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
the madnesse of the Byshoppes and their speche men Reade burnynge plates of yron and of brasse had Blandina put to her sydes So had Anne Askewe the flamynge brādes of fyre Full of God and his veryte was Blandina So was Anne Askewe to the verye ende Christ wonderfullye tryumphed in Blandina So ded he in Anne Askewe whan she made no noyse on the racke and so ernestlye afterwarde reioyced in him Blandina was geuen fourth to wyld beastes to be deuoured So was Anne Askewe to cruel Bisshoppes prestes whom Christ calleth rauenynge wolues deuourers and theues Mathe. vii Iohan x. Blandina vpon the scaffolde boldelye reprehended the pagane prestes of theyr errour So dyd Anne Askewe when she was fast tied to the stake with stomack rebuked that blasphemous apostata Shaxton with the Bishoppes and prestes generacyon for theyr manyfest mayntenaunce of ydolatrye Blandina at the stake shewed a vysage vnterryfyed So ded Anne Askewe acountenaunce stowte myghtye and ernest Infatygable was the sprete of Blādina So was the sprete of Anne Askew The loue of Iesus Christ the gift of the holy Ghost and hope of the crowne of martirdome greatlye mytygated the paine in Blandina So ded those iii worthy graces the terrour of all tormentes in Anne Askewe The stronge sprete of Christ gaue stomack to Blandina both to laugh and daunce The same mightye sprete not the popes desperate sprete made Anne Askewe both to reioyce and synge in the preson So bolde was blandina saythe Eusebius that wyth a presumpciō of stomack she cōmoned with Christ vnsene I suppose Anne Askewes lattre examinaciō wyl shewe her not to doo moche lesse Gentyl was Blādina to the Christē beleuers terryble to their aduersatyes So was Anne Askewe very lowlye to true teachers but scorneful and hygh stomaked to the enemyes of truthe Many were conuerted by the sufferaunce of Blandina A farre greatter nombre by the burnynge of Anne Askewe Though Blandina were yonge yet was she called the mother of martyrs Manye men haue supposed Anne Askewe for her Chrysten constancye to be no lesse Blandina prayed for her persecuters So dyd Anne Askewe most feruentlye The ashes of blandina and of other martirs were throwne into the stood of Rhodanus What was done with the Ashes of Anne Askewe her companyons I can not yet tell All these former reportes of Blandina and manye more besydes hath Eusebius in Ecclesiastica historia libro v. cap. i. ii iii. Hugo Floriacensis Hermannus Contractus Vincentius Antoninus Petrus Equilinus other hystoryanes more And as touchinge Anne Askewe these ii examinacions with her other knowen handelynges in Englande are witnesse for her suffycyent Thus hath not the fyre taken Anne Askewe al whole from the world but left her here vnto it more pure perfyghte precious than afore as it wyl also Iohan Lassels within short space So that concernyng her it maye well be sayde that Paule verefyeth ii Cor. xii The strength of God is here made perfyght by weakenes Whan she semed most feble than was she most strōge And gladlye she reioyced in that weakenes that Christes power myght strongely dwell in her Thus choseth the lord the folysh of thys worlde to cōfounde the wyse the weake to deface the myghtye Yea thynges despysed thought verye vyle to brynge thynges vnto naught whych the worlde hath in most hyghe reputaciō I thincke if this martyr were rightly conferred with those canonysed martyrs whych haue had and yet hath styl sensynges and syngynges massynges ryngynges ī the popes English churche cause with cause and reason wyth reason as haplye here after they shal she shuld be a great blemysh vnto them An example of stronge sufferaunce myghte this holy martir be vnto all them that the Lorde shal after lyke manner put forewarde in this horryble furye of Antichriste to the glorye of hys persecuted Churche Amen The first examinacion of the worthye seruaunte of God mastres Anne Askewe the yonger doughter of Sir Wyllyam Askewe knyghte of Lyncolne shyre lately martyred in Smythfelde by the Romyshe popes vpholders The censure or iudgemēt of Iohan Bale therupon after the sacred Scriptures and Chronycles OF no lesse Christen cōstancie was this faithfull wytnes and holy martyr of God Anne Askewe nor no lesse a fast member of Christ by her myghtye persystēce in his verite at this tyme of mischife thā was the afore named Blandina in the prymatiue churche This shal wele