The lattre examinacion of the worthye seruaunt of God mastres Anne Askewe the yōger doughter of Sir Wyllyam Askewe knyght of Lyncolne shyre, latelye martyred in Smithfelde by the wycked Synagoge of Antichrist. The censure or iudgemēt of Iohan Bale therupon, after the sacred Scriptures and Chronycles.
CHrist wylled hys most dere Apostle and secretarye Gaynt Iohā theS. Iohā. Euangelist, to sygnyfye by writynge to the euer fear or preacher of the congregacyon of Pergamos, that there onlye are hys faythfull mēbers murthered, where Sathā inhabyteth or holdeth [Page] resydence. And for exāple he bryngeth forth hys constaunt witnesse Antipas, whych was there most cruellye slayne of that Synagoge of hys, for confessynge the veryte, Apoca. 2. That Behemorh (sayth Iob) that Leuyathan, that Sathan,Sathan. regneth as a most myghtye kynge ouer all the spirytuall chyldren of pryde. Iob 42. A murtherer (sayth Christ to the spirytual [...]e of the Iewes) and a blasphemouse lyar, is that father of yours, & hath bene from the worldes begynnynge Ioan. 8. These maners hath he not yet left, but contynueth them styll in hys wycked posteryte.
Iu the prymatyue churche (as restyfyeth Bedas) they persecuted the heares of Christes head,Christes heares. whych were so pure as the whyte w [...]lle that is apte to receyue all colours, Apoca, 1. They slewe those true beleuers whych hys worde & sprete had depured from all false worshyppynges, and made fytt for all trybulacyons to be suffered for hys names sake. In these lattre dayes they meddele with his fete,Christes fete. whych are lyke vnto brasse, burynge as it were in an whote furnace, Apo. 1. For they that beleue now agreably to hys [Page 11] worde, and not after ther corrupted and cursed customes,Fyre. are consumed in the fyre. As here after wyll apere by thys godlye woman Anne Askewe, whych with other more was brent at London in the yeare of our lorde a M.D.XLVI. For the faythfull testymonye of Iesu agaynst Antichrist. Whose lattre handelynge here foloweth in course, lyke as I receyued it in coppye,Coppye. by serten duche merchauntes cōmynge frō thens, whych had bene at their burnynge, and beholden the tyrannouse vyolence there shewed. First out of the preson she wrote vnto a secrete frynde of hers, after thys ma [...]er folowynge.
Anne Askewe.
I do perceyue (dere frynde in the lorde) that thu art not yet persuaded throughlye in the truthe concernynge the lordes supper,Christ. bycause Christ sayd vnto hys Apostles. Take, eate Thys is my bodye whych is geuen for yow. In geuynge forth the breade as an outwarde sygne [Page] or token to be receyued at the mouche, he mynded them in a perfyght beleue to receyue that bodye of hys whych shuld dye for the people, or to thynke the deathe therof, the onlye h [...]lthe and saluacyon of their sowles. The breade and the wyne were left vs,Breade. for a sacramentall communyon, or a mutuall pertycypacyon of the inestymable benefyghtes of hys most precyouse deathe and bloud shedynge. And that we shuld in the ende therof, be thankefull togyther for that most necessarye grace of our redempcyon. For in the closynge vp therof, he sayd thus. Thys do ye, in remē braunceRemēbre of me. Yea, so oft as ye shall eate it or drynke it, Luce 22. and 1. Corinth. 11. [...]ls shuld we haue bene forgetfull of that we ought to haue in daylye remembraunce, [Page 12] & also bene altogyther vnthankefull for it.
Iohan Bale.
Agreable to thys womānis doctryne here,Edere & Bibere. are the scriptures of both testamēice. Wherin these wordes Edere & Bibere, to eate & to drynke, are oft tymes spirytuallye taken for Credere, to beleue or receyue in faythe. The poore (sayth Dauid) shall eate and he satisfyd. All that seke to please the lorde shall prayse hym, & their sowles shall neuer perysh, Psal. 21. They that eate me (sayth the veryte of God) shall hungre more and more,Beleue▪ and they that drincke me shall thirst more desyerouslye for me. Eccles. 24. Onlesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man (sayth Christ) and drynke hys bloude, ye can haue no lyfe in yow, Ioā. 6. These scriptures expounde the doctours spirytuallye,Euangelystes. yea, the papistes & all Where as the other iij. Euangelistes. Mathew, Marke, and Luke, sheweth nothynge els of the lordes supper but the playne historie, S. Iohan writynge last of thē all,Doctry [...]ne manyfesteth there the whole cōplte [...] doctryne & full vnderstādynge [Page] therof after Christes owne [...] and meanynge. [...] is it there, that the true receyuers therof, be taught of God, and lerned of the heauenlye father and not of synnefull mennes customes.
The worke of God, or that pleaseth God.Faythe. 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 bodye, and to geue vs the lyfe euerlastynge. And that there is non other but he that can procure vs that lyfe. For that whych entereth the mou [...]he, feadeth onlye [...]he bodye. But that entereth faythe, feade [...]h the sowle.Christ. I am the lyuynge breade sayth he) whych came downe from heauen. He onlye that beleueth in me, hath the lyfe euerlastynge, Ioan. 6. the sprete is it that quyckeneth, the fleshelye vnder standynge, or onlye mouthe eatynge, profyteth nothynge at all. Here wyll an obstyna [...]e papyst parauenture saye, that we attrybute nothynge to the corporall communyon.Communyon. Yeas, we reuerentlye, graunt, that ryghtlye mynystred after Christes [Page 23] instytucyon it both confirmeth our faythe in the necessarye consyderacyons of hys deathe, and also sturreth vp that brotherlye Christē loue whych we ought to haue towardes our neyber,Loue. besydes that thys faythfull woman hath spoken here of it a force. And these are the onlye frutes whych he requireth of vs in that supper or sacramentall metynge.
Anne Askewe.
Therfor it is mete, that in prayers we call vnto God, to grafte in our foreheades, the true meanynge of the holye Ghost concernynge thys communyō.Letter. For S. Paule doth saye that the letter slayeth. The sprete is it onlye that geueth lyfe. 2. Cor. 3. Marke wēle the vj. chaptre of Iohan, where all is applyed vnto faythe. [...]ore also the fort chaptre of S. Paules first epistle to the Corynthes, & in the ende therof ye shall fynde playnelye, that the thynges [Page] whych are seane are temporall, but they that are not seane are euerlastynge. Yea, loke in the third chaptre to the Hebrues, & ye shall fynde that ChristChrist. as a sonne and no seruaunt▪ ruleth ouer hys howse (whose howse are we, and not the dead tēple) if we holde fast the confydence and reioysynge of that hope to the ende. Wherfor as sayth the holye Ghost. To daye if yow shall heare hys voyce, harden not your hartes, &c, Psalm. 94.
Iohan Bale.
By the fore headesForeheades. vnderstāde she the hartes or myndes of men, for so are they take of S. Iohā, Apoc. 7. aud 22. I can not thynke, but herm she had respect vnto the plate of fyne golde whych the lorde commaunded to be sett vpon Aarōs foreheade, for the acceptacyon of the people of Israel,Hartes. Exodi 2. For here wolde she all mennys hartes to be endued and lyghtened with the most pur [...] sprete of Christ, for the vnderstandynge [Page 14] of that most holye and necessarye cōmunyon, the corrupted dreames and f [...]ntasyes of synnefull men sett a part. She knewe by the syngular gyft of the holye Ghost, that they are lyenge masters, procurers of ydolatrye, and most spyghfull enemyes to the sowle of man, that applyeth that offyce to the corruptyble lypp [...],Lyars whych belongeth to an vncorrupted faythe, so settynge the creature that is corruptyble breade, in place of the creator Christ both God and man, Roma. 1. lamentynge it with the ryghtouse, at the verye hart ro [...]e.A mēbre. And in thys she shewed her selfe to be a naturall membre of Christes mystycall bodye. 1. Cor. 12. relygyouslye carefull for her Christen bretherne & systerne, least they shuld take harme of the popes masmongers.
Anne Askewe.
The summe of my examynacyō afore the kynges counsell at Grenewyche. Your request as cōcernynge my presō fellowes,Cōpanyons. I am not hable to satysfye, bycause I hearde not their examynacyōs. But the effect of myne was thys I [Page] before the counsell, was asked of mastre kyme. I answered, that my lorde chācellour knewe all redye my mynde in that matter, They with that answere were not cōtented, but sayd, it was the kynges pleasure,Ryme. that I shuld open the matter to them. I answered thē 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 sayd, it was not mete for the kynge with me to be troubled. I answered, that SalomonSolomon was reckened the wysest kynge that euer lyued, yet myslyked not he to heare .ij. poore cōmon womē, moch more hys grace a symple woman and hys faythfull subiect. So in cō clusyon, I made thē non other answere in that matter.
Iohan Bale.
[Page 15] Cōcernynge mastre Ryme,Ryme. thys shuld seme to be the matter. Her father Sir Wyllyam Askewe knyght and hys father olde mastre Ryme, were sumtyme of famylyaryte and neybers within the countye of Lyncolne shyre. Wherupon the seyd Sir Wyllyam, couenaunted wyth hym for lucre, to haue hys eldest [...]oughter marryed with hys sonne and [...] (as an vngodlye maner it is in Englande moch vsed amonge neble men) And as it was her chaunce to dye afore the tyme of marryage,An vse. to saue the money he constrayned thys to supplye her rowme. So that in the ende she was cō pelled agaynst her wyll or fre consent to marrye with hym. Notwithstandynge the marryage ones past, she demeaned her selfe lyke a Christen wyfe,Marryed aud had by hym (as I am infourmed) ij. chyldrē. In processe of tyme by oft readynge of the sacred Bible, she fell clerelye from all olde superstycyons of papystrye, to a perfyght beleue in Ihesus Christ Wherby she so offēded the prestes (as is to be seane after) that he at their suggestion,Exyled. vyolentlye droue her oute of hys howse. Wherupō she thought her selfe free frō [Page] that vncomelye [...] marr [...]age, by thys doctryne of S. Paule 1 Cor. 7. If a faytfull womā haue an vnbeleuynge husbāde, whych wyll not tarrye with her she maye leaue hym. For a brother or syster is not in subieccyō to soch▪ specyallye where as the marryage afore is vnlawfull. Vpō thys occasyō (I heare saye) she s [...]ught of the law a dyuorcemē [...] D [...]uorcement. frō hym, namelye and aboue all, bycause he so cruellye droue her out of hys howse in despyght of Christes veryte. She coulde not thynke hym worthye of her marryage whych so spyghtfullye hated God the chefe autor of marryage.A beast. Of thys matter was she first examyned (I thynke) at hys instaunt laboure an [...] sute.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde chauncellour asked me of my opynyon in the sacrament.Sacrament. My answere was thys. I beleue, that so oft as I in a Christen congregacyon, do receyue the breade in remembraunce of Christes deathe, & with thankes geuynge accordynge [Page 16] to hys holye instytucyō, I receyne therwith the frutes also of hys most gloryouse passyon. [...]. The Byshopp of wynchestre bad me make a dyrect answere. I sayd, I wolde not synge a newe songe to the lorde in a straunge lande.
Iohan Bale.
Dyrect ynough was thys answere after Christes syngle doctryne, but not after the popes double and couetouse meanynge for hys [...]yled queresters aduauntage.Answere. And here was at hande hys generall aduocate or stewarde, to loke vpon the matter, that nothynge shuld perysh perteynynge to the mayntenaunce of hys superstycyouse vayne glorye, if anye cra [...]tye polycye myght helpe it.Tyraun [...]. What offended thys godlye Christen woman here, eyther in opynyon or faythe, ye cruell a [...]d vengeable tyraunies? But that ye must (as Dauid sayth) temper your tunges with venemouse wordes to destroye that innocent. Psal. 63. Coulde yow haue brought in agaynst her a matter of more daunger concernynge [Page] your lawes, to depryue her of lyfe, ye wolde haue done it,Daunger soch is your gostlye charyte. But be sure of it, as hawtye as ye are now, the harde plage therof wyll [...]e yours, whan the great vengeaunce shall fall for shedynge of innocentes bloude. Mathe [...] 23.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshopp sayd, I spake in parables.Parable [...] I answered it was best for hym. For if I shewe the open truthe (quoth I) ye wyll not accept it. Thē he sayd I was a paratte. I tolde hym agayne, I was ready to suffre all thynges at hys hādes. Not onlye hys rebukes, but all that shuld folowe besydes, yea, and that gladlye. Then had I dyuerse rebukes of the counsell.Rebukes. bycause I wolde not expresse my mynde in all thynges as they wolde haue me. But they were not in the meane tyme vnanswered for all that, whych now [Page 17] to rehearce, were to moche. For I was with them there aboue fyue houres.v. houres Then the clerke of the counsell conueyed me from thens to my ladye Garnyshe.
Iohan Bale.
Most cōmonlye Christ vsed to speake in darke symylytudes and parables, whā he perceyued hys audyence rather geuon to the hearynge of pharysaycall constytucyons and customes, than to hys heauenlye veryte, Math. 13. Mar. 4. Luce 7. Whych rule thys woman beynge hys true dyscyple, forgote not here, in cōmenynge with thys proude Byshopp.Wyuchesnstre. whō she knewe to be alwayes a most obstynate withstander of that wholsom veryte of hys. And as concernynge mockes and scornefull re [...]ylynges, they haue bene euer in that generacyon of scorners more plenteouse than good counsels to the ryghtwyse.Mockers And therfor as a name after their condycyons, it is vnto them appropryate of the holye Ghost in manye places of the scriptures. In the lattre [Page] dayes (sayth Iudas the apostle) shall come mockers, walkynge in vngodlynesse all after their owne lustes. These are they whych separate themselues frō the common sort by a name of spirytualtie, beynge in conuersacyon beastlye, and hauynge no sprete that is godlye.Hypocrytes. But derelye beloued (sayth he) grounde your selues surelye vpon our most holye faythe, &c.
Anne Askewe.
