfyeth Iohan Chrisostome Augustyne Hierome Bedas Alcuinus and all ther other doctors Yet wyll they take vpon theÌ„ to create euerye daye a fresh and whan their olde God stynketh in the boxe remoue hym out of the waye and put a newe in hys rowme yea they can make of breade whych is but mannys corruptyble creature and ordayned only to be eate soch a God as shall stande checkemate with the great God of heauen and parauenture deface hym also Oh blasphemouse wretches and theues Be ones a shamed of your abhomynable blyndenesse and submyte your selues to a iuste reformacyon Anne Askewe But as touchynge the holye and blessyd supper of the lorde I beleue it to be a mooste necessarye remembraunce of hys gloryouse suffering and deathe More ouer I beleue as moche therin as my eternall and onlye redemer Iesus Christ wolde I shuld beleue Fynallie I beleue al those scriptures to be true whom he hath coÌ„firmed with his most preciouse bloude Iohan Bale No godly institucion nor ordinaunce of Christ do thys faythfull woman contempne but reuerentlye submytteth herselfe therunto in the kynde that he dyd leaue them She protesteth here to beleue so moch as can be shewed by the scriptures of bothe testamentes And what is more to be requyred of a Christen beleuer Onlye dyd she in conscyence refuse and abhorre the ydell obseruacyons the paganes superstycyons the sorcerers inchauntmentes and the most parellouse ydolatryes whyche the Romyshe pope and his clergye haue added to theyr Masse for couetousnesse In thys I suppose she remembred the wordes of saynt Paule i. Corint ii My talkynge sayd he and my preachyng was not with persuasyble or entysynge wordes of mannes corrupt wysedom but in vtteraunce of the sprete and of power that your fayth shulde not stande in the wysedome of men but in the power of God For that sayth Christ whiche semeth hygh and holye afore men is fylthye abhomynacyon before God Luce xvi Anne Askewe Yea and as saynt Paule sayth those scryptures are suffycyente for oure lernynge and saluacyon that Chriâ—te hathe lefte here wyth vs. So that I beleue we nede no vnwrytten verytes to rule hys churche wyth Therfore loke what he hathe layed vnto me wythe hys owne mouthe in hys hoolye Gospell that haue I with Goddes grace closed vp in my harte And my full trust is as Dauid sayth that it shal be a laÌ„terne to my fote steppes Psa. cxviii Iohan Bale Styll are these frutes of inestymable wholsomnesse declarynge thys woman a mooste perfyght and innocent membre of Iesus Christe In thys whole processe marke it hardelye she ioyneth not for socourre to muddye waters or broken pyttes of the Phylystynes Hieremye ii Whyche are the corrupte doctrynes and tradycyons of men But she seketh to the verye welsprynge of helthe and fouÌ„tayne of saluacyon Ioan iiii All vnwrytten verytees lefte she to those waueringe wanderers which will eternallye perysh with theÌ„ And in the verytees written appoynted she to iournaye amonge the true Christen beleuers towardes the lande euerlastinge In all her affayres moste fyrmelye she cleaueth to the scriptures of God which geueth both spret and lyfe Ioan. vi As the hate in the forest desyreth the plesaunt water brokes so longed her sowle and was desyerouse of the manyfest glorye of her eternall God Psal. xli If her porcyon be not in the lande of the lyuynge Psal. cxli. Yea if she be not allowed a cytezen with the Sayntes Ephe. i. And her name regestred in the boke of lyfe Apoca. xxi Yt wyll be harde with manye But certayne and sure I am that
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
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
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
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 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