apere in her ii examynacions or tyrannouse handelynges here folowinge whome she wrote with her owne hāde at the instāt desyre of certen faithfull men and wemē yea rather at the secrete mocyon of God that the truth therof myght be knowne the world ouer As within short space yt wyll be yf the latyne spech can carye yt Marke wel the cōmunycaciōs here both of her and of her examyners so prouing their spretes as S. Iohan the Apostle geuethe yow counsell i. Io. iiii And than shall ye know the tree by his frute the man by hys worke Anne Askewe To satisfye youre expectacion good people saithe she thys was my firste examynacyon in the yeare of oure Lorde M.D.xlv. and in the monethe of Marche firste Christofer Dare examyned me at Sadlers hall beynge one of the queste and asked yf I dyd not beleue that the sacramente hangynge ouer the aultre was the verye bodye of Chryste reallye Thē I demaunded this question of him wherfore S. Steuē was stoned to death And he said he coulde not tell Then I answered that no more wolde I assoyle his vayne questyon Iohan Bale A sacrament sayth Saynt Augustyne is a sygne shappe or symylytude of that it representith and no God nor yet thynge represented This worde reall or reallye is not of beleue for it is not in all the sacred scriptures Onlye is it sophistycallye borowed of the paganes lernynge by wynchestre his fellowes to corrupt our Christen fayth Be ware of that fylthye poyson The perfyght beleue of Steuen Actoru vii of Paule Act. xvii of Salomon iii. Reg. viii ii Par◠vi was that god dwelleth not in temples made with handes Agreable vnto this was the faythe of thys Godlye woman whych neyther coulde beleue that he dwellethe in the boxe God sayth Esaye lxvi Heauen is my seate not the boxe Dauid saythe Psal. cxiii oure God is in heauen not in the pyxe Christ taught vs to saye whā we praye Mat. vi Luce. xi our father which arte in heauen and not our father which art in the boxe Now discerne and iudge Anne Askewe Secondly he sayde that there was a woman whyche dyd testyfye that I should reade howe God was not in temples made wyth handes Then I shewed hym the. vii and the. xvii chapitre of the Apostles actes what Steuen and Paule had said therin Wherupon he asked me howe I
lyes as they can ymagyne for other armour they haue not And we shal on the other syde canonyse thē agayne wyth the myghty wordes and promises of Christ which they shall neuer be hable to resist The father of our lorde Iesus Christ graunt the light of his word so to spred the world ouer that the dark mysces of Sathan maye clerely be expelled to the specyall conforte of his redemed Churche and glorye of his eternall name Amen ¶ The latter examynaciō of the worthy seruaūt of God mastres Anne Askewe the yonger goughter of sir Wyllyam Askewe knyght of Lyncolne shyre lately martyred in Smythfelde by the wycked Synagoge of Antichrist The censure or iudgement of Iohan Bale therupon after the sacred Scriptures and Chronycles CHriste wylled hys most dere Apostle and secretarye saynt Iohan the Euangelist to signyfye by wrytynge to the ouersear or preacher of the cōgregacion of Pergamos that there only are hys faythfull membres murthered where Sathan inhabyteth or holdethe resydence And for example he bryngeth forthe his constaunte wytnesse Antipas whych was there most cruellye slayne of that Synagoge of hys for confessynge the veryte Apoca. ii That Behemoth sayth Iob that Leuyathan that Sathan regneth as a most myghtye kyng ouer al the spiritual chyldren of pryde Iob. xlii A murtherer sayth Christ to the spirytualte of the Iewes a blasphemouse lyar is that father of youres and hathe bene frome the worldes begynnynge Iohan. viii These maners hath he not yet lefte but contynueth them styll in his wycked posteryte In the prymatiue churche as testyfyeth Bedas they persecuted the heares of Christes head whych were so pure as the whyte wolle that is apte to receyue al colours Apoca. i. They slewe those true beleuers whych his word and spret had depured from al false worshyppinges and made fytte for al trybulacions to be suffered for his names sake In these lattre dayes they meddel with his fete whyche are lyke vnto brasse burnynge as it were in an whote furnace Apocalypsis i. For they that beleue nowe agreably to hys worde and not after theyr corrupted and cursed customes are consumed in the fyre As here after wyll appere by this godly woman Anne Askewe whiche wyth