The next daye I was brought agayne before the counsell. Then wolde they nedes knowe of me, what I sayd to the sacrament.Sacrament. I answered, that I alredye had sayd that I coulde saye Then after diuerse wordes▪ they bad me, go by. Then came my lorde Lyle,Wynchestre. my lorde of Essexe, and the Byshopp of wynchestre requyrynge me ernestlye, that I shuld confesse the sacrament to be fleshe, bloude and bone. Then sayd I to my lorde Para [...]d [Page 18] my lorde Lyle, that it was great shame for them to counsell contrarye to their knowlege.Godlye. Wherunto in fewe wordes they ded saye, that they wolde gladlye all thynges were wele.
Iohan Bale.
Alwayes haue the worldelye gouernours shewed more gentylnesse and fauer to the worde of God,Prynces [...] than the consecrate prestes and prelates. As we haue for example in the olde lawe▪ that Ezechias the kynge of Iuda wolde in no case at their callynge on. put MicheasMichea [...] the true prophete vnto deathe, whan he had prophecyed the destructyon of Samaria for their ydolatrye, and for the tyrannye of their prynces and false prophetes, Miche 1. and 3. Neyther wolde the prynces at the prestes headye exclamacyons, murther Hieremyehieremye for the lordes veryte preachynge, but mercyfullye delyuered hym out of their malycyouse handes, Hieremye 26. Pylate inPylate [...] lyke case, concernynge the newe Iawe, [Page] plea [...]ed with the Iewes spirytualte, to haue saued Christ frō the deathe, Math. 27. Ioan. 18. So ded the captayne Claudius LisiasLisias delyuer Paule from their mortall malyce, after that the hygh prest Ananias had commaunded hym to be smytten, and hys retynewe cōspyred hys deathe, Acto. 23. At the prestes onlye prouocacyon was it, that the heythnysh emprours so greuouslye vexed and tormented the Christen beleuers in the prymatyue churche,Cesares. as testyfyeth Egesyppus. Clemens Alexandrinus, Eusebius, a [...]d other olde hystoryanes.
Anne Askew.
Then the Byshopp sayd, he wolde speake withme famylyarlye. I sayd, so ded Iudas whan he vnfryndelye betrayed Christ Then desyered the Byshopp to speake with me alone.Wynchestre. But that I refused. He asked me, whye? I sayd, that in the mouthe of two or thre wytnesses euerye matter shuld stande, after Christes [Page 19] & Paules doctryne. Math. 18. and 2. Cor. 13.
Iohan Bale.
Ded she not (thynke yow) hytt the nayle on the head▪ in thus tauntynge thys Byshopp? yeas.Treason. For as great offence doth he to Christ, that geueth one of hys beleuynge members vnto deathe, as ded he that betrayed first hys owne bodye. That ye haue done vnto those lyttle ones (shall he saye at the lattre daye) whych haue beleued in me,Christes. ye haue done vnto myne owne persone, Math. 25. Who so toucheth them (sayth Zacharye) shall touche the apple of the lordes owne eye. Zacha. [...]. But thys beleueth not that peruerse generacyon.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde chauncellour begāne to examyne me agayne of the sacrament.Sacrament. Then I axed hym, how longe he wolde halte on both sydes? Then wolde he nedes knowe, where I founde that? I sayd in the scripture 3. Reg. 18. Thē he wēt hys waye.
Iohan Bale.
Of Helias the prophete were these wordes spoken, to the people of Israel. soch tyme as they halted betwyne ij.Halte, opynyōs or walked vnryghtlye betwyne the true lyuynge God, & the false God Baal as we do now in Englāde betwyne Christes Gospell and the popes olde rotten customes.Englāde We slenderlye consydre with S. Paule, that Christ wyll haue no felyshypp or concorde with Belial, lyght with darkenesse, ryghtwysnesse with vnryghtwysnesse, the temple of God with ymages, or the true beleuers with the infydels, 2. Corinth. 6. For all our newo Gospell, yet wyll we styll beare the straū gersyoke with the vnbeleuers, and so be come neyther whote nor colde, that God maye spewe vs out of hys mouthe as vnsauerye morsels. [...]epidi. Apoc. 3. Saynge vnto vs as to the folysh vyrgynes. Verelye I knowe yow not. Mathei 25.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshopp sayd, I shuld be brēte.Brenn [...]. I answered, that I had serched all the scriptures yet coulde I neuer fynde there [Page 20] that eyther Christ or hys Apostles put anye creature to deathe. Well, well, sayd I, God wyl laughe your threttenynges to scorne, Psal. 2. Then was I cō maunded to stande a syde.
Iohan Bale.
Amonge other sygnes, that the holye scripture geueth vs to knowe an Antichrist by,antichrist it sheweth that he shall be an aduersarye, 2. Thes. 2. An vnsacyable dogge, Esa. 56. A persu [...]nge enemy▪ psa. 4. An enemye in the sanctuarye, Psal 73 A rauenynge wolfe,T [...]br [...] ̄ne, Mat. 7. Luce 10. Ioan. 10. Act [...]. 20. And a most cruell murtherer, Dani. 11. Ioā. 16. Apoc. 13. Vnto soche (sayth S. Iohā) is it geuē to vexe mē with heate of fyre, Apo. 16. The wyckednesse of prestes (sayth Hiere.) shedeth innocētes bleud [...]. Yea (saye they) ye must [...]e brent, ye must dwell amonge the gentyles, Tren [...]. 4. Or be committed to pryson of the worldlye powers, & so put vnto deathe by them.Prestes. We maruele not therfor though these partes be played of proude Byshoppes. Cōsyderynge the holye Ghost must be foūde true in hys fore iudgemētes, & that some ther must be to [Page] do the feates. But trulye ded thys woman cōclude with the prophecye of Dauid, Psalmer. That God whych dwelleth in heauen shall haue their tyrannye in derysyon, and bringe all their wycked counsels to naught,God law heth. in the clere openynge of hys worde, haue they neuer so manye paynted colours of false ryght wysnesse.
Anne Askewe.
Then came mastre Pagett to me with manye gloryouse wordes, and desyred me to speake my mynde to hym.Pagett. I myght (he sayd) denye it agayne, if nede w [...]re. I sayd, that I wolde not denye the truthe. He asked me, how I coulde auoyde the verye wordes of Christ. Take, care. Thys is my bodye, whych shall be broken for yow. I answered,Christes meanyng that Christes meanynge was there, as in these other places of the scripture. I am the dore, Ioan▪ 10. I am the [Page 21] vyne, Ioan. 15. Beholde the lambe of God, Ioan. 1. The rocke stone was Christ. 1 Cor. 10. and soch other lyke. Ye maye not here (sayd I) take Christ for the materyall thynge that he is sygnyfyedSygnyfye. by. For than ye wyll make hym a verye dore, a vyne, a lambe, and a stone, cleane cōtrarye to the holye Ghostes meanynge. All these in dede do sygnyfye Christ, lyke as the breade doth hys bodye in that place. And though he ded saye there. Take,Remembraunce. eate thys in remēbraunce of me. Yet ded he not byd them hange vp that breade in a boye, and make it a God, or bowe to it.
Iohan Bale.
Moche a do is here made, and manye subtyle wayes are sought out, to brynge thys woman into their corrupted, and false beleue,Idolatrye. that the corruptyble creature made with handes, myght stande in [Page] place of the eternall creator or maker God and man for the prestes aduauntage. But all is in vayne.Not in breade. In no case wolde he so accept it. Nothyng lesse mynded Christ, than to dwell in the breade, or to become a feadynge for the bodye, whan he sayd. Take, eate. Thys is my bodye. For a contrarye doctryne he taught 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 spirytuall meate,spirytuall hys bloude a spirytuall drynke, and both thē to be receyued in faythe, the breade and the wyne remaynynge as sygnes of hys euer lastynge couenaunt. Reason is it, that he rather be iudged the receyuer whych lyueth in that refeccyon, than he whych lyueth not therby.the eater Whych is the sowle and not the bodye, What neaded Christ to haue geuen to those bodyes a newe body lye feadynge, whych were suffycyentlye fed afore with the passe ouer lambe? If he had not ment therin some other maner of thynge?
But he suffycyētlye ynough declareth hys owne meanynge, Luce 22. Where he cōmaundeth vs to do it in hys remē braunce, [Page 22] and not to make hym agayne by blowynge vpon the breade.Remembraunce. Thys sacramentall eatynge and drynkynge in hys remēbraunce, S. Paule more largely declareth, 1, Cor, 11. So oft (sayth he) as ye shall eate of that breade and drynke of that cuppe, ye shall shewe the lordes deathe tyll he come. If ye ernestlye marke that lattre clause (tyll he come)Tyll he come. ye shall wele perceyue that hys bodylye presēce in the breade, is vtterlye denyed there. More ouer in the afore sayd xxij. chaptre of Luke, bycause we shuld not be to scrupul [...]se. Christ sheweth what that wyne & breade of hys supper were, yea, as he left thē there, euē ī these wordes. I saye vnto yow (sayth he) that hens forth I shall not drynke of thys frute of the vyneFrute of the vyne. (or eate of thys frute of wheate) tyll the kyngedome of God be come, or tyll I drynke it newe with yow in my fathers kyngedome, Math 26. Marci 14. 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 partakyngePartkyng of Christes bloude, and the breade that we breake there, the partakynge [Page] of Christes bodye, 1. Corint. 10. But that is in faythe and sprete, as afor [...] [...]han.
Anne Askewe.
Then he compared it vnto the kynge,Pagett. and sayd, that the more hys magestees honour is set forth, the more commendable it is. Then sayd I, that it was an abhomynable shame vnto hym, to make no better of the eternall worde of God, than of hys slenderlye conceyued fantasye. A farre other meanynge requyreth God therin,Idell wytte. than mannys ydell wytte can deuyse, whose doctryne is but lyes without hys heauenlye veryte. Then he asked me, if I wolde commen with some wyser man? That offer, I sayd, I wolde not refuse. Then he tolde the counsell. And so wēt I to my laydes agayne.
Iohan Bale.
[Page] [...] first Patrone. S. Frances,S. frāces as we fynde in the hystorye of hys ydolatrouse feast, and also in the boke of conformytees of Frāces to Christ, written by an Italysh fryre called Bartholomeus Pisanus. In Frances (they saye) is expressed the full sygnifycacyon of Christ, by reason of hys woundes.A compaeryson. And Pagett here compareth Christes presence in the sacrament, to the kynges presence, I wote not where. And as great pleasure (I thynke) he doth the kynge therin, as though he threwe dust in hys face or salte in hys eyes, but that soch flatterynge Gnatoes must do their feates, though they be most blasphemouse. Neyther heade nor̄tayle hath thys wytlesse comparyson of hys, to make good hys enterpryse with thys woman. And moch doubt it is, whether he maketh here Christ a shaddowe to the kynge, or the kynge a shaddowe to Christ.Christ a shaddo [...] ▪ But he shulde seme rather to take Christ for the shaddowe. O gracelesse papystes, whan wyll ye be godlye wyse? Thus to your owne damp [...] [Page] [...]
Anne Askewe.
Thē came to me doctor Coxe,Coxe and Robynsō. and doctor Robynson. In conclusyon we coulde not agree. Then 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 dye. Therfor I desyred to speake with [...]atymer it wolde no be. Then was I sent to Newgatenewgate in my extremyte of syckenesse. For in all my lyfe afore, was I neuer in soch payne. Thus the lorde strengthen yow in the truthe. Praye, praye praye.
Iohan Bale.
What an hurlye burlye is here, for thys newe beleue? that Christ shuld dwelle in the breade,In breade. whych is mānys creature & not gods, Christ is the lyuynge breade [Page 24] whych came frō heauē, Ioan. 6. But that is not suffycyēt (saye the prestes) vnlesse ye beleue also, that he is that dead breade whych came frō the wafferA 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 great thynges and blasphemyes (whych is Antichristantichrist) makynge warre with the sayntes, wyll haue it so, Apo. 13 In the Apostles tyme, & manye yeares after, it was ynough for a christē mānys ryghtwysnesse, to beleue with the hart, that Iesus is the lorde, & that God raysed hym vp frō the dead. Roma. 10. But now we must beleue that he cōmeth downe agayn at the wyll of the prestes, to be inpanedInpaned or inbreaded for their bellyes common welthe, lyke as he afore came downe, at the wyll of hys heauenlye father, to be incarnated or infleshed for our vnyuersall sowles helth. And vnto thys we must set our hande writynge, that we maye be knowne for Antichristes cattell. Els shall we to stynkynge Newgatenewgate. by their spirytuall appoyntment, be we neuer so sycke, and within a whyle after, to the fyre in Smythfelde [Page] For Christes membre must tast with hym 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 (sayth she) that Christ toke the breade,Breade. and gaue it to hys dyscyples, saynge. Eate, Thys is my bodye, whych shall be broken for yow, meanynge in substaunce hys owne verye bodye, the breade beynge therof an onlye sygne or sacrament. For after lyke maner of speakynge, he sayd, he wolde breake downe the temple, & in iij. dayes buylde it vp agayne, sygnyfyenge hys owne bodye by the temple,Temple. as S. Iohan declareth it. Ioā. 2. And not the stonye temple it selfe. So that the breade is but [Page 25] a remembraunce of hys death, or a sacramēt of thankes geuynge for it, wherhy we are knytt vnto hym, by a communyon of Christen loue. Although there be manye that can not perceyue the true meanynge therof,Moses vayle. for the vayle that Moses put ouer hys face before the chyldren of Israel, that they shuld not se the clerenesse therof, Exo. 34. & 2. Cor. 3. I perceyue the same vayle remayneth to thys daye. But whan God shall take it awaye, than shall these blynde men se.
Iohan Bale.
