or soche an abomynable ydoll as subuertynge Christes true religyon wyll be your fynall destruccyon both here and in the worlde to come For ydolles are called abhomynacyō al the scriptures ouer Yet shall it endure say the Daniel sumwhere vnto the ende of al Daniel ix Wherby ye maye well perceyue that it comprehendethe not onely the tryumphaunt stremers of Tyberius or golden ymages of Caligula whyche bothe preuented the subuersyon of Hierusalem but some other ydolles which shulde contynewe And it folowethe in the Gospell texte that he shulde sytte in the holye place for the tyme of hys contynuaunce Mathei xxiiii And not in the paganes temples Tell me yf youre Masses be done anye where els than in your hallowed sanctuaryes vpon your sanctified aulters and in your holy ornamentes and consecrate cuppes Neyther may any do them vnlesse they be anoynted therunto of your Byshoppes sorcerers Not without the holy place sayth-Christ is that abhomynacyon but in it Mathei xxiiii Antichriste sayth saynt Paule shal syt not without but within the verye temple of God ii Thessalo ii The papacye is not wythoute but wythin the verie church of Christ what thoughe it be no part therof Apoca. xi Therfore it shall be mete that we be ware and seperate oure selues frome them at the admonyshmentes of hys hoolye doctryne leaste we be partakers wyth yow in theyr promysed dampnaciō Apoca xviii By the vayle ouer Moses face she meaneth the blynde confydence that manye men yet haue in olde Iewysh ceremonyes and beggarlye tradycions of men as S. Paule doth call them Gala. iiii Wherby the veryte of God is sore blemished The spiritual knowlege which cometh by the clere doctryne of the Gospell mynystreth no soch impedymentes of darkenes But all thynges are clerelye seane to them which are endued therwith They can be deceyued by none of Sathans subtyle conuayers but perceyueth all thynges whych haue obtayned the pure eyes of faythe Anne Askewe For it is playnelye expressed in the hystorye of Bel in the Byble that God dwellethe in nothynge materyall O kynge saythe Daniel be not deceyued Daniel xiiii For God wyll be in nothynge that is made with handes of men Actor vii Oh what styffnecked people are these that wyll alwayes resyste the hoolye Ghost But as theyr fathers haue done so do they bycause ther haue stonye hartes Wryttē by me Anne Askewe that nether wyshe deathe nor yet feare his myghte and as merye as one that is bowne towardes heauen Truthe is layed in pryson Luce. xxi The lawe is turned to worme woode Amos. vi And there can no ryghte iudgement go forth Esay lix Iohan Bale Marke here howe graciouslye the lord kepeth promyse with thys poore seruaunte of his He that beleuethe on me saythe Christe oute of his bellye shall flowe ryuers of lyuynge water Ioa. vii Neyther lasheth thys woman out in her extreme troubles language of dispayre nor yet blasphemouse wordes agaynste God with the vnbeleuinge but vttereth the scriptures in wonderfull habundaunce to his lawde and prayse She rebuketh here the most pestylent vyce of ydolatrye Not by olde narracions and fables but by the most pure worde of God as dyd Daniel Steuen And in the ende she shewethe the stronge stomacke of a mooste Christen martyre in that she is neyther desyrouse of the deathe neyther yet standeth in feare of the vyolēce or extremyte therof What a constancye was this of a woman frayle tēdre yong and most delycyouslye brought vp But that Christes sprete was myghtye in her who bad her be of good cher For though the tyrauntes of thys worlde haue power to fleye the bodye yet haue they no power ouer the sowles Matthei xx Nether haue they power in the ende to demynyshe one heare of the heade Luce xxi She faynteth not in the myddes of the battayle i. Corint ix But perseuerethe stronge and stedefast to the verye ende Mathei x. Not doubtynge but to haue for her faythful perseueraūce the crowne of eternall lyfe Apoc. ii So mery 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 valeaunt wytnesse in the paynefull kyngedome of pacience Apocalip i. She faithfullye reckened of her lorde God that he is not as men are fyckle Numeri xxiii But most sure of worde and promyse Psalm cxliiii And that he wolde most faithfully kepe conuenaunt wyth her whan tyme shuld come Apoca. ii She had it most groūdedlye planted in her hart that though heauen and earthe dyd passe yet coulde not his wordes and promes passe by vnfulfylled Lu. xxi Ashamed may those carnall Helchesytes be whych haue not on lye denyed the verite of theyr lorde god but also most shamefullye blasphemed dishonoured bothe it and themselues for the pleasure of a yeare or ii to dwell styl in this fleshe They cōsidre not that he wyth whome they mocke hathe power to sende them to helle for theyr blasphemye Luce. xii They shall not fynde it a matter lyght for theyr inconstancye to be vometed out of the mouthe of God as vnsauerye morsels Apocalypsis iii Neyther shal they proue it a Christmas game to be denyed of Christ before hys heauenlye father and his angels for denyenge here his verite Math. x. Anne Askewe Oh forgeue vs all oure synnes and receyue vs gracyouslye As for the workes of oure handes we wyll no more call vpon them For it is thou lorde that art oure God Thou sheweste euer mercye vnto the fatherles Oh yf they wolde do this saythe the Lorde I shoulde heale they re sores yea wyth all my harte woulde I loue them O Ephraim what haue I to do wyth ydolles anye more Who so is wyse shall vnderstande thys And he that is ryghtlye enstructed wyll regarde it For the wayes of the Lorde are ryghteouse Soche as are godlye wyl walke in them And as for the wicked they wyll stomble at them Osee. xiiii Iohan Bale All these wordes alleged she oute of the last chaptre of Oseas the prophete where as he prophecyed the destructyon of Samaria for the onlye vyce of ydolatrye In the worde of the lorde she declareth her selfe therin to detest and abhorre that vyce aboue all and to repent frō the hearte that she hathe at anye tyme worshypped the workes of mennes handes eyther stone wode breade wyne or anye soche lyke for the eternall lyuynge God Consequently she confessyth hym to be her only God and that she had at that tyme truste in non other els nether for the remyssion of her synnes nor yet sowles cōfort at her nede And lyke soch a wone as is vnfainedlye cōuerted vnto the lorde she axethe of the spyritual Ephraimytes in his worde what she hath anye more to do wyth ydolles or whyether minde so tyrannouslye enforce her to the
lyes as they can ymagyne for other armour they haue not And we shal on the other syde canonyse thē agayne wyth the myghty wordes and promises of Christ which they shall neuer be hable to resist The father of our lorde Iesus Christ graunt the light of his word so to spred the world ouer that the dark mysces of Sathan maye clerely be expelled to the specyall conforte of his redemed Churche and glorye of his eternall name Amen ¶ The latter examynaciō of the worthy seruaūt of God mastres Anne Askewe the yonger goughter of sir Wyllyam Askewe knyght of Lyncolne shyre lately martyred in Smythfelde by the wycked Synagoge of Antichrist The censure or iudgement of Iohan Bale therupon after the sacred Scriptures and Chronycles CHriste wylled hys most dere Apostle and secretarye saynt Iohan the Euangelist to signyfye by wrytynge to the ouersear or preacher of the cōgregacion of Pergamos that there only are hys faythfull membres murthered where Sathan inhabyteth or holdethe resydence And for example he bryngeth forthe his constaunte wytnesse Antipas whych was there most cruellye slayne of that Synagoge of hys for confessynge the veryte Apoca. ii That Behemoth sayth Iob that Leuyathan that Sathan regneth as a most myghtye kyng ouer al the spiritual chyldren of pryde