othere more was brente at London in the yeare of our lorde a. M. D. XLVI For the faythfull testymonye of Iesu agaynste Antichrist Whos 's lattre handelynge here foloweth in course lyke as I receyued it in coppye by serten duche marchauntes cōmynge frō thens which had bene at theyr burnynge and beholden the tyrannouse vyolence there shewed First out of the preson she wrot vnto a secrete frynde of hers after this maner folowynge Anne Askewe I do perceyue dere frynde in the Lorde that thou arte not yet perswaded thoroughlye in the truthe concernynge the Lordes supper bycause Christe sayde vnto hys Apostles Take eate Thys is my bodye whyche is geuen for yow In geuynge forthe the breade as an outewarde sygne or token to be receyued at the mouthe he mynded them in a perfyghte beleue to receyue that bodye of hys whyche shulde dye for the people or to thynke the deathe therof the onelye helthe and saluacyon of theyr sowles The breade and the wyne were lefte vs for a sacramentall communyon or a mutuall partycypacyon of the inestymable benefyghtes of hys moste precyouse deathe and bloude shedynge And that we shulde in the ende therof be thankefull togyther for that moste necessarye grace of our redempcyon For in the closynge vp therof he sayd thus Thys do ye in remembraunce of me Yea so oft as ye shall eate it or drynke it Luce xxii and. i. Corinth xi Els shulde we haue bene forgetfull of that we oughte to haue in daylye remembraunce and also bene altogyther vnthankefull for it Iohan Bale Agreable is thys womans doctryne here to the scriptures of both testamētes Wherin these wordes Edere Bybere to eate to drynke are often tymes spiritually taken for Credese to beleue or receyue in faithe The pore saith Dauid shal eate and be satisfyed Al that seke to please the lorde shall praise him their sowles shall neuer perysh Psal. xxi They that eate me sayth the veryte of God shall hunger more and more they that drincke me shall thirst more desirouslie for me Eccles. xxiiii On lesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man saith Chryste and drynke his bloud ye can haue no lyfe in yow Ioan. vi These scirptures expounde the doctours spyrytuallye yea the papystes al. Whereas the other iii. Euangelystes Mathew Marke and Luke sheweth nothynge els of the lordes supper but the playne historye Saint Iohan writynge laste of thē all many festeth there the whole cōplete doctrine full vnderstāding therof after Christes owne instruccyons and meanynge Requyred it is there that the true receiuers therof be taught of God and learned of the heuenlye father and not of synnefull mennes customes The worke of God or that pleaseth God is not there the puttynge of breade into the mouthe and bellye but to beleue or exactlye to consydre that Christ dyed for vs to clense vs from synne to ioyne vs into one mystycall body and to geue vs the lyfe euerlastynge And that there is none other but he that can procure vs that lyfe For that which entereth the mouth feadeth onlye the bodye But that entreth faythe feadeth the sowle I am the lyuynge breade saith he which came downe from heauen He onlye that beleueth in me hath the lyfe euerlasting Iohā vi The sprete is it that quyckeneth the fleshely vnder standynge or only mouth eatynge profyteth nothynge at all Here wyll an obstynate papyst parauenture saye that we attrybute nothynge to the corporall communyon Yeas we reuerentlye graunt that ryghtlye mynystred after Christes instytucyon it both confirmeth our faythe in the necessarye consyderacyons of his death and also sturrethe vp that brotherlye Christē loue which we ought to haue towardes our neyber besydes that this faythfull woman hath spoken here of it afore And these are the onlye frutes which he requyreth of vs in that supper of sacramentall metynge Anne Askewe Therfore it is mete that in prayers we call vnto God to grafte in our foreheades the true meanynge of the holy Ghost concernynge thys communyon For Saynte Paule dothe saye that the letter slayeth The sprete it is onlye that geueth lyfe ii Cor. iii. Marke wele the vi chapitre of Iohan where all is applyed vnto faythe Note also the fourth chaptre of Saint Paules first epystle to the Corynthes and in the ende therof ye shall fynde playnelye that the thinges which are seane are temporall but they that are not seane are euerlasting Yea loke in the third chaptre to the Hebrues and ye shall fynde that Chryste as a sonne and no seruaunt rulethe ouer hys howse whose howse are we and not the deade temple yf we hold