Ye wyll saye paraueuture, that the symylytudes here of breade and of the tē ple, are not lyke. For he blessyd the breade with thankes geuynge. So wyll ye saye, an other tyme for your pleasure and aduauntage,Blessed that he blessyd the temple also, and called it both the howse of hys father and also the howse of prayer. I [Page] praye ye, be as good here to your market place, as ye are to your sale wares therin, for your onlye bellyes sake. For the one wyll not do wele to your commod [...]te in ydelnesse,Temple. without the other. But take good hede of it, if 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. 2. and Luce 19. Be hath also promysed to ouerthrowe it, Math. 24. and not to leaue one stone therof standynge vpon another, Marci 13. Bycause ye haue not regarded the tyme of your vysytacyon,warnyng or not accepted hys eternall worde of helthe. A warnynge myght the turnynge ouer of your monasteryes haue bene vnto yow, if ye were not, as ye are altogyther blynde.
I cannot thynke the contrarye, but he calleth the other also, as ye handle it now a dayes in the popes olde toyes of conueyaunce,The masse. the abhomynacyon of desolacyon, or soch an abhomynable ydoll as subuertynge Christes true relygyon, wyll be your fynall destruccyon both here and in the worlde to come.Idolles, For ydolles are called abhomynacyon, all the [Page 26] Scriptures ouer. Yet shall it endure (sayth Daniel) sumwhere, vnto the ende of all, Daniel 9. Wherby ye maye we [...]e. perceyue, that it comprehendeth not onlye the tryumphauut stremers of Tyberius,Tyberius Caligula or golden ymages of Caligula, whych both preuented the subuersyon of Hierusalem, but some other [...]doll els whych shuld contynewe. And it foloweth in the Gospell texte, that he shuld sytt in the holye place for the tyme of hys contynuaunce, Mathei 24. And not in the paganes temples. Tell me if your MassesMasses be done anye where els, than in your hallowed sanctuaryes, vpon your sanctyfyed aulters, and in your holye ornamentes and consecrate cuppes? Neyther maye anye do thē, vnlesse they be an [...]ynted therunto of your Byshoppes and sorcerers.
Not without the holye place (sayth Christ) is that abomynacyon, but in it, Math. 24. Antichristantichrist (sayth S. Paule) shall sytt, not without, but within the verye temple of God. [...]. Thessalon. 2. The papacye is not without, but [Page] within the verye churche of Christ, what though it be no part therof, Apoca. 11. Thefor it shall be mete that we be ware,Shurne them. and separate our selues from them at the admonyshmentes of hys holye doctryne, least we be partakers with yow in their promysed dampnacyō, Apoca. 18. By the vayle ouer Moses face, she meaneth the blynde confydence that manye men yet haue in olde Iewysh ceremonyes and beggerlye tradycyons of men,the [...]ayle as S. Paule doth call them, Gala. 4. Wherby the veryte of God is soreble myshed. The spirytuall knowlege, whych cometh by the clere doctryne of the Gospell, mynystreth no soch impedymentes of darkenesse.Darkenesse. But all thynges are clere [...]lye s [...]ane to them whych are endued the [...] with. They can be deceyued by non o [...] Sathans subtyle conuayers, but perceyueth all thynges,Syght. whych haue obtayne [...] the pure eyes of faythe.
Anne Askewe.
For it is playnelye expressed in the hystorye of Bel in th [...] Bible, that God dwelleth in n [...] thynge [Page 27] materyall. I kynge (sayth DanielDaniel.) be not deceyued Daniel 14. For God wyll be in nothynge that is made with hā des of men, Acto. 7. Oh what styffnecked people are these, that wyll alwayes resyst the holye Ghost. But as their fathers haue done, so do they, bycause they haue stonye hartes. Written by me Anne Askewe, that neyther wyshe deathe,Strēgth. nor yet feare hys myght, and as merye as one that is bowne towardes heauē. Truthe is layed in pryson, Lu [...]ce 21, The lawe is turned to wormewood, Amos 6. And there cā no ryght iudgement go forth. Esaie 59.
Iohan Bale.
Marke here how gracyouslye the lorde kepeth promyse with thys poor serua [...]ntPromes. of hys. He that beleueth on me sayth Christ) out of hys bellye shall [...]owe ryuers of lyuynge water, Ioan. 7. [Page] Neyther lasheth thys woman out in her extreme troubles, language of dispayre nor yet blasphemouse wordes agaynst God with the vnbeleuynge, but vttereth the scriptures in wonderfull habundaunce to hys lawde and prayse. She rebuketh here the most pestylent vyce of ydolatrye.Faythe. Not by olde narracyons and fables, but by the most pare worde of God, as ded Daniel & Steuen. And in the ende she sheweth the stronge stomacke of a most Christen martyr, in that she is neyther desyerouse of the deathe, neyther yet standeth in feare of the vyolēce or extremyte therof.A martyr What a constancye was thys of a womā, frayle, tēdre, yonge and most delycyouslye brought vp? But th [...] Christes sprete was myghtye in her who bad her be of good chere, For though the tyrauntes of thys worlde haue power to slee the bodye,Tyraūtes yet haue they nopower ouer the sowle, Mathei 20. Neyther haue they power in the ende to demynysh one heare of the heade, Luce 21.
She faynteth not in the myddes of the battayle,Stedefast. 1. Cor. 9. But perseuereth stronge and stedefast to the verye ende, [Page 28] Math. 10. Not doubtynge but to haue for her faythfull perseueraūce, the crowne of eternall lyfe, Apoc. 2. So merye am I (sayth she good creature, in the myddes of Newgate) as one that is bowne towardes heauen. A voyce was thys of a most worthye and valcaunt witnesse, in the paynefull kyngedome of pacyence, Apoca. 1.Valeaūt. She faythfullye reckened of her lorde God, that he is not as men are, fyckle, Numeri 23. But most sure of worde and promyse, Psalme 144. And that he wolde most faythfullye kepe couenaunt with her, whan tyme shuld come, Apoca. 2. She had it most grounded lye planted in her hart, that though heauen and earthe ded passe, yet coulde not hys wordes and promes passe by vnfulfylled, Luc. 21.Faythe. Ashamed maye these carnall Helchesytesbe,Oelchesytes, whych haue not onlye denyed the veryte of their lorde God, but also most shamefullye blasphemed & dishonoured both it and themselues for the pleasure of a yeare or ij. to dwell styll in thys fleshe. They cōsydre not, that he, with whome they mocke, hath power to sende them to helle, for their blasphemye, Luce 12. They shall nor [Page] fynde it a matter lyght, for their inconstancye to be [...]ometed out of the mouthe of God, as vnsauerye morsels, Apoca. 3. Neyther shall they proue it a Christmas game,Inconstaunt. to be denyed of Christ before hys heauenlye father and hys angels, for denyenge here hys veryte, Math. 10.
Anne Askewe.
Oh forgeue vs all our synnes & receyue vs gracyouslye.Prayer. As for the workes of our handes, we wyll nomore call vpon thē. For it is thu lorde that arte our God. Thu shewest euer mercye vnto the fatherlesse. Oh if they wolde do thys (sayth the lorde) I shuld heale theyr sores, yea withall my harte wolde I loue them.ephraim. O Ephraim, what haue I to do with ydolles anye more Who so is wyse, shall vnderstā de thys. And he that is ryghlye enstructed, wyll regarde it. For the wayes of the lorde are ryghteouse. Soch as are godlye wyll [Page 29] walke in them. And as for the wycked, they wyll stomble at them, Osee 14.
Iohan Bale.
All these wordes alleged she, out of the last chaptre of Useas the prophete, where as he prophecyed the destruccyon of Samaria for the onlye vyce of ydolatrye.Useas. In the worde of the lorde, she declareth her selfe therin, to detest and abhorre that vyce aboue all, and to repent frō the hart, that she hath at anye tyme worshypped the workes of mennys handes, eyther stone,idolatrye wode, breade, wyne, or anye soch lyke, for the eternall lyuynge God. Consequentlye she confessyth hym to be her onlye God, and that she had at that tyme trust in non other els, neyther for the remyssyon of her synnes, nor yet sowles cōfort at her nede. And lyke soch a wone as is vnfaynedlye cōuerted vnto the lorde, she axeth of the spirytuall EphraimytesEphraimytes. in hys worde, what she hath anye more to do with ydolles? or whye they shuld so tyrannouslye enforce her to the worshypynge of them? consyderynge that he so ernestlye abhorreth them. [Page] Fynallye ij.ij. sortes. sortes of people she reckeneth to be in the worlde, and sheweth the dyuerse maner of them. The one in the sprete of Christ obeyeth the worde, the other in the sprete of errour cōtempneth it, And lyke as S Paule doth saye. To the one part is it, the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe and to the other, the sauour of deathe vnto deathe. 2. Corinth. 2.
Anne Askewe.
Salomon (sayth S. Steuen)S. Steuē buylded an howse for the God of Iacob. Howbeyt the hyest of all dwelleth not in tēples made with hādes. As sayth the prophete, Esa. 66. heauē is my seate & the earthe is my fote stole. What howse wyll ye buylde for me? sayth the lorde, or what place is it that I shall rest in: hath not my hande made all these thynges?Temple. Acto. 7. Woman beleue me (sayth Christ to the Samarytane) the tyme is at hande that ye shall neyther in thys mountayne [Page 30] nor yet at Hierusalem worshypp the father. Ye worshypp ye wote not what, but we knowe what we worshypp.worshypp For saluacyon commeth of the Iewes. But the houre cōmeth, and now is, wherin the true worshyppers shall worshypp the father in sprete & veryte, Ioan. 4. Laboure not) sayth Christ) for the meate that perysheth,Meate. but for that endureth into the lyfe euerlastynge. whych the sōne of mā shall geue yow. For hymgod the father hath sealed, Ioan. 6.
Iohan Bale.
Here bringe she iii. [...]. bulwe [...] kes. stronge restymdnyes of the newe testament, to confirme her owne Christen beleue therwith, and also both to confute and condempne the most execrabyle heresye and false fylthye beleue of the papystes. The first of them proueth, that the eternall God of heauē, wyll neyther be wrapped vp in a clow [...]e, nor yet shutte vp in a boxe. The seconde declareth, that in no [Page] place of the earthe, is he to be sought, neyther yet to be worshypped▪ but within vs, in sprete and veryte. The thirde of them concludeth, that Christ is a feadynge for the sowle and not for the bodye. More ouer he is soch a meate, as neyther corrupteth, mouldeth, nor perysheth,Romystes neyther yet consumeth or wasteth awaye in the bellye. Lete not the Romysh popes remnaunt in Englāde thynke, but in condempnynge the faythe of thys godlye woma [...], they also condempne the veryte of the lorde, vnlesse they can discharge these iij. textes of the scripture with other iij. more effectuall. As I thynke, they shall not, nisi ad Calendas Grecas. If they allege for their part, the saynge of Christ, Math. 24. Lo here is Christ,Lo, here, Set here. or there is Christ. They are confounded by that whych foloweth. Wherin he ernestlye chargeth hys faythf [...]ll folowers not to beleue it, callynge the teachers of soch doctryne, false anoynted, deceyuable prophetes, and sorcerouse workemen. Marci. 13.
Anne Askewe.
The summe of the condempnacyon of me Anne Askewe, at yelde hawle.
They sayd to me there, that I was an heretykeHeretyke and condempned by the lawe, if I wolde stā de in my opynyon. I answered that I was no heretyke, neyther yet deserued I anye deathe by the lawe of God. But as concernynge the faythe whych I vttered and wrote to the coū sell, I wolde not (I sayd) denye it, bycause I knew it true. Thē wolde they nedes knowe, if I wolde denye the sacramentSacrament. to be Christes bodye and bloude: I sayd, yea. For the same sonne of God, that was borne of the vyrgyne Marie▪ is now gloriouse in heauen, and wyll come agayne from thens at the lattre daye lyke as he went vp. Acto. 1. And as for that ye call your [Page] God, is but a pece of breade [...] For a more profe therof (marke it whan ye lyst) lete it lye in the boxe but iij. monthes,Moulde in the boxe. and it wyll be moulde, and so turne to nothyge that is good. Wherupon I am persuaded, that it can not be God.
Iohan Bale.
Christ Iesus the eternall sonne of God,Christ cō dempned was condempned of thys generacyon for a sedicyouse heretyke, a breaker of their sabbath, a subuerter of their people, a defyler of their lawes, and a destroyer of their temple or holye churche, Ioan. 7. Luce 23. Mathei 26. Marci 14. and suffered deathe for it at ther procurement, by the lawe than vsed. Is it than anye maruele, if hys inferiour subiect here, and faythfull membreMembre do the same, at the cruell callynge on and vyolent vengeaunce of their posteryte? No, no, the seruaunt must folowe her mastre, & the fote her heade, and maye be founde in that poynte no frear thā he, Ioan. 13. Saynt Augustyne dyffynyng [...] [Page 32] a sacrament,Sacrament. calleth it in one place, a sygne of an holye thynge. In an other place a vysyble shappe of an inuysyble grace. Whose offyce is to instructe, anymate, and strengthen our faythe towardes God, and not to take it to it self, and so depryue hym therof. Christes bodye and bloude are neyther sygnes nor shaddowes,no sygnes but the verye effectuall thynges indede. sygnyfyed by those fygures of breade and wyne. But how that drye and corruptyble cake of theirs shuld become a God, manye men wondre now a dayes in the lyght of the Gospell,the wyne▪ lyke as they haue done afore tyme also. And specyallye whye the wyne shuld not be accepted and set vp for a God also so wele as the breade, consyderynge that Christ made so moche of the one as of the other.
Anne Askewe.
After that they wylled me to haue a prest. And than I smyled. Then they asked me, if it were not good?Confessy [...] I sayd, I wolde confesse my fawtes to God. [Page] for I was sure that he wolde heare me with fauer. And so we were condempned without a quest.
Iohan Bale.