lyes as they can ymagyne for other armour they haue not And we shal on the other syde canonyse thē agayne wyth the myghty wordes and promises of Christ which they shall neuer be hable to resist The father of our lorde Iesus Christ graunt the light of his word so to spred the world ouer that the dark mysces of Sathan maye clerely be expelled to the specyall conforte of his redemed Churche and glorye of his eternall name Amen ¶ The latter examynaciō of the worthy seruaūt of God mastres Anne Askewe the yonger goughter of sir Wyllyam Askewe knyght of Lyncolne shyre lately martyred in Smythfelde by the wycked Synagoge of Antichrist The censure or iudgement of Iohan Bale therupon after the sacred Scriptures and Chronycles CHriste wylled hys most dere Apostle and secretarye saynt Iohan the Euangelist to signyfye by wrytynge to the ouersear or preacher of the cōgregacion of Pergamos that there only are hys faythfull membres murthered where Sathan inhabyteth or holdethe resydence And for example he bryngeth forthe his constaunte wytnesse Antipas whych was there most cruellye slayne of that Synagoge of hys for confessynge the veryte Apoca. ii That Behemoth sayth Iob that Leuyathan that Sathan regneth as a most myghtye kyng ouer al the spiritual chyldren of pryde Iob. xlii A murtherer sayth Christ to the spirytualte of the Iewes a blasphemouse lyar is that father of youres and hathe bene frome the worldes begynnynge Iohan. viii These maners hath he not yet lefte but contynueth them styll in his wycked posteryte In the prymatiue churche as testyfyeth Bedas they persecuted the heares of Christes head whych were so pure as the whyte wolle that is apte to receyue al colours Apoca. i. They slewe those true beleuers whych his word and spret had depured from al false worshyppinges and made fytte for al trybulacions to be suffered for his names sake In these lattre dayes they meddel with his fete whyche are lyke vnto brasse burnynge as it were in an whote furnace Apocalypsis i. For they that beleue nowe agreably to hys worde and not after theyr corrupted and cursed customes are consumed in the fyre As here after wyll appere by this godly woman Anne Askewe whiche wyth othere more was brente at London in the yeare of our lorde a. M. D. XLVI For the faythfull testymonye of Iesu agaynste Antichrist Whos 's lattre handelynge here foloweth in course lyke as I receyued it in coppye by serten duche marchauntes cōmynge frō thens which had bene at theyr burnynge and beholden the tyrannouse vyolence there shewed First out of the preson she wrot vnto a secrete frynde of hers after this maner folowynge Anne Askewe I do perceyue dere frynde in the Lorde that thou arte not yet perswaded thoroughlye in the truthe concernynge the Lordes supper bycause Christe sayde vnto hys Apostles Take eate Thys is my bodye whyche is geuen for yow In geuynge forthe the breade as an outewarde sygne or token to be receyued at the mouthe he mynded them in a perfyghte beleue to receyue that bodye of hys whyche shulde dye for the people or to thynke the deathe therof the onelye helthe and saluacyon of theyr sowles The breade and the wyne were lefte vs for a sacramentall communyon or a mutuall partycypacyon of the inestymable benefyghtes of hys moste precyouse deathe and bloude shedynge And that we shulde in the ende therof be thankefull togyther for that moste necessarye grace of our redempcyon For in the closynge vp therof he sayd thus Thys do ye in remembraunce of me Yea so oft as ye shall eate it or drynke it Luce xxii and. i. Corinth xi Els shulde we haue bene forgetfull of that we oughte to haue in daylye remembraunce and also bene altogyther vnthankefull for it Iohan Bale Agreable is thys womans doctryne here to the scriptures of both testamētes Wherin these wordes Edere Bybere to eate to drynke are often tymes spiritually taken for Credese to beleue or receyue in faithe The pore saith Dauid shal eate and be satisfyed Al that seke to please the lorde shall praise him their sowles shall neuer perysh Psal. xxi They that eate me sayth the veryte of God shall hunger more and more they that drincke me shall thirst more desirouslie for me Eccles. xxiiii On lesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man saith Chryste and drynke his bloud ye can haue no lyfe in yow Ioan. vi These scirptures expounde the doctours spyrytuallye yea the papystes al. Whereas the other iii. Euangelystes Mathew Marke and Luke sheweth nothynge els of the lordes supper but the playne historye Saint Iohan writynge laste of thē all many festeth there the whole cōplete doctrine full vnderstāding therof after Christes owne instruccyons and meanynge Requyred it is there that the true receiuers therof be taught of God and learned of the heuenlye father and not of synnefull mennes customes The worke of God or that pleaseth God is not there the puttynge of breade into the mouthe and bellye but to beleue