whyche is the geuer of all grace that he wyll gracyoslye assyst me agaynste all euyll opynyons whyche are contrarye to hys blessed veryte For I take hym to witnes that I haue do and wyll do vnto my lyues ende vtterlye abhorre them to the vttermost of my power But this is the heresye which they report me to hold that after the prest hath spokeÌ„ the wordes of consecracyon there remayneth breade styll Iohan. Bale Consydre without frowarde party all or wylful affeccyon the poyntes herin contayned and than iudge of what hatte or conscyence they haue rysen The hope of thys woman was onlye in God Hym she confessed to be of all grace the geuer Alone in hys mercye she trusted She instauntlye desyred hym to defende her from all errours She abhorred all heresyes She detested mennys superstycyouse inuencions And most firmelye cleaued to hys eternall worde If these with those that went afore be not frutes of true christianyte or of a perfyght member of Gods eleccyon what frutes will we demauÌ„d S. Paule saith No man can confesse that Iesus is the lorde as she hath done here but in the holye Ghost i. Corinth xii Dauid also specifieth that the lord neuer forsaketh them which call vpon hys name put their trust in hym Psal. ix And as touchynge the prestes consecracioÌ„ which is soch a charme of inchauntemeÌ„t as maie not be done but by an oyled offycer of the popes generacyon she dyd godlye to reiect it in that clowtynge kynde For in all the Byble is it not that anye maÌ„ can make of a drie waffer cake a newe sauer a newe redemer a newe Christ or a new God No though he shulde vtter all the wordes and scriptures therin Anne Askewe But they both saie and also teach it for a necessarye artycle of faithe that after those wordes be ones spoken there remayneth no bread but euen the selfe same bodie that bynge vpon the crosse on good frydaye both fleshe bloud and bone To thys beleue of theirs saye I naye For then were our commen Crede false whych saith that he sytteth on the right haÌ„de of God the father almyghtye and from thens shall come to iudge the quycke and the deade Loo thys is the heresye that I holde and for it muste suffer the deathe Iohan Bale Of Antichrist reade we in the scriptures that he hys oyled Apostles shulde do false myracles Math. xxiiii ii Thes ii Apoca. xiii We finde also in the same selfe places that he shuld exalte hymselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshypped as God Who euer hearde of so greate a wondre that a drye cake myght become a God to be worshypped A myracle were thys aboue all the myracles that euer were wrought and a worke aboue al the workes that euer were done if it were true as it is most false Though our eternall God created heauen and earthe in the first begynnynge and fourmed all other creatures Gene. i. Yet reade we not of hym that he made of hys creatures anye newe God to be worshypped In that poynt are our oiled Antichrystes afore hym And where as he rested whollye in the seuenth daye from that offyce of creacyon Gene. ii and neuer toke it vpon hym sens that tyme as testyfyeth Iohan Chrisostome Augustyne Hierome Bedas Alcuinus and all ther other doctors Yet wyll they take vpon theÌ„ to create euerye daye a fresh and whan their olde God stynketh in the boxe remoue hym out of the waye and put a newe in hys rowme yea they can make of breade whych is but mannys corruptyble creature and ordayned only to be eate soch a God as shall stande checkemate with the great God of heauen and parauenture deface hym also Oh blasphemouse wretches and theues Be ones a shamed of your abhomynable blyndenesse and submyte your selues to a iuste reformacyon Anne Askewe But as touchynge the holye and blessyd supper of the lorde I beleue it to be a mooste necessarye remembraunce of hys gloryouse suffering and deathe More ouer I beleue as moche therin as my eternall and onlye redemer Iesus Christ wolde I shuld beleue Fynallie I beleue al those scriptures to be true whom he hath coÌ„firmed with his most preciouse bloude Iohan Bale No godly institucion nor ordinaunce of Christ do thys faythfull woman contempne but reuerentlye submytteth herselfe therunto in the kynde that he dyd leaue them She protesteth here to beleue so moch as can be shewed by the scriptures of bothe testamentes And what is more to be requyred of a Christen beleuer Onlye