Prestes of godlye knowlege she ded not refuse.Teachers For she knewe that they are the massengers of the lorde, & that hys holye wordes are to be sought at ther mouthes, Mala .2. Of them she instaunt lye desyred to be instructed, and it was denyed her, as is written afore. What shuld she than els do, but returne vnto her lorde God? in whome she knewe to be habundaunce of mercye for all them whych do from the hart repent,Belles prestes. Deutro .30. As for the other sort of prestes, she ded not amys to laugh both them and their maynteners to scorne. For so doth God also, Psalme 2. And curseth both their absolueyons & blessynges, Mala .2. A thefe or a murtherer shuld not haue bene condempned without a quest, by the lawes of Englande. But the faythfull members of Iesus Christ, for the spyght and hate that thys worlde hath to hys veryte,Tyrannye must haue an other kynde [Page 33] of tyrannye added therunto, besydes the vnryghtouse bestowynge of that lawe. Wo be vnto yow (sayth the eternall God of heauen by hys prophete) or dampnacyon be ouer your heades, that make wycked lawes,Wycked lawes. and deuyse cruell thynges for the poore oppressed innocentes. Esaie 10. Wo vnto hym that buyldeth Babylon with bloude, and maynteyneth that wycked cytie styll in vnryghtwysnesse. Abacuch 2. Nahum. 3. Ezech. 24.
Anne Askewe.
My beleue whych I wrote to the counsell was thys. That the sacramentall breade was left vs to be receyned with thā kes geuynge,Remembraunce. in remembraūce of Christes deathe, the onlye remedye of our sowles recouer. And that therby we also receyue the whole henefyghtes and frutes of hys most gloryouse passion.
Iohan Bale.
We reade not in the Gospell, that the materyall breade at Christes holye supper▪ [Page] was anye otherwyse taken of the Apostles, thā thus. Neyther yet that Christ 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 hygh matters were.Apostles. The dyscyples axed here neyther how nor what as doubtlesse they wolde haue done, if he had mynded them to haue taken the breade for hym. They thought it ynough to take it in hys remembraunce, lyke as he than playnelye taught them, Luce 22.Eatynge The eatynge of hys fleshe and drynkynge of hys bloude therin, to the releuynge of their sowles thirst and hunger, they knewe to perteyne vnto faythe accordynge to hys instruccyons in the vj. of Iohan. What haue thys godlye woman than offended, whych neyther haue denyed hys incarnacyon nor deathe in thys her confessyon of faythe,The sūme of beleue. but most firmelye and groundedlye trusted to receyue the frutes of them both.
Anne Askewe.
Then wolde they nedes knowe, whether the breade in the boxe were God or no? I sayd. God is a sprete,O beastlye ydolaters. and wyll be worshypped in sprete and truthe, Ioan. 4. Then they demaūded. Wyll yov planelye denye Christ to be in the sacrament? I answered that I beleued faythfullye the eternall sōne of God not to dwell there. In witnes wherof I recyted agayne the hystorye of Bel,O constaunt martyr. & the ix. chaptre of Daniel, the vij. and xvij. of the Actes, and the xxiiij. of Mathew, concludynge thus. I neyther wyshe deathe, nor yet feare hys myght, God haue the prayse therof with thankes.
Iohan Bale.
Amonge the olde ydolaters, some toke the sūne,Olde yd [...] laters. some the mone, some the fyre, some the water, with soch other lyke [Page] for their Goddes, as witnesseth Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, Plynius, Lacrantius & dyuerse autours more. Now come our dottynge papystes here, wadynge yet more deper in ydolatrye, and they must haue breade for their God,newe ydolaters. yea, a waffer cake whych is scarse worthye to be called breade. In what sorowfull case are Christē people now a dayes? that they maye worshypp their lorde and redemer Ihesus Christ in no shappe that hys heauenlye father hath set hym forth in, but in soch a shappe onlye as the waffer baker hath ymagyned by hys slendre wytte.A waffer Gods creatures were they whom the ydolaters toke for their Goddes, 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 worshypp soch a God, eyther yet to haue hymself honoured in soch a symylytude. Nothynge is here spoken agaynst the most holye table of the lorde,The supper. but agaynst that abhomynable ydoll of the prestes, whych hath most detestablye blemyshed that most godlye and wholsom communyon.
[Page 35] A gloryouse witnesse of the lorde ded thys blessyd woman shewe her self,Answere in the answere makynge to thys blasphemouse beggerye, whā she sayd, that god was a sprete and no waffer cake, & wolde be worshipped in sprete and veryte, & not in superstycyon and iuglynge of the ydoll prestes.An ydoll. Godlye was she to denye. Christes presence in that execrable ydoll but moch more godlye 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.Deathe. In that she feareth not the power of deathe, she declareth her self a most constaunt martyr praysynge her lorde God for hys gyft. She called to remembraunce the promyses of her lorde Ihesus Christ, that they shuld se no deathe whych obserued hys worde, Ioan. 8. Agayne they that beleued on hym, shuld ioyfullye passe through from deathe vnto lyfe, Ioan. 5. And vpon these promyses, she most strōgelye trusted. She consydered also with Peter,Promyses that Christ had swallowed vp deathe, to make vs the heyres of euerlastynge lyke, 1. Petri 3. More ouer that he had ouerthrowne [Page] hym whych sumtyme had the rule of deathe, Hebre. 2. And also taken awaye the sharpe stynge of the deathe it self. [...]see 13.
Anne Askewe.
My lettre sent to the lorde Chauncellour.
The lorde God, by whome all creatures haue their beynge,To the Chaūcellour. blesse yow with the lyght of hys knowlege, amen. My dutye to▪ your lordshyppe remēbred &c. It myght please yow to accepte thys my bolde sute, as the sute of one, whych vpō due cōsyderacyons is moued to the same and hopeth to obtayne. My request to your lordeshypp is only,The kyng that it may please the same to be ameane for me to the kynges magestie, that hys grace maye be certifyed of these fewe lynes whych I haue writtē cōcernynge my beleue. Whych whan it shall be trulye cōferred with the harde [Page 36] iudgemēt geuē me for the same. I thynke hys grace shall wele perceyue me to be wayed in an vneuenpayer of balaūces. But I remytt my matter and cause to almyghtye god,To God. whych ryghtlye iudgeth all secretes. And thus I commende your lordeshypp to the gouernaunce of hym, and felyshypp of all sayntes. Amen. By your handemayde Anne Askewe,
Iohan Bale.
In thys byll to the chauncellour, apereth it playne, all frowarde affeccyōs sequestred,Stronge what thys womā was. She is not here deiected with the desperate, for vnryghtouse handelynge, mournynge, cursynge, and sorowynge, as they do commōlye. But stādynge vp strōgelye in the lorde, most gentyllye she obeyeth the powers, she blesseth her vexers & persuers & wysheth them the lyght of Gods necessarye knowlege,Obedy [...] Luce 6. She consydereth the powers to be ordayned of God, Romanorum 13. And though their autoryte be sore abused, yet [Page] with Christ and hys Apostles, she humblye submytteth herself to them, thynkynge to suffer vndre them as no yll doer but as Christes true seruaunt, 1. Pet. 4. Notwithstandynge she layeth forth here both before chaūcellour & kynge, the matter wherupon she is condempned to deathe,Her matter. that they accordynge to their b [...]unde dewtye, myght more ryghtlye waye it, 3. Regum 10. Not that she co [...] ted therby to auoyde the deathe, but to put them in remembyaunce of their offyce concernynge the swerde,Their offyce. whych they ought not vaynelye to mynystre, Roma, 13. and that they shuld also be without excuse of ignoraunce in the great daye of reckenynge, for permittynge soch vyolēce to be done, Roma. 2. In the ende yet to make all sure,To god. she commytteth her cause and quarell to God, wherin she declareth her onlye hope to be in hym, and no man. Psalm. 145.
Anne Askewe.
My faythe breuelye written to the kynges grace.
I Anne Askewe of good memorie although God hath geuē [Page 37] me the breade of aduersyte and the water of trouble,Trouble. yet not so moch as my synnes haue deserued, desyre thys to be knowne to your grace. That for as moch as I am by the lawe cōdēpned for an euyll doer, Here I take heauen and earthe to recorde, that I shall dye in my innocencye. And accordynge to that I haue sayd first, and wyll saye last, I vtterlye abhorre and detest all heresyes. And as cōcernynge the supper of the lorde,Heresyes I beleue so moch as Christ hath sayd therin. whych he confirmed wyth hys most blessyd bloude. I beleue also so moch as he wylled me to folowe & beleue, and so moch as the catholyck churche of hym doth teache. For I wyll not forsake the commaundemēt of hys holye lyppes.Faythe. But loke what God hath charged me [Page] with hys mouthe, that haue I shutte vp ī my harte. And thus breuelye I ende, for lacke of lernynge. Anne Askewe.
Iohan Bale.
In thys she dyschargeth her self to the worlde agaynst all wrongefull accusacyons & iudgemētes of heresye,Dyscharge. what though it be not accepted to that blynde worlde, vnto whome the lorde sayd by hysprophete. Your thoughtes are not my thoughtes, neyther yet are your wayes my wayes. But so farre as the heauens are hyer than the earthe, so farre do my wayes excede yours, & my thoughtes yours, Esa. 55. Heresye is not to dyssent frō the churche of Rome in the doctryne of faythe,Heresye. as Lāfrācus in hys boke de Eucharistia aduersus Berengariū, & Thomas waldē in hys worke of sermōs, Ser .21. Dyffyneth it. But heresye is a voluntarye dyssētynge frō the veryte of the scriptures of God,What it is. and also a blasphemouse deprauyuge of them, for the wretched bellyes sake, & to maynteyne the pompes of thys worlde. Thus is it dyffyned of S. Hierome in cōm [...]ntar [...] Hiere. S. Augustyne [Page 38] and Isidorus a greynge to the same, Cōsydre thā whether he be the these that sytteth vpō the bēche, or he that standeth at the barre?Who is the heretyke. The popysh clergye that condempneth, or the innocent that is condempned? Athanasius in hys boke defuga aduersus Arrianos, calleth them the heretykes, whych seketh to haue the Christen beleuers murthered as ded the seyd Arryanes. Thys godlye womau, hyr innocencye to clere, laboureth not here to an inferyour membre of the realme, but to the head therof, the kynges owne persone. Whome she beleueth to be the hygh mynyster of God,the kyng [...] the father of the lande, and vpholder of the people, Sapi. 6. that he myght faythfullye and ryghtlye iudge her cause. But who can thynke that euer it came before hym? Not I, for my part.
Anne Askewe.
The effect of my examynacyon and handelynge, sens my depature from Newgate.
On tewesday I was sēt frō newgate [Page] to the sygne of the crowne where as mastre RycheRyche. and the Byshopp of London with all their power and flatterynge wordes wēt aboute to persuade me frō God. But I ded not exteme their glosynge pretenses. Then came there to me Nicolas Shaxton,Shaxton and counselled me to recāt as he had done. Thē I sayd to hym, that it had bene good for hym, neuer to haue bene borne with manye other lyke wordes.
Iohan Bale.
After that Christ had ones ouer commen SathanSathan. in the desart, where he had fasted longe tyme, Math. 4. We reade not in the scriptures that he was moch assaulted or vexed of the worlde, the fleshe, and the fyende, whych are reckened the common enemyes of man. But yet we fynde in the Gospell,3. ghostlye enemyes. that these iij. ghostlye enemyes, the prelates, the prestes, and the lawers, or the Byshoppes, [Page 39] pharysecs, and scrybes, neuer left hym afterwarde, tyll they had throughlye procured hys deathe. Marke it (I desyre yow) if it be here anye otherwyse with hys dere membre. What other enemyes tempteth here A [...]ne Askewe, thā the Byshopp of London, mastre Ryche, and doctor Shaxton,Wynchestre. besydes the great Cayphas of Wynchestre with hys spyghtfull (I shuld saye) spirytuall rable, or who els procureth her deathe? Ye wyll thynke parauenture, concernynge mastre Ryche, that though he be an enemye, yet is he no spirytuall enemye, bycause he is not anoynted with the popes grese. But than are ye moch deceyued.spirytuall For it is the sprete (of blasphemye, auaryce, and malyce) and not the oyle, that maketh them spirytuall. And where as they are anoynted in the hande with oyle, he is in the hart anoynted with the sprete of Mammon,Mammō betraynge with Iudas at the Byshoppes malycyouse callynge on, the poor innocent sowles for moneye, or at the least for ambycyouse fauer.
O Shaxton,Shaxtō. I speake now vnto the & (I thynke) in the voyce of God. What deuyll bywytched the to playe thys most [Page] blasphemouse part▪ as to become of a faythfull teacher, a temptynge sprete? Was it not ynough, that thu and soch as thu art,Double. had forsaken your lorde God and troden hys veryte most vnreuerentlye vndre your fete, but with soch feates (as thys is) thu must yet procure the a more deper, or doubled āpnacyō? Ryghtlye sayd thys true seruaūt of God, that it had bene better for the and thy fellawes, that ye neuer had bene borne. Ye were called of God,Vnworthy to a most blessyd offyce. If ye had bene worthye that vocacyon (as ye are but swyne, Mathei 7.) ye had perseuered faythfull and constaunt to the ende, Mathei 10. and so haue worthelye receyued the crowne therof, Apoca. 2. But the loue of your beastlye fleshe, hath verye farre in yow ouerwayed the loue of the lorde Iesus Christ. Ye now shewe what ye are in dede, euen wauerynge reedes with euerye blast moued, Luce 7. Yea verye faynt harted cowardes and hypocrytes,Hypocrytes. Apo. 3. Ye abyde not in the shepe folde as true shepeherdes, but ye flee lyke hyrelynges, Ioan. 10. Had ye bene buylded vpon the harde rocke, as ye were on the [Page 40] fycklesande, Math. 7. neyther Romysh floodes nor Englysh wyndes had ouer throwne yow. But now loke onlye, after your deseruynge, for thys terryble iudgement of God. For them (sayth S. Paule) whych voluntarylye blaspheme the truthe,Iudgement. after they haue receyued the Gospell in faythe and in the holye Ghost, remayneth no expyacyon of synne, but the fearfull iudgement of hell fyre. For a mocke haue they made of the sonne of God, Hebreo. 6. and 10.
Anne Askewe.
Thē mastre RicheRyche. sent me to the tower, where I remaynedtyll thre of the clocke. Then came Riche and one of the coūsell, chargynge me vpon my obedyē ce, to shewe vnto them, if I knewe man or woman of my secte. My answere was, that I knewe none, Then they asked me of my ladye of Sothfolke, my ladye of Sussex,Christen ladye [...]. my ladye of Hertforde, my ladye [Page] Dennye, and my ladye Fizwyllyams. I sayd, if I shuld pronounce anye thynge agaynst thē, that I were not hable to proue it.