or exactlye to consydre that Christ dyed for vs to clense vs from synne to ioyne vs into one mystycall body and to geue vs the lyfe euerlastynge And that there is none other but he that can procure vs that lyfe For that which entereth the mouth feadeth onlye the bodye But that entreth faythe feadeth the sowle I am the lyuynge breade saith he which came downe from heauen He onlye that beleueth in me hath the lyfe euerlasting Iohā vi The sprete is it that quyckeneth the fleshely vnder standynge or only mouth eatynge profyteth nothynge at all Here wyll an obstynate papyst parauenture saye that we attrybute nothynge to the corporall communyon Yeas we reuerentlye graunt that ryghtlye mynystred after Christes instytucyon it both confirmeth our faythe in the necessarye consyderacyons of his death and also sturrethe vp that brotherlye Christē loue which we ought to haue towardes our neyber besydes that this faythfull woman hath spoken here of it afore And these are the onlye frutes which he requyreth of vs in that supper of sacramentall metynge Anne Askewe Therfore it is mete that in prayers we call vnto God to grafte in our foreheades the true meanynge of the holy Ghost concernynge thys communyon For Saynte Paule dothe saye that the letter slayeth The sprete it is onlye that geueth lyfe ii Cor. iii. Marke wele the vi chapitre of Iohan where all is applyed vnto faythe Note also the fourth chaptre of Saint Paules first epystle to the Corynthes and in the ende therof ye shall fynde playnelye that the thinges which are seane are temporall but they that are not seane are euerlasting Yea loke in the third chaptre to the Hebrues and ye shall fynde that Chryste as a sonne and no seruaunt rulethe ouer hys howse whose howse are we and not the deade temple yf we hold
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
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
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
multitude to dyffame hym fayned false matter agaynste hym compelled the lawe and terrifyed the iudge to haue their full myschefe accomplished as our Bishoppes haue done in thys cruell acte and soche other Whan the prestes wolde haue blemished hys name by the ignomyniouse deathe whiche he suffred amonge theues on the crosse Pilate proclamed it gloriouse vnto all the worlde writinge his title in Hebrue Greke and Latine Iesus of Nazareth kinge of the Iewes and wolde not at their instaūt callinge on chāge it Ioā xvi Wrisleie Riche with their vngracyouse affynyte haue in euerye poynt folowed here the execrable affectes of the prestes Fauorablye Pilate licensed Ioseph of Arymathye to take downe Christes bodie and to burie it Math. xxvii Wrisleye cōmaunded thys martyr of God with her faythfull companyons to be brent to ashes Pylate was ignoraunt of Gods lawes and a pagane Wrisleye and Ryche know both the lawe and the Gospell and are christyanes the more is it to their dampnacyon to execute soch turkish tyrannye Now to conclude with Anne Askewe as the argument of thys boke requireth In the yeare of our lord a M.D.XLVI And in the moneth of Iulye at the prodygyouse procuremente of Antichristes furyouse remnaunt Gardyner Bonner and soch lyke she sufferd most cruell deathe ī Smythfelde with her iii. faithfull companyons Iohā Lassels a gentylmā whych had bene her instructour Iohan Adlam a tayler and a prest so constaunt in the veryte agaynst the sayd Antichristes supersticyons as they whose name at this tyme I had not Credybyle am I infourmed by dyuerse duche marchauntes whych were there present that in the time of their sufferinges the skie abhorringe so wycked an acte sodenly altered coloure and the cloudes frō aboue gaue a thōder clappe not al vnlyke to that is writtē Psa. lxxvi The elemētes both declared therin the hygh dyspleasure of God for so tyrānouse a murther of innocentes and also expreslye sygnyfyed his mightye hande present to the comfort of them whych trusted in hym besydes the most wonderfull mutacyon which wyll within short space therupon folowe And lyke as the Centuryon with those that were with hym for the tokens shewed at Christes deathe confessed hym to be the sonne of God Math. xxvii So dyd a greate nombre at the burnynge of these martyrs vpon the syght of thys open experymēt afferme them to be his faythfull members Full manye Christen hart haue rysen and