dyd she in conscyence refuse and abhorre the ydell obseruacyons the paganes superstycyons the sorcerers inchauntmentes and the most parellouse ydolatryes whyche the Romyshe pope and his clergye haue added to theyr Masse for couetousnesse In thys I suppose she remembred the wordes of saynt Paule i. Corint ii My talkynge sayd he and my preachyng was not with persuasyble or entysynge wordes of mannes corrupt wysedom but in vtteraunce of the sprete and of power that your fayth shulde not stande in the wysedome of men but in the power of God For that sayth Christ whiche semeth hygh and holye afore men is fylthye abhomynacyon before God Luce xvi Anne Askewe Yea and as saynt Paule sayth those scryptures are suffycyente for oure lernynge and saluacyon that Chriâ—te hathe lefte here wyth vs. So that I beleue we nede no vnwrytten verytes to rule hys churche wyth Therfore loke what he hathe layed vnto me wythe hys owne mouthe in hys hoolye Gospell that haue I with Goddes grace closed vp in my harte And my full trust is as Dauid sayth that it shal be a laÌ„terne to my fote steppes Psa. cxviii Iohan Bale Styll are these frutes of inestymable wholsomnesse declarynge thys woman a mooste perfyght and innocent membre of Iesus Christe In thys whole processe marke it hardelye she ioyneth not for socourre to muddye waters or broken pyttes of the Phylystynes Hieremye ii Whyche are the corrupte doctrynes and tradycyons of men But she seketh to the verye welsprynge of helthe and fouÌ„tayne of saluacyon Ioan iiii All vnwrytten verytees lefte she to those waueringe wanderers which will eternallye perysh with theÌ„ And in the verytees written appoynted she to iournaye amonge the true Christen beleuers towardes the lande euerlastinge In all her affayres moste fyrmelye she cleaueth to the scriptures of God which geueth both spret and lyfe Ioan. vi As the hate in the forest desyreth the plesaunt water brokes so longed her sowle and was desyerouse of the manyfest glorye of her eternall God Psal. xli If her porcyon be not in the lande of the lyuynge Psal. cxli. Yea if she be not allowed a cytezen with the Sayntes Ephe. i. And her name regestred in the boke of lyfe Apoca. xxi Yt wyll be harde with manye But certayne and sure I am that
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
with Marye Marthaes syster soch a sure part haue she chosen as wyll not be takē awaye from her Luce. x. Anne Askewe There be some do saye that I denye the Eucharistie or sacramēt of thankes geuynge But those people do vntrulye reporte of me For I both saye and beleue it that yf yt were ordered lyke as Christe instytuted it and left it a mooste syngular conforte it were vnto vs all But as concernynge your Masse as it is now vsed in our daies I do saye beleue it to be the mooste abhomynable ydoll that is in the worlde For my God wil not be eatē with tethe neyther yet dyeth he agayne And vpō these wordes that I haue now spoken wyll I suffer deathe Iohan Bale All the workes of God and ordinaunces of Christ she reuerenlye admytted as grounded matters of Christen beleue But the Romysh popes creatures wolde she in no case allowe to stande vp checke mate with them The Masse whych is in all poyntes of that fylthye Antychristes creacyon toke she for the moste execreable ydoll vpon earth And rightly For non other is the chylde to be reckened than was hys father afore hym be he man or beast The whelpe of a dogge is non other than a dogge whan he cometh ones to his age Ydolles sayth Dauid are lyke them that make them So are they also whych put theyr trust in them Psalme cxiii An ydoll doth zacharye call that proude slaughterouse shepehearde zacharye xi Who then can denye hys prodigiouse ordynaunces to be the same What other is the worke of an ydolatrouse worker than an execrable ydoll And loke what propertees anye ydoll hathe hadde or feates hath wrought yet sens the worldes begynnyng the popes prodygyouse Masse hath had and wrought the same with manye conueyaunces more Of popes hath it receyued disgisynges instrumentes blessynges turnynges and legerdemaynes wyth manye straunge obseruacyons borowed of the Iewes and paganes olde sacryfyces besydes pardons for delyueraunce of sowles Of monkes haue it gotten a purgatorye after manye straunge apparycyōs wyth a longe ladder from thens to scale heauen with It hathe obtayned also to be a remedye for all dyseases both in man and beast wyth innumerable