Iohan Bale.
Neuer was there soche turmoylynge on the earthe,Babylon. as is now a dayes for that wretched blynde kyngedome of the Romysh pope. But trust vpon it trulye, ye terryble termagauntes of hell, There is no practyse, there is no wysdome, there is no counsell, that can agaynst the lorde preuayle, Prouer [...]. 21. Ye loke to be obeyed in all deuylyshnesse. But ye consydre not,Obedyence. that where God is dyshonoured by your obedyence, there belongeth non to yow, Acto. 5. Ye haue moch a do here with sectes, as though it were a great heresye, ryghtlye to beleue in our lorde Iesus Christ, after the Gospell & not after your Romysh father. But whereA s [...]cte. was euer yet a more pestylent and deuylysh secte, than is that Sodomytysh secre, whom ye here so ernestlye maynteyne with tyrannye and myschefe? How [Page 32] gredylye seke yow the slaughter of Gods true seruauntes, ye bloud thurstye wolues? as the holye Ghost doth call yow. Psal. 25. If the vertuouse ladyes & most noble women,Ladyes. whose lyues ye cruellye seke in your madde ragynge furye, as rauyshynge lyons in the darke, Psal. 9. haue throwne of their shulders for Christes easye and gentyll burdene, Mathei 11. the popes vneasye and importable yoke, Luce 11. Happye are they that euer they were borne. For therby haue they procured, a great quyetnesse and helthe to their sowles.Helthe. For Christes worde is quycke, and bryngeth nothynge els to the sowle but lyfe, Hebreo. 4. The popes olde tradycyons and customes, beynge but the wysdome of the fleshe, are verye poyson and deathe, Roma. 8.
Aune Askewe.
Then sayd they vnto me, that the kyngeThe kyng was infourmed, that I coulde name, if I wolde a great nombre of my secte. Then I answered, that the kynge was as wele deceyued in that [Page] behalfe, as dyssembled with in other matters.
Iohan Bale.
Great Assuerus, kynge of the Perseanes & Medes, was infourmed also, that the seruaūt of God MardocheusMardocheus. was a traytour, whych neuerthelesse had dyscouered ij. traytours a lyttle afore, and so saued the kynges lyfe, Hester 3. But Haman that false counseller, whych so infourmed the kynge, was in the ende proued a traytour in dede (as I doubt it notHaman. but some of these wyll be founde after thys) and was worthelye hanged for it, so fallynge into the snare that hys selfe had prepared for other, Psal. 7. Albertus Pyghius, Cochleus,Papystes Eckius, & soch other pestylent papystes, haue fylled all Christendome with raylynge bokes of our kynge, for renouncynge the Romysh popes obedyēce, but therof ye infourme not hys grace. No, neyther excuse ye, nor yet defēdeye hys godlye acte in that behalfe.Crastye. But ye are (as apereth) verye well cōtēted, that he be yll spoken of for it.
It is not a yeare a go, sens our wynche stre was at Vtrecht in hollāde (where as the seyd PyghiusPyghius. dwelt, & was for hys [Page 42] papystrye in great autoryte) I knowe certaynlye, the mā there was moch more casye to please in that cause, thā in an other sleuelesse matter of hys owne cōcernynge Martyne Bucer.Bucer. Hys gallaūtes also warran̄ted there (I knowe to whome) that the Romysh pope, by the Emprours good helpe, shuld withī fewe yeares haue in Englāde, as great autoryte as euer he had afore. I doubt not but sū what they knewe of their masters good cōueyan̄ce, but of thys is not the kynge infourmed. I coulde write here of manye other mysteryes, cōcernynge the obseruauntObseru [...] untes. fryres & other ran̄gynge Rome ronners, what newes they receyue wekelye out of Englāde frō the papystes there, & in what hope they are put, of their returne thydre agayne. For I haue seane ther braggynge letters therof, sent frō Emeryck to Frislāde,Letters. & frō the cūtraye of Coleyne into Westphalye. Of thys and soch other cōueyan̄ces, the kynge is not yet in fourmed, that (I trust) he shall be.
Anne Askewe.
Thē cōmaunded they me to shewe, how I was maynteyned in the Counter, and who wylled [Page] me to stycke by my opynyon. I sayd that there was no creature, that therin ded strengthen me.to accuse. And as for the helpe that I had in the Counter, it was by the meanes of my mayde. For as she went abroade in the stretes, she made to the prentyses, and they by her ded sende me moneye. But who they were, I neuer knewe.
Iohan Bale.
IosephIoseph. was in pryson vndre Pharao the fearce kynge of Egypte, yet was he fauourablye handeled and no man forbydden to consort hym, Gene. 39. Whan Iohan Baptist was in stronge duraunce vndre Herode the tyraunt of Galile, hys dyscyples ded frelye vysytt hym, and were not rebuked for it, Math. 11. PaulePaule. beynge emprysoned aud in cheanes at Rome, vndre the most furyouse tyra [...] ̄te Nero, was neuer blamed for sendynge hys seruaunt Onesimus abroade, not yet for writynge by hym to hys fryndes for socour, Philem. 1. Neyther yet was Philemon [Page 43] troubled for releuynge hym there by the seyd Onesimus,Onesymus. nor yet hys olde frynde Onesipherus, for personallye there vysytynge hym, and supportynge hym with hys moneye, lyke as he had done afore also at Ephesus. Now conferre these storyes aud soch other lyke, with the present handelynge of Anne Askewe and ye shall wele perceyue our Englysh rulers and iudges in their newe Christyanyte of renouncynge the pope,Iudges. to excede all other tyrauntes in all crueltye, spyght and vengeaunce. But loke to haue it no otherwyse, so longe as mytred prelates are of counsell.Prelates Be ashamed cruell beastes, be ashamed, for all Christendome wondereth on your madnesse aboue all.
Anne Askewe.
Then they sayd, that there were dyuerse gentyl womē,Gentyllwomen. that gaue me moneye. But I knewe not their names. Thē they sayd that there were dyuerse ladyes, whych had sent me moneye. I answered, that there was a mā [Page] in a blewe coate, whych delyuered me, x, shyllynges, and sayd that my ladye of Hertforde sēt it me.Ladyes. And an other in a vyolet coate ded geue me viij. shyllynges, and sayd that my ladye Dennye sent it me. Whether it were true or no, I can not tell. For I am not suer who sent it me, but as the men ded saye.
Iohan Bale.
In the tyme of ChristesChrist. preachynge what though the holye clergye wer than not pleased therwith, but iudged it (as they do styll to thys daye) most horryble heresye, yet serten noble women,Noble women. as Mar ye Magdalene. Ioāna the wyfe of Chusa Herodes hygh stewarde, Susanna, & manye other folowed hym frō Galile, & mynystred vnto hym of their substaūce, cōcernynge hys bodylye nedes Luce 8. These with other more, after he was by the seyd clergye done to most cruell deathe for the veryte preachynge, both prepared oyntmentes and spyces to anoynte hys bodye, Luce 24. and also proclamed [Page 44] abroade hys gloryouse resurreccyon to hys Apostles and other, Ioā. 20 contrarye to the Byhoppes in hybycyon, Acto. 4. Yet reade we not that anye man or womā was racked for the accusement of them. A woman amōge the Macedonyanes, dwellynge in the cytie of Thya [...]ra,Eydia▪ & called Lydia by name, a purple seller verye rytche in merchaūdyse, receyued Paule, Sylas, and Timothe with other suspected bretherne in to her howse & habn̄dauntlye releued thē there. Act. 16. yet was she not troubled for it. In lyke maner at Thessalonica, a great nō bre of the Grekes and manye noble womanNoble women. amonge thē, beleued Paules forbydden doctryne, and resorted boldelye both to hym and to Sylas, Acto. 17. yet were they not cruellye handeled for it.
Be ashamed than ye tyrauntesTyraūtes of Englāde, that your horryble tyrānyes shuld excede all other, Iewes or Gentyles, turkes or Idolaters. More noble were these w [...]mē here rehearced, forthus releuynge Christ and hys members, than for anye other acte, eyther yet degre of nobylyte. For where as all other haue peryshed, these shall neuer perysh, but be censerued [Page] in the most noble, and worthy ē scriptures of God, the tyrannouse Byshoppes and prestes with their tyrannouse maynteners there condempned.Prelates. A through Christē charyte is not lightlye terryfyed, with the tempestes of worldlye affliccyons,Faythe., nomore than true faythe is changed in men that be Christenlye cō staunt. Soch can not chose but consydre, that it is both gloryouse to be afflicted for Christ, 1. Petri 3. and also most merytoryouse to releue them here in their afflyccyons, Math. 25. Vnto that Christen offyce hath Christ promysed the lyfe euerlastynge at the lattre daye,Masse hearynge where as Masse hearynge is lyke to remayne without rewarde, except it be in helle for ydolatrye and blasphemye. Not vnto them that in pryson vysyteth murtherers and theues (if ye marke wele the texte) is thys rewarde promysed. For they are not there allowed for Christes dere mēbers, but vnto them that releue the afflicted for hys verytees sake.
Anne Askewe.
Then they sayd, there were of the counsell that ded maynteyne [Page 45] me. And I sayd, no. Then they ded put me on the racke,the racke bycause I confessed no ladyes nor gentyll women to be of my opynyon, and theron they kepte me a longe tyme. And bycause I laye styll and ded not crye, my lorde Chauncellour and mastre Ryche, toke peynes to racke me their owne handes, tyll I was nygh dead.
Iohan Bale.
Nicodemus,Nicodemus. one of the hygh counsell, was sore rebuked amonge the senyours of the Iewes, for defēdyng Christes innocēcye, whā they wēt aboute to slee hym, Ioan. 7. And therfor it is no newe thynge that Christes doctryne hath supp [...]rtacyon amonge the counsels of thys worlde. All men be not of one corrupted appetyte, nor yet of one vngracyouse dyete. Christ promysed hys dyscyples, that they in one how sholde shuld fynde both hys enemyes and fryndes.Fryndes. I am come (sayth he) to set man at varyaunce agaynst hys father, and the doughter agaynst [Page] her mother, and the doughter in lawe agaynst the mother in lawe. He that loueth hys father or mother, hys sonne or doughter, hys prynce or gouernour, aboue me,hygh treason. he is not mete for me, Math. 10. I feare me thys wyll be iudged hygh treason. But no matter. So sō ge as it is Christes worde, he shall be also v [...]dre the same iudgement of treason. Lete no man care to be condēpned with hym, for he in the ende shall be hable to rectyfye all wronges.
Marke here an example most wōderfull, and se how madlye in their ragynge furyes,Frenesye. men forget themselues and lose their ryght wittes now a dayes A kynges hygh counseller, a Iudge ouer lyfe and deathe, yea, a lorde Chauncellour of a most noble realme, is now become a most vyle slaue for Antichrist,A tourmentour. and a most cruell tormentoure. Without all dyscressyon, honestye, or manhode, he casteth of hys gowne, and taketh here vpō hym the most vyle offyce of an hāgemā and pulleth at the racke most vyllanouslye. O Wrisleye and RicheWrisleye & Riche. ij. false christianes & blasphemouse apostara [...]s frō God. What chaplayne of the pope [Page 46] hath inchaūted yow, or what deuyll of helle bewytched yow▪ to execute vpō a poore cōdēpned womā,Māmon▪ so prodygyouse a kynde of tyrānye? Euen the verye Māmon of inyquyte, & that insacyable hunger of auarice, whych cōpelled Iudas to betray vnto deathe hys most louynge master, Ioā. 12. The wynnynges were not small that ye reckened vpon, whā ye toke on ye that cruell enterpryse, & wolde haue had so many great men and women accused But what els haue ye wonne in the ende,wretch [...] than perpetuall shame and confusyon? God hath suffered yow so to dyscouer your owne myscheues, that ye shall nomore be forgotten of the worlde, than are now Adonisedech, Saul, Hieroboam,Tyran̄tes Manasses. Olophernes, Haman, Tryphon, Herode, Nero, Traianus, and soche other horryble tyrauntes.
And as concernynge the innocēt womā,A lambe. whō yow so cruellye tormēted. Where coulde be seane a more clere and open experyment of Christes dere membre, than in her myghtye sufferynges? lyke a lambe she laye styll without noyse of cryenge, and suffered your vttermost [Page] vyolence, tyll the synnowes of her armes were broken, and the strynges of her eys peryshed in her heade. Ryght farre doth it passe the strength of a yonge, tendre, weake,Tyraūtes and sycke woman (as she was at that tyme to your more confusyon) to abyde so vyolent handelynge, yea, or yet of the strongest man that lyueth. Thynke not therfor but that Christ hath suffered in her,Christ. and so myghtelye shewed hys power, that in her weakenesse he hath laughed your madde enterpryses to scorne, Psalm. 2. Where was the feare of God, ye tyrauntes? Where was your christen professyon, ye helle houndes? Where was your othe and promes to do true iustyce,Periures ye abhomynable periures, whan ye went aboute these cursed feates? More fytt are ye for swyne kepynge, than to be of a prynces counsell, or yet to gouerne a Christen commen welthe. If Christ haue sayd vnto them whych do but offende hys lytle ones that beleue in hym,A mylstone. that it were better they had a mylstone tyed aboute thyir neckes, and were so throwne into the bottom of the see, Luce 17. What wyll he saye to them that so vyllaynouslye pull at the racke in ther [Page 47] myscheuouse malyce? These are but warnynges take hede if ye lyst, for a full sorowfull plage wyll folowe here after.
Anne Askewe.
Then the lyefetenaunt caused me to be loused from the racke.Vnlosed. Incontynentlye I swounded, and then they recouered me agayne. After that I sate ij. longe houres reasonynge with my lorde Chauncellour vpon the bare floore, where as he with manye flatterynge wordes, persuaded me to leaue my opynyon. But my lorde God (I thanke hys euerlastynge goodnesse) gaue me grace to perseuer,Perseuer. and wyll do (I hope) to the verye ende.