wyll ryse from the pope to Chryste through the occasyon of their consumynge in the fyre As the saynge is of their ashes wyll more of the same opynyon aryse Manye a wone sayth yet both in Englande and Duchelande also O that woman that woman O those men those men If the popes generacyon and wycked remnaunt make manye more soch martyrs they are lyke to marre all their whole market in Englande It were best for thē now a dayes to lete men be at lyberte for their holye fathers gaudish ceremonies as they are for beare baytynges cocke fyghtynges tennys playe tables tombelinge daunsynge or hūtynge who list who maye for as little haue those tradiciōs of his of the worde of God in their prowdest out shewe as they haue Here wyll some tender stomakes be greued and report that in our headye hastinesse we refuse to suffre with our weake bretherne accordynge to the doctryne of Paule But I saye vnto them what so euer they be whyche are so scrupulouse wanderers that they most execrablye erre in so bestowynge the scryptures For abhomynable is that tolleraunce of our brethernes weakenesse where God is by ydolatrouse superstycyons dysobeyed dyshonoured and blasphemed A playne practyse were thys of Sathan in hypocresye to vpholde all deuylyshnesse On the other side was there an other sort at the deathe of these blessyd martyrs and they iudged of this alteracion of the ayre and thonder clappe as dyd the Iewysh Byshoppes with their peruerted multitude Whyche waggynge their heades rayled reuyled iangled iested scorned cursed mocked and mowed at Christes precyouse sufferynges on the crosse Mat xxvii and Luce xxiii These were the ydle wytted prestes at London and their beastlye ygnoraunt broodes with olde superstycyouse bawdes and brethels the popes blynde cattell These cryed there like madde me dye bedlemes as they hearde the thonder They are dampned they are dampned their wyse preachers outasynge the same at Paules crosse In dede full no billie are they ouerseane in the Bible that iudge the thonders to signifie dāpnacion Thonder saith the scripture is the voice of god Eccle. xliii Thonder is the helpinge power of the lorde Iob. xxvii and no dampnacion Christe called Iohan and Iames the sonnes of thonder Marci iii. Whiche betokened that they shuld be ernest preachers and no chyldren of dampnacion The lorde by thonder sheweth hys inscrutable workinge Iob. xxxviii Moses receiued the lawe Helias the sprete of prophecie the Apostles the holye Ghost all in thonder What wicked sole will saye they receiued so dampnacion As the lambe had opened the first seale of the boke the voice that went forth was as it had bene thonder Apoca. vi whiche is no dampnacion but a sharpe callinge of people to Godwarde The thonderynges that apered whan the Angell filled his censer Apoc viii were no dampnacions but Gods crueste wordes rebukinge the worlde for sinne The best interpretours do cal those thōderinges which came from the trone of God Apocal. iiii soch verites of the scripture as terrifieth synners and no dampnacions Neyther were the vii thonderynges whyche gaue their voices Apoc. x. anye other than mysteryes at their times to be opened Eucherius Lugdunensis other moralisers call thonders in the scripture the voyces of the Gospell and their lighteninges the clere openinges of the same If thōder be a thretteninge or a fearfull iudgement of God as in Psal. ciii it is to them that abyde here and not to them that depart frō hens A token is it also that the horrible tirauntes shall be as the meledust that the winde taketh awaye sodenlie Esaie xxix If Plage do folow of thōder as it dyd in Egypt whan Moses stretched forth his rodde Exodi ix It shal light vpon them which hath shewed the tirānouse vyolence on the people of God as it dyd vpon pharao and his cruell minysters At the mightye voyce which was both sensyble hearde and understandyd of the Apostles from heauen that the father was wolde be glorified by Christ the people said nothinge but It thondereth Ioan. xii For nothinge els they vnderstode therof What Anne Askewe and her companyons both hearde and se in thys thonder to their sowles cōsolacyon in their paynefull sufferinges no mortall vnderstandinge can discerne Onlye was it Steuen and paraduenture a fewe dysciples that se the heauens open whan he suffered and not the cruell multitude which ranne vpon him with