superstycyons els Of vnyuersytes and their doctours haue it cawte all the subtyltees and crafty lernynges of the prophane phylosophers to be defended by as is to be seane in the workes of their sentencioners lyke as I haue shewed in the mysteri of iniquyte fo xxxiii It serueth all wytches in theyr wytchery all sorcerers charmers inchaunters dreamers sothsayers necromansers coniures crosse dyggers deuyll raysers myracle doers doggeleches and bawdes For wythout a Masse they can not well worke theyr feates The lawers lyke wyse whiche seke in Westmynstre hawle to get most moneye by falschede can neyther be well wythoute it It vpholdeth vayne glory pryde ambycyon auaryce glottonye slouthe ydelnesse hypocresye heresye tyrannye and all other deuylyshnesse besydes It maynteyneth the spirytuall souldiers of Antichriste in all superfluouse lyuynge and wanton lecherouse lustes with the chaste occupyenges of Sodome and Gomor What other ghostly frutes it hathe I shall more largelye shewe in my boke called The myracles of the Masse against Perine Perchaunce some deuout Masse hearers wyl laye for the holynes therof that it contayneth bothe pystle and Gospell Truelye that Epystle and that Gospell maye well haue a name of lyfe as S. Iohan saythe of the church of Sardis Apoca. z. Yet is it in that offyce of massynge nō other than the dead or mortyfienge letter ii Cor. iii. For the sprete that shuld quycken is clerely taken from it So that nothyng els therof remayneth to the common people but a dead noyse and an ydle sounde as it is now in the Romysh lāguage Who can saye but it was the scripture that Sathan alleged vnto Christ vpon the pynnacle of the temple Mat iiii Yet remayneth it there styll after his vngracyous handelynge therof as a false crafty suggestyon a deuylyshe erroure or a shylde of hys wyckednes wyll do euermore Where are the names of God of his Angels of his sayntes more ryfe than among witches charmers inchaūters sorcerers Yet can ye not saye that they are amōge thē to anye mānes saluacyon as they wolde be in ryght handelynge What it is that seruethe an ydoll lette godly wyse men coniecture whyche are not all ygnorraunt howe the Angel became a deuyll Anne Askewe O Lorde I haue more enemyes now than ther be heares on my heade Yet lorde lette them neuer ouercome me with vayne wordes But fyghte thou lorde in my stede For on the cast I my care With al the spyght they can ymagine thei fal vpō me which amthipore creature Yet swete lorde let me not set by thē which ar against the. For in that is my whole delight Iohan Bale O blessed woman and vndoubted cytyzen of heauen Truthe it is that thou hast had manye aduersaryes yea and a far greatter nombre of them than thou hast here reckened And the more thou hast had the greatter is nowe thy vyctorye in Christ. The great bodye of the Beast thou hast had to enemye whiche cōprehendeth the malignaunt muster of Sathā on the one syde the earthly worshyppers of his blasphemous beastlines on the other syde Daniel xi Apoc. xi i. whose nōbre is as the sande of the sec infynite Apo. xx But consydre agayne what fryndeshyp thou hast gotten for it on the other part Thou hast now to frinde for thy faythefull perseueraunce agaynst those ydoll mongers the sempyternall trynyte the father the sonne the holye Gost. Ioā xiiii With the gloryouse multitude of Angels the patriarkes Prophetes Aposteles Martyrs wyth all the electnōbre from righteous Abel hytherto Thou hast also here vpō earthe euermore shall haue the fauer of all thē which haue not bowed to that fylthy Beaste whose names are regestred in the boke of life Apo. xxi And as for thy vngodlye cruell enemyes as dust in the wynde the lorde wyll scattre them from the face of the earth be they neuer so stowte and many Psal. i. Anne Askewe And Lorde I hartelye desyre of the that thou wylte of thy mooste mercyfull goodnesse forgeue them that vyolence whyche they do and haue done vnto me Open also thou theyr blynde hartes that they maye hereafter do that thynge in thy syghte whych is onely acceptable before the. And to sette fourthe thy veryte a ryghte wythoute all vayne fantasyes of synnefull men So be it O Lorde so be it By me Anne Askewe Iohan Bale Afore here she confesseth with Dauid that on God she had caste her care and that in him was all her hartes delyght Psa. lx She desyred hym also neuer to fayle herin to is harde cōdicte but strōglye to assist her and in no case to