Iohan Bale.
Euermore haue the olde modye tyrauntes, vsed thys practysePractyse. of deuylyshnesse. As they haue perceyued themselues not to preuayle by extreme handelynges they haue sought to proue masteryes by [Page] the contrarye. With gaye glosynge wordes and fayre flatterynge promyses, they haue craftelye [...]n̄passed the seruauntes of God, to cause them consent to their wyckednesse. And in thys temptynge occupacyon,Tēptacyō are Wrisleye & Riche verye c [...]nnynge. Notwithstandynge they shall neuer fynde the chosen of God, all one with the forsaken reprobates. The electe vessels holde the eternall God for their most specyall treasure, and haue hym in soch inteire loue, that they had moch Iener to lose themselues, than hym. The wicked desperates haue the voluptuouse pleasures of thys vayne worlde so dere,3. sortes. that they had leuer to forsake God and all hys workes, than to be sequestred from them. Thys godlye yonge woman referreth praysePrayse. vnto her lorde God, that he hath not left her in thys paynefull conflycte for hys verytees sake, but perseuered stronge with her, beynge in hope that he wolde so styll contynewe with her, to the verye ende, as without fayle he ded.
Manye men sore wondre now a dayes that [...]risleye whych was in my lordeWrisleye [Page 48] Cromwels tyme so ernest a doer agaynst the pope, is now becomen agayne for hys pedlarye wares so myghtye a captayne. But they remembre not the common adage, that honour changeth maners,ynne kepers. and lu [...]re iudgementes. These great ynne kepers (they saye) had leuer to haue one good horse man to hoste, than v [...]. men on fote, specyallye if they weare veluet whodes or fyne rochettes. What els foloweth Christ but beggerye and sorowes whych are verye harefull to the worlde? Where fatnesse is cawte of euerye mannys laboure, there is yet sumwhat to be loked for, If hys christē zele be soch,Profyght that he wyll haue no she heretykes vnponnyshed lete hym do first of all, as we reade of dyuerse ryghtfull gouerners amonge the heythen. Lete hym serche hys owne howse wele.my ladye. Paranenture▪ he maye fynde aboute my ladye hys wyfe, a rellyck of no lyttle vertu, a practyse of Pythagoras, or an olde midwyues blessynge, whych she carryeth closelye on her, for preseruacyon of her honoure. Her opynyō is (folke saye) that so lōge as she hath that vpō her, her worldlye worshyp [Page] can neuer decaye.Honoure I praye God thys prouysyon in short space deceyueth her not as it hath done pope Siluester the seconde, and as it ded of late years Thomas Swolsye our late Cardynall.cardynall Thys heresye goeth neyther to the racke nor the fyre, to Newgate nor yet Smythfelde, as contynuallye doth the pore Gospell.
Anne Askewe.
Then was I brought to an howse, and layed in a bed, with as werye and payneful bones, as euer had pacyēt Iob, I thā ke my lorde God therof.A tyraūt. Then my lorde Chauncellour sent me worde if I wolde leaue my opynyon. I shuld want nothynge If I wolde not, I shuld fourth to Newgate, and so be burned I sent hym agayne worde, that I wolde rather dye, thā to breake my faythe.Swete woman. Thus the lorde open the eyes of their blynde hartes, that the truthe maye take place. Fare wele dere frynde, [Page 49] and praye, praye, praye.
Iohan Bale.
Beholde in thys last parcell,A marty [...] ▪ most euydēt sygnes of a Christē martyr and faythfull witnesse of God, besydes that went afore. She allegeth not in all thys longe processe, lyenge legendes, popysh fables, nor yet olde wyues parables, but the most lyuelye autorytees and examples of the sacred Byble.Gods creature. She putteth her selfe here in remembraunce, not of desperate Cayne, nor yet of sorowfull Iudas, but of most pacyent Iob, for example of godlye sufferaunce. For Anguysh and payne of her broken ioyntes and broused armes and eyes, she curseth not the tyme that euer she was borne, as the maner of the vnfaythfull is. But she hyghlye magnyfyeth and prayseth God for it.Christes seruaunt. Neyther was she peruerted with flatterynge promyses, nor yet ouercommen with terryble threttenynges of deathe. Neyther doubted she the stynke of Newgate, nor yet the burnynge fyer in Smythfelde. But coueted rather deathe of her bodye for the syncere doctryne of Christ, than lyfe of the same vndre the ydolatrouse [Page] doctryne of the Romysh pope. She desyred God to take mercye of her enemyes, and exhorted all Christen people instauntlye to praye for them. If these be not the frutes of a true beleuer,A verye Saynt. what other frutes els can we axe?
Anne Askewes answere vnto Iohan Lassels letter.
Oh frynde most derelye beloued in God. I maruele not a lyttle, what shuld moue yow, to iudge in me so slēdre a faythe,Deathe. as to feare deathe. whych is the ende of all myserye. In the lorde I desyre yow, not to beleue of me soch wyckednesse. For I doubt it not, but God wyll perfourme hys worke in me, lyke as he hath begonne.
Iohan Bale.
I wolde but knowe of them whych are common readers of chronycles and Sayntes lyues,Chronycles. where they euer redde of a more seruent and lyuelye faythe than was in thys godlye yonge woman [Page 50] As lyght a matter estemed she deathe, as ded Eleazarus that aūcyent senyour, or yet the vij. Machabees with their most worthye mother, 2. Mach. 6. & 7. For she sayd,Deathe. that it was but the ende of all sorowes. She reckened not with the couetouse man, the remembraunce therof bytter, Eccle. 14. But with the ryghteouse she thought it a most redye & swyfte passage vntolyfe, Ioan. 5. The feare of deathe iudged she great wyckednesse in a Christē beleuer, & was in full hope that God wolde not suffre her to be troubled therwith. For whye,No feare. deathe loseth vs no lyfe, but bryngeth it in vnto vs lyke as the harde wynter bryngeth in the most plesaūt somer. Who cā thynke, whā the sunne goeth downe, that it vtterlye so perysheth? Death vnto the ryghteouse beleuer,Haruest. is as a profytable haruest, whych after fweate & labour bryngeth in most dylectable frutes. Nō otherwyse thought it Anne Askewe, than a verye entraunce of lyfe, whan she had it thus in desyre, and faythfullye trusted with Paule, that God wolde fynysh in her that he than begonne to hys owne glorye. Philippen. 1.
Anne Askewe.
I vnderstande, the counsell is not a lyttle dyspleased, that it shulde be reported abroade, that I was rackedRacked. in the towre They saye now, that they ded there, was but to fear me. Wherby I perceyue, they are ashamed of their vncomelye doynges, and feare moch least the kynges mageste shulde haue in fourmacyon therof.No noyse Wherfor they wolde no man to noyse it. Well, their crueltye God forgeue them. Your hart in Christ Iesu. Fare wele, and praye.
Iohan Bale.
Hypocrytes and tyrauntes wolde neuer be gladlye knowne abroade,Wrisleye & Ryche. for that they are in dede. But for that they are not, they loke alwayes to be gloryouslye noysed. Wrisleye & Ryche wolde yet be iudged of the worlde, ij. sober wysemen, and verye sage counsellers. But thys tyrannouse example of theirs, maketh a [Page 51] most manyfest shewe of the contrarye. Yea, and the God of heauen wyll haue it so knowne to the vnyuersall worlde, to their ignomynye and shame. So is he wonte to rewarde all cruell Apostataes, as he rewarded Iulianus.Iulianus for their wylfull contempt of hys veryte. The martyr of Christ for her pacyent sufferaunce shall leaue here behynde her a gloryouse report, where as these forsworne enemyes and pursuers of hys worde, haue purchased themselues a perpetuall infamye by their cruelte and myschefe. In excusean excuse of their madnesse, they saye, they ded it only to feare her. Is it not (thynke yow) a propre frayenge playe, whā our armes and eyes are compelled to leaue their naturall holdes? Ye ment no lyght dallyaunce, whan ye wolde haue had so manye gret women accused, & toke the hangemannys offyce vpon your owne precyouse personnes. O tormentours and tyrauntesTyraūtes abhomynable. Ye feare least your temporall and mortall kynge shuld knowe your madde frenesyes. But of the eternall kynge, whych wyll ryghtlye ponnysh yow for it, with the deuyll & hys angels (vnlesse ye sore repent it) ye haue no [Page] feare at all. It is so honest a part, ye haue played, that ye wyll not haue it noysed.No noyse But I promyse yow, so to dy [...]lg [...] 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, whych is reported of them that knowe not the truthe, to be my recātacyon. But as sure as the lorde lyueth. I neuer mēt thynge lesse, than to recāt. Notwithstandynge thys I confesse,Of Cayphas. that in my first troubles. I was examyned of the Byshopp of London aboute the sacrament. Yet had they no graunte of my mouth but thys. That I beleued therin as the worde of God ded bynde me to beleue. More had they neuer of me.
Iohan Bale.
In the ende of her first examynacyon▪ is thys matter treated of more at large. [Page 52] Here do she repete it agayne, onlye to be knowne for Christes stedefast membre, and not Antichristes.Christes martyr. To the voyce of hym she faythfullye obeyed, but the voyce of that Romysh monstre and other straungers she regarded not, Ioan. 10. As she perceyued whan she was before the Byshopp of London,Bonner▪ that all passed styll after their olde tyrannye, and nothynge after the rules of scripture, she suspected their doctryne more than afore, and thought them non other than Christ warned hys dyscyples to be ware of,Wolues. Luce 12. Wherupon she throughlye couenaunted with her self, neuer to denye hys veryte afore men at their callynge on, least he shuld agayne denye her before hys eternall father. Mathei 10. For if the confessynge therof bryngeth saluacyon,saluacyō. as saynt Paule sayth it doth, Roman. 10. The denyenge therof on the other syde, must nedes brynge in dampnacyon.
Anne Askewe.
Thē he made a coppye, whych is now in prynt, & requyred me to [Page] se [...]t therunto my hande. But I refused it. Then my ij. suertyes ded wyll me in no wyse to stycke therat.Hande writynge For it was no great matter, they sayd. Then with moch a do, at the last I wrote thus. I Anne Askewe do beleue thys if Gods worde do agre to the same, & the true catholick churche,
Iohan Bale.
Commonlye is it spoken of popysh prestes, that in doynge their false feates, they sytt in Gods stede.Gods stede. Thys poynt folowed the bludderynge Byshopp of London here, whych for their olde fantasyed superstycyon. laboured in thys woman to dysplace the syncere veryte of the lorde.Buylded. But so surelye was she buylded vpon the harde rocke, that neyther for enmyte nor fryndeshypp, w [...]lde she ones remoue her fo [...]e, Mathei 7. Neyther anguyshe, trouble, torment, nor fyre, coulde separate her from that loue of her lorde God Roma. 8.Alambe. Though she were for hys sake rebuked and vexed, and also appoynted [Page 53] as a shepe to be slayne, Psal. 43. Yet ded she strongelye through hym ouercome, and haue (I doubt it not) obtayned the crowne of lyfe, Apoca. 2.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshopp, beynge in great dyspleasure with me, bycause I made doubtes in my writynge, commaunded me to pryson.Pryson. Where I was a whyle. But afterwardes by the meanes of fryndes. I came out agayne. Here is the truthe of that matter. And as concernynge the thynge that ye couere most to knowe,Eucharystye. Resort to the vj. of Iohan, & be ruled alwayes therby. Thus fare ye wele. Quoth Anne Askewe.
Iohan Bale.
In all the scriptures we reade not. that eyther Christ or yet hys Apostles commaunded anye man or woman to prysonPryson. for their faythe, as thys tyraunt Byshopp ded here. But in dede we fynde [Page] that Christes holye Apostles, were ofttymes cruellye commaunded to pryson of the same spyghtfullye spirytuall generacyon, Acto. 4. 5. 12. 16. ChristChrist. wylled hys true beleuers to loke for non other at their spirytuall handes, than enprysonmentes and deathe, Mathei 10. Ioan. 16. And therfor sayd Peter vnto hym. I am redye to go with the, lorde, both into pryson and to deathe, Luce 22. Paule greatlye complayneth of hys enprysonmentes and scourgynges by them, 2. Corinth, 11. Dyuerse in the congregacyon of SmyrnaSmyrna. were enprysoned by that fearce synagoge of Sathan, Apoca. 2. Esaye prophecyenge the condycyons of the spirytuall Antichrist, [...]ntichrist sayth amonge other, that he shulde holde men captyue in preson, Esaie 14. Ezechiel reporteth that he shuld churlyshlye checke, and in cruelte rule, Ezechie. 34. Zacharye sheweth that he shuld eate vp the fleshe of the fattest, Zacharie 11. Daniel declareth that he shuld persecute with swerde and fyre.with fyre Daniel 11. And saynt Iohan verefyeth that he shuld be all dronke with the bloude of the witnesses of Iesu, Apoca. 17. And therfor [Page 54] in these feates, hys Byshoppes do but their kyndes.
I Anne Askewe, of good me morye, although my mercyfull father hath geuen me the breade of aduersyte, & the water of trouble,Trouble. yet not so moch as my synnes hath deserued, confesse my selfe here a synner before the trone of hys heauenlye mageste desyerynge hys eternall mercye. And for so moch as I am by the lawe vnryghtouslye condēpned for an euyll doer cōcernynge opynyōs,Condempned. I take the same most mercyfull God of myn, whych hath made hoth heauen and earthe, to recorde, that I holde no opynyons contrarye to hys most holye worde.
Iohan Bale.
What man of sober dyscressyon, can iudge thys woman yll, indyfferentlye but markynge thys her last confessyon? Nor a fewe of most euydent argumentes are therin, to proue herproue her the true seruaunt of God. Her wyttes were not ones dystracted, for all her most tyrānouse handelynges. She was styll of a perfyght memorye, accountynge her emprysonmentes, re [...]ylynges, rackynges, and other tormentes, but the breade of aduersyte and the water of trouble, as ded Dauid afore her.Frutes of faythe. Psalm. 79. As the louynge chylde of God, she receyued them without 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 her selfe in hys syght a synner, but not an haynouse heretyke, as she was falselye iudged of the world.Obedyēt to God. In that matter she toke hym most stronglye to witnesse, that though in faythe she were not agreable to the worldes wylde opynyon, yet was she not therin contrarye to hys heauenlye truthe. She had afore that proued their spretes conferrynge both their [Page 55] iudgementes, 1. Ioan. 4. and perceyued them farre vnlyke, Esaie 55.
Anne Askewe.
And I trust in my mercyfull lorde, whych is the geuer of all grace, that he wyll gracyouslye assyst me agaynst all euyll opynyons,No heretyke. whych are contrarye to hys blessyd veryte. For I take hym to witnesse, that I haue, do, and wyll do vnto my lyues ende, vtterlye abhorre them to the vttermost of my power. But thys is the heresye whych they report me to holde,Breade, that after the prest hath spoken the wordes of consecracyon, there remayneth breade styll.
Iohan Bale.
Consydre without frowarde, parcyall or wylfull affeccyon, the poyntes herin contayned, and than iudge of what harte or conscyence they haue rysen.Proue yet The hope of thys woman was onlye in God. Hym she confessed to be of all grace [Page] [...] [Page 55] [...] [Page] 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 inuencyons. And most firmelye clea [...]ed to hys eternall worde. If these with those that went afore, be not frutes of true christyanyte,Frutes of faythe. or of a perfyght membre of Gods eleccyon, what frutes wyll we demaūde? S. Paule fayth No man can confesse that Iesus is the lorde (as she hath done here) but in the holye Ghost, 1. Corinth. 12. Dauid also specifyeth, that the lordeneuer forsaketh them whych call vpon hys name, & put their trust in hym, Psal. 9. And as touchynge the prestes consecracyō,Consecracyon, whych is soch a charme of inchauntemēt as maye no [...] be d [...]ne but by an oyled offycer of the popes generacyon, she ded godlye to reiect it in that clow [...]ynge kynde. For in all the Byble is it not that anye mā can make of a drye wafferWaffer. cake, a newe sauer a newe redemer, a newe Christ, or a newe God, No though he shuld vtter all the wordes and scriptures therin.
Anne Askewe.
But they both saye, and also [Page 56] reache it for a necessarye artycle of faythe, that after those wordes be ones spoken, there remayneth no breade, but euen the selfe same bodye that hynge vpon the crosse on good frydaye,Breade▪ both fleshe, bloude, and bone. To thys beleue of theirs, saye I naye. For then were our commen Crede false, whych sayth that he sytteth on the ryght hande of God the father almyghtye, and from thens shall comeShall come. to iudge the quyck & the dead. Loo, thys is the heresye that I holde, and for it must suffer the deathe.
Iohan Bale.
Of Antichristantichrist reade we in the scriptures, that he & hysoyled Apostles shuld do false myracles, Math. 24. 2. Thes. 2. & Apoca. 13. We fynde 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 great a wondre▪ that a [Page] drye cake myght become a God to be worshypped? A myracleMyracle were thys aboue all the myracles that euer were wrought, and a worke aboue all 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. 1. Yet reade we not of hym, that he made of hys creatures anye newe God to be worshypped.No God. In that poynt are our oyled Antichristes afore hym. And where as he rested whollye in the seuenth daye, from that offyce of creacyon, Gene. 2. and neuer toke it vpon hym sens that tyme, as testyfyeth Iohan Chrisostome, Augustyne, Hierome, Bedas, Alcuinus, and all ther other doctors.Doctors. Yet wyll they take vpon thē to create euerye daye a fresh, and whan their olde God stynketh in the boxe,Moulde in the boxe. remoue hym out of the waye, and put a newe in hys rowme. yea, they can make of breade (wkych is but mannys corruptyble creature, and ordayned onlye to be eate) soch a God as shall stande checke mate with the great God of heauen, & parauenture deface hym also. Oh blasphemouse [Page 57] wretches and theues. Be ones ashamed of your abhomynable blyndenesse,Godmakers. and submytt your selues to a iust reformacyon.
Anne Askewe.
But as touchynge the holye and blessyd supperThe supper. of the lorde, I beleue it to be a most necessarye remembraunce of hys gloryouse sufferynges and deathe. More ouer I beleue as moch therin, as my eternall & onlye redemer Iesus Christ wolde I shuld beleue. Fynallye I beleue all those scripturesScriptures. to be true. whom he hath confirmed with hys most precyouse bloude.
Iohan Bale.
No godlye instytucyon nor ordynaunce of Christ, do thys faythfull woman contempne,Without Masse. but reuerentlye submytteth herself therunto, in the kynde that he ded leaue them. She protesteth here to beleue so moch, as can be shewed by the scriptures of both testamentes. And [Page] what is more to be requyred of a Christen beleuer? Onlye ded she in conscyence refuse and abhorre,Idolatryes. the ydell obseruacyons, the paganes superstycyons, the sorcerers in chauntmentes, and the most parellouse ydolatryes, whych the Romysh pope and hys clergye haue added to their Masse for couetousnesse. In thys (I suppose) she remembred the wordes of saynt Paule, 1. Corinth. 2. My talkynge (sayd he) and my preachynge, was not with persuasyble or entysynge wordes of mannys corrupt wysdome,Mannys wysdome but in vtteraunce of the sprete and of power, that your faythe shuld not stande in the wysdome of men, but in the power of God. For that (sayth Christ) whych semeth hygh and holye afore men, is fylthye abhomynacyon before God, Luce 16.
Anne Askewe.
Yea, and as S. Paule sayth, those scripturesScriptu [...]es. are suffycyent for our lernynge and saluacyō, that Christ hath lefte here with vs. So that I beleue, we nede [Page 58] no vnwritten verytees to rule hys churche with. Therfore loke what he hath layed vnto me with hys owne mouthe, in hys holye Gospell,Hope. that haue I with Gods grace, closed vp in my harte. And my full trust is (as Dauid saych) that it shall be a lanterne to my fote steppes, Psalme 118.
Iohan Bale.
Styll are these frutes of inestymable wholsomnesse, declarynge thys womā a most perfyght and innocent membre of Iesus Christ.pr [...]nestyll In thys whole processe (marke it hardelye) she [...]nneth not for socour to the muddye waters or broken pyttes of the Phylistynes, Hieremye 2. Whych are the corrupt doctrynes and tradycyons of men. But she seketh to the verye welsprynge of helthe, & foūtayne of saluacyon. Ioā. 4. All vnwritten verytees left she to those wauerynge wanderers whych wyll eternally [Page] perysh with them.Frutes of faythe. And in the verytees written, appoynted she to iournaye amonge the true Christen beleuers towardes the lāde euerlastynge. In all her affayres most fyrmelye she cleaueth to the scriptures of God, whych geueth both sprete and lyfe, Ioan. 6. As the harte in the forest desyreth the plesaunt water brokes, so longed her sowle and was desyerouse of the manyfest glorye of her eternall God,Her god. Psal. 41. If her porcyon be not in the lande of the lyuynge, Psal. 141. Yea, if she be not allowed a cytezen with the Sayntes, Ephe. 1. And her name regestred in the boke of lyfe, Apoca. 20. Yt wyll be harde with manye. But certayne and sure I am, that with Marye Marthaes systre,A sure part. soch a sure part haue she chosen, as wyll not be takē awaye from her, Luce 10.
Anne Askewe.
There be some do saye, that I denye the EucharystyeEucharystye. or sacrament of thankes geuynge. But those people do vntrulye report of me. For I both saye and beleue [Page 59] it, that if it were ordered lyke as Christ instytuted it and left it, a most syngular confort it were vnto vs all. But as concernynge your Masse, as it is now vsed in our dayes, I do saye & beleue it, to be the most abhomynable ydoll that is in the worlde.masse. an ydoll. For my God wyll not be eaten with tethe, neyther yet dyeth he agayne. And vpon these wordes, that I haue now spoken, wyll I suffer deathe.
Iohan Bale.
All the workes of God and ordynaunces of Christ, she reuerentlye 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.obedyēce. The Masse (whych is in all poyntes, of that fylthye Antichristes creacyon) toke she for the most execrable ydoll vpon earthe.The Masse. And ryghtlye. For non other is the chylde to be reckened, than was hys father afore hym▪ be he man or beast. The whelpe of a dog [Page] [...]e, is non other than a dogge, whan he cometh [...]nest [...] hys age. [...]dolaters Idolles (sayth Sauid) are ly [...]e them that ma [...]e them. [...]o are they also whych put their trust in them, Psalme 113. An yd [...]ll doth Zacharye call that proude slaughterouse shepehearde, Zacharye 11. Who then can denye hys prodygyouse ordynaunces to be the same?An ydoll. What other is the worke of an ydolatrouse worker, than an exccrable ydoll? And loke what propyrrces anye ydoll hath had, or feates hath wrought yet sens the worldes begynnynge, the popes prodygyouse Masse hath had & wrought the same, with manye conueyaunces more.
Of popesPopes. [...]ath it receyued dysgysynges, instrumentes, blessynges, turnynges and legerdemaynes, with manye straunge obseruacyons borowed of the Iewes and paganes [...]lde sacryfyces, be sydes pardons for delyucraunce of sowles. Of monkesMonkes. haue it gotten a purgatorye after manye straunge apparycyōs, with a longe ladder from thens to scale heauen with. It hath obtayned also, to be a remedye for all dyseases both in man and beast, with innumerable sup [...]r [Page 60] stycyons els. Of vnyuerfytees and their doctours, haue it cawte all the subtyltees and craftye lernynges of the prophane phylosophers, to be defended by,Vniuersytees. as is to be seane in the workes of their sentencyoners, lyke as I haue shewed in the mysterye of iniquyte, fo. 33. It serueth all wytches in their wytcherye, all foreerers,the masse charmers, inchaunters, dreamers, sothsayers, necromansers, coniures, crosse dyggers, deuyll raysers, myracle doers, doggeleches, and bawdes. For without a masse, they can not wele worke their feates. The lawers lyke wyse, whych seke in Westmynstre hawle to gett most moneye be falfehede, can neyther be wele without it. It vpholdeth vayne glorye, pryde, ambycyon,Profytable. auaryce, glottonye, slouth, ydelnesse, hypocresye, heresye, tyrannye, and all other deuylyshnesse besydes, It maynteyneth the spirytuall souldyers of Antichrist,Necessarye. in all superfluouse lyuynge and wanton lecherouse lustes, with the chast occupyenges of Sodome and [...]omor.
What other ghostlye frutes it hath. I shall more largelye shewe in my boke [Page] called, The myracles of the Masse agaynst Peryne.myracles of themasse. Perchaūce some deuou [...]e Masse hearers wyll laye for the holynesse therof, that it contayneth both pystle and Gospell. Trulye that Epystle and that Gospell maye wele haue a name of lyfe. as S. Iohan sayth of the churche of Sardis, Apoca. 3. Yet is it in that offyce of massynge, nō other than the dead or mortyfyenge letter. 2. Cor. 3. For the spre [...]e that shuld quyeken,Sead letter. is clerely taken frō it, So that nothynge 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 SathanSathan. alleged vnto Christ vpon the pynnacle of the temple? Math. 4. Yet remayneth it there styll, after hys vngracyouse handelynge therof, as a false craftye suggestyon, a deuylysh errour, or a shyelde of hys wyckednesse, & wyll do euermore. Where are the names of God, of hys Angels, & of hys sayntes, more ryfe, thā amōge witches,Wytches charmers, inchaūters, &c sorcerers? Yet can ye not saye, that they are amōge thē to anye mānys saluacyō. as they wolde be in ryght handelynge [...]. [Page 61] What it is that serueth an ydoll, lete godlye wyse men comecture,An ydoll. whych are not all ignoraunt how Angell became a deuyll.
Anne Askewe.
I lorde, I haue more enemyesEnemyes now, than there be heeres on my heade. Yet lorde lete thē neuer ouer come me with vayne wordes, But fyght thu lorde, in my stede. For on the cast I my care. With all the spyght they can ymagyne, they fall vpon me whych am thy poore creature,hate thē. Yet swete lorde, lete me not se [...] by them whych are agaynst the. For in the is my whole delyght.
Iohan Bale.
Oblessyd woman, and vndoubted cytyzen of heauen. Truthe it is, that thu hast had manye aduersaryes,Aduersaryes. yea, and a farre greatter nombre of them, than thu hast here reckened. And the more thu hast had, the greatter is now they vyctorye in Christ. The great bodye of the Beast thu hast had to enemye. whych cō prehendet [Page] the malygnaunt muster of [...] one syde, [...]ters. & the erthly worsh [...]pers of hys blasphemose beastlynesse [...] the other syde, Daniel 11. Apo. 13. whose nōbre is as the sande of the see, in fynyte, Apoc. 20. But consydre agayne, what fryndeshypp thu hast gotten for it on the other part. Thu hast now to fryndeFryndes. for thy faythfull perseueraunce agaynst those ydoll mongers, the sempyternall trynyte, the father, the sonne, & the holye Ghost, Ioā. 14. With the gloryouse multytude of Angels, the patriarkes, Prophetes, Apostles & Martyrs, with all the electnōbre from ryghtcouse Abel hytherto.Fauorers Thu hast also here vpon earthe, & euermore shall haue, the fauer of all thē whych haue not bowed to that fylthye Beast, whose names are regestred in the boke of lyfe, Apo. 21. And as for thy vngodlye & cruell enemyes, as dust in the wynde the lorde wyll scattre them from the face of the earthe,Northfolke. be they neuer so stowte and manye, Psal. 1.
Anne Askewe.
And lorde I hartelye desyre of the, that thu wylte of thy [Page 62] most mercyfull goodnesse, forgeue thē that vyolence, whych they do & haue done vnto me.Prayer. Open also thu their blynde har [...]es, that they maye her after do that thynge in thy syght, whych is onlye acceptable before the. And to sett fourth thy veryte a ryght, without all vayne fanta syes of synnefull men. So be it. I lorde, so be it. By me Anne Askewe.
Iohan Bale.
Afore here she confessed with Dauid that on God she had cast her care,Swete woman. and that in hym was all her hartes delyght. Psal. 60. She desyred hym also, neuer to fayle her in thys harde cōflict, but strōglye to assist her, and in no case to permytt her to be ouer commen of the flatterynge worlde, neyther yet to geue place to hys enemyes.Gods true seruaunt. And I doubt it not, but these are most euydent sygnes that she was hys faythfull seruaunt. I knowe certaynlye, that all the power of helle, can not preuayle agaynst [Page] so ernest a faythe, Math. 16. For he hath so spoken it there, whych can not lye, Luce 21. & 1. Petri 2. In thys lattre part, she sheweth the nature of Christes lyuelye membre,Christes membre. and of a perfyght christen martyr in ij. poyntes first she desyre [...]h God to forgeue her enemyes as Christ desyred hym in the tyme of hys passyon, Luce 23. And as holye Steuen also ded for the tyme of hys deathe, Acto. 7. Secondlye she desyreth their hartes to be opened,Charyte. that they maye trulye beleue and be saued, Acto. 16. Thys supernaturall affect of charyte had she only of the sprete of Christ, whych wylleth not the deathe of a frowarde synner, but rather that he be frō hys wyckednesse turned,A Saynt. & so lyue Ezech. 33. Thus is she a Saynt canonysed in Christes bloude, though she neuer haue other canonysacyon of pope, prest, nor Byshopp.
The Balade whych Anne Askewe made and sange whan she was in Newgate.
God saue the kynge.
‘God hath chosen the weake thynges of the worlde, to cōfoūde thynges whych are myghtye. Yea, and thynges of no reputacyon, for to brynge to nought thynges of reputacyon, that no fleshe shuld presume in hys syght.’ 1. Cormth. 1.
The Conclusyon.
THus hast thu (dylygent reader) the ende of these ij. examynacyons and answers of the most Christen martyr Anne Askewe, with other addycyons besydes. Marke in them the horryble madde furye of Antichristantichrist and the deuyll, how they worke in thys age by their tyrannouse members, to brynge the last vengeaunce swyftlye vpon them. Afore tyme hath not bene seane, soch frantyck outrage as is now, the iudges without all sober dyscressyon, ronnynge to the racke, toggynge, halynge, and pullynge therat, lyke tormentours in a playe.Cōpassyō. Compare me here Pylate with Wrisleye the hygh chauncellour of Englande, with Ryche and with other whych wyll be counted no small moates. And se how moch the pagane Iudge excelleth in vertu and wysdome, the false christened Iudge, yea, rather prodygyouse tyraunt. Whan PylatePylate. had enquyred, what accusacyon the Iewes clergye had agaynst Christ, he perceyued they ded all of malyce, and refused to meddle therin. Ioan. [Page 65] 18. In WrisleyeWrisleye and Riche is no soch equyte. But they rather seke occasyon to accōplysh the full malyce of Antichrist.
PylatePylate. shewed the accused all fauer possyble. He examyned hym pryuatelye, he gaue hym fryndelye wordes, he had hym not feare to speake, he hearde hym with gentylnesse, he counselled with hym that he myght the more frelye suppresse their madde furye, and he promysed, they shuld do hym no wronge in case he wolde vtter hys full mynde, Ioan. 18. Farre contrarye to thys were WrisleyeWrysley [...] and Ryche, whych not all ignoraunt of the Byshoppes beastlye errours, malycyouslye without all feare of God and shame of the worlde, executed vpon thys godlye woman most terryble tyrannye. PylatePylate. spake for the innocent, excused hym, defended hym, layed fourth the lawe, pleated for hym sharpelye, requyred them to shewe mercye, alleged for hym their custome, declared hym an innocēt & sought by all meanes to delyuer hym, Math. 27. These periured magystrates WrysleyeWrisleye & Ryche, not onlye examyned thys innocent woman with rigour, but also hated her, scorned her, reuyled her, [Page] condempned her for an heretyke, & with vnspeakable tormentes sought to enforce her to brynge by accusacyon other noble women and men to deathe.
More ouer PylatePylate. wolde shede no innocent bloude, but laboured to mytygate the Byshoppes furye, & insta [...]ited them as they were relygyouse, to shewe godlye fauer, concludynge that he coulde by no lawe of iustice, iudge hym worthye to dye Marci 15. These vengeable tyrauntes WrisleyeWrisleye and Riche insacyably thirsted, not only the innocēt bloude of thys faythfull seruaunt of God, but also the bloude of the noble duchesse of Sothfolke, the bloude of the worthye countesse of Hertforde, and of the vertuouse countesse of Sussexe, the bloude of the faythfull ladyeLadyes. Dennye, of the good lady Fizwyllyams, and of other godlye women more, soche wydowes and wy [...]es as Paule, Peter, and Iohan commendeth in their epistles, besydes the bloude of serten noble men of the kynges hygh counsell. And all at the spyghtfull callynge on of the Byshoppes. Slacke care gaue PylatePylate. to the prestes, he regarded not ther dyspleasure, he detected their proteruouse madnesse, [Page 66] by delayes he dyfferred the sentence, and fynallye washed hys handes as one that was clere from their tyrannye, Luce 23. Swyft eare gaue Wrisleye & RycheWrisleye & Ryche▪ with their wycked affynyte to the pu [...]fed vp pork [...]lynges of the pope Gardyner, Bonner, & soch other, they folowed their cruell counsell, they enprysoned her, iudged her, condempned her, & racked her at the last with their owne poluted bloudye tormentours hādes, tyll the vaynes and synnowes brast.
If ye marke the scriptures wele, ye shall easelye perceyue that PylatePylate. was not in fawte of Christes buffetynges, beatynges, scornynges, face spyttynges, crownynge with thorne, and soch other extreme handelynges. But the malycyouse Byshoppes & prestesPrestes. whych waged Iudas to be [...]raye hym, hyred false wytnesses to accuse hym, monyed the multytude to dyffaine hym, fayned false matter agaynst hym, compelled the lawe and terryfyed the iudge, to haue their full myschefe accomplyshed, as our Byshoppes haue done in thys cruell acte and soch other.Pylate. Whan the prestes wolde haue blemyshed hys [Page] name by the ignomynyouse deathe whych he suffered amōge theues on the crosse, Pylate proclamed it gloryouse vnto all the worlde, writynge hys tytle in Hebrue, Greke, and Latyne, Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iewes, and wolde not at their instaūt callyng on, chāge it, Ioā. 19. WrisleyeWrisleye & Riche with their vngracyouse affynyte, haue in euerye poynt folowed here the execrable affectes of the prestes. Fauorablye Pylate lycensed Ioseph of Arymathye to take downe Christes bodye, and to burye it, Math. 27. Wrisleye commaunded thys martyr of God with her faythfull companyons to be brent to ashes. PylatePylate. was ignoraunt of Gods lawes, and a pagane. WrisleyeWrisleye and Ryche knowe both the lawe and the Gospell, and are christyanes, the more is it to their dampnacyon, to execute soch turkysh tyrannye.
Now to conclude with Anne Askewe as the argument of thys boke requyreth In the yeare of our lord a M.D.ELVI And in the monthe of Iulye,Brent. at the prodygyouse procurement of Antichriste [...] furyouse remnaunt, Gardyner, Bonner and soch lyke, she suffered most cruell de [...] the [Page 67] ī Smythfelde with her iij. faythfull companyons, Iohā Lassels a gentylmā whych had bene her instructour, Iohan Adlam a tayler,Martyr [...] and a prest so constaunt in the veryte agaynst the seyd Antichristes superstycyons as they, whose name at thys tyme I had not. Credyblye am I infourmed by dyuerse duche merchauntes whych were there present, that in the tyme of their sufferynges,A sygne▪ the skye abhorrynge so wycked an acte, sodenlye altered coloure, and the cloudes from aboue gaue a thōder clappe, not all vnlyke to that is written, Psal. 76. The elementes both declared therin the hygh dyspleasure of God for so tyrānouse a murther of innocentes,Gods hā de. and also expreslye sygnyfyed hys myghtye hande present to the confort of them whych trusted in hym, besydes the most wonderfull mutacyon whych wyll within short space therupon folowe. And lyke as the CenturyonCenturio with those that were with hym, for the tokens shewed at Christes deathe, confessed hym to be the sonne of God, Math. 27. So ded a great nombre at the burnynge of these martyrs, vpon the syght of thys open experymēt, afferme them to be hys faythfull [Page] members.
Full manye a Christen hart haue rysen and wyll ryse from the pope to Christe through the occasyon of their consumynge in the fyre.Christyanes. 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,take hede 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 them now a dayes to lete men be at lyberte for their holye fathers ga [...]dy she ceremonyes, as they are for beare baytynges, cocke fyghtynges tennys playe,Ceremonyes. tables, tombelynge, daunsynge, or hūtynge, who lyst & who maye. For as lyttle haue those tradycyōs of hys of the worde of God, in their prowdest outshewe, as they haue. Here wyll some tenderTenderlynges. stomakes be greued, and report that in our headye hastynesse, we refuse to suffre with our weake bretherne accordynge to the doctryne of Paule. But I saye vnto them, what so euer they be whych are so scrupulouse [Page 68] wanderers, that they most execrablye erre in so bestowynge the scriptures. For abhomynable is that tolleraunce of our brethernes weakenesse,Hypocresye. 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 syde was there an other sort at the deathe of these blessyd martyrs,Papystes and they iudged of thys alteracyon of the ayre and thonder clappe, as ded the Iewysh Byshoppes with their peruerted multytude. Whych waggynge their heades, rayled, reuyled, iangled, iested, scorned, cursed, mocked, and mowed at Christes precyouse sufferynges on the crosse,Prestes. Math. 27. and Luce 23. These were the ydle wytted prestes at London and their beastlye ygnoraunt broodes, with olde superstycyouse bawdes and brethels,Bawdes. the popes blynde cattell. These cryed there lyke madde modye bedlemes, as they hearde the thonder, They are dampned, they are dampned, their wyse preachers outasynge the same at Paules crosse. In dede full [Page] nobylle are they ouerscane in the Byble that iudge the thondersThōders. to sygnyfye dāpnacyon. Thonder (sayth the scripture) is the voyce of God, Eccle. 43. Thonder is the helpynge power of the lorde, Iob 26. and no dampnacyon. Christ called Iohan and Iames the sonnes of thonder, Marci 3. Whych betokened that they shuld be ernest preachers, and no chyldren of dampnacyon. The lorde by thonder,Thonder. sheweth hys inscrutable workynge, Iob 38. Moses receyued the lawe, Helyas the sprete of prophecye, the Apostles the holye Ghost, & all in thonder. What wycked fole wyll saye, they receyued so dampnacyon?
As the lambe had opened the first seale of the boke, the voyce that went forth was as it had bene thonder, Apoca. 6.Apocal. whych is no dampnacyon, but a sharpe callynge of people to Godwarde. The thonderynges that apered whan the Angell fylled hys censer. Apoca. 8. were no dampnacyons but Gods ernest wordes rebukynge the worlde for synne.Thōders. The best interpretours do call those▪ thōderynges whych came from the trone of God. Apocal. 4. soche verytees of the scripture [Page 69] as terryfyeth synners, and no dampnacyons. Neyther were the vij. thonderynges whych gaue their voyces, Apoc. 10. anye other than mysteryes at their tymes to be opened, EucheriusEucheriꝰ Lugdunensis & other moralysers, call thonders in the scripture, the voyces of the Gospell, and their lyghtenynges, the clere openynges of the same. If thōder be a threttenynge or a fearfull iudgement of God (as in Psal. 103.) it is to them that abyde here,For tyrauntes. and not to them that depart frō hens, A token is it also that the horryble tyrauntes shall be as the meledust, that the wynde taketh awaye sodenlye, Esaie 29. If plage do folowe of thonder, as it ded in Egypt, whan Moses stretched forth hys rodde.Northfolke. Exodi 9. It shall lyght vpon them whych hath shewed the tyrā nouse vyolence on the people of God, as it ded vpon pharao and hys cruell mynysters.
At the myghtye voyce whych was both sensyblye hearde and vnderstanded of the Apostles from heauen,Marke wele. that the father was & wolde be gloryfyed by Christ the people sayd notthynge b [...]t. It thondereth, Ioan. 12. For nothynge els they [Page] vnderstode therof. What Anne Askewe and her companyons both hearde and s [...] in thys thonder to their sowles consolacyon in their paynefull sufferynges, no mortall vnderstandynge can dyscerne. Onlye was it SteuenS. Steuē (and parauenture a fewe dyscyples) that se the heauens open whan he suffered, and not the cruell multytude whych ranne vpon hym with stones, Acto. 7. Lete beastlye blynde babbyllers and bawdes with their charmynge chaplaynes than prate at large, out of their malycyouse sprete and ydle braynes. We haue in habundaunce the veryte of Gods wordegods worde. and promes, to proue them both saued and gloryfyed in Christ. For God euer preserueth them whych trust in hym, Psal. 16. All that call vpon hys holye name, are saued, Iohel. 2. What reasonable man wyll thynke that they can be lost, whych haue their lorde God more dere than their owne lyues? No man shall be hable (sayth Christ) to plucke myshepe out of my handes,Not lost. but I wyll geue thē eternall yfe, Ioan. 10. Beleue (sayth Paule to the iayler at Philippos) on the lorde Iesus Christ, and thu shall be saued [Page 70] and thy whole howsholde, Acto. 16. They that seme in the syght of the vnwyse to go into destruccyon, do rest in the peace of God, and are replenyshed with immortalyte, Sapien. 3. With other innumerable scriptures, to the prayse of God, whose name be gloryfyed worlde without ende, Amen.
God saue the kynge.
Thus endeth the lattre conflict of Anne Askewe, latelye done to deathe by the Romysh popes malycyouse remnaunt, & now canonysed in the precyouse bloude of the lorde Iesus Christ Imprented at Marpurg in the lande of Hessen, 16▪ die Ianuarij, anno 1. 5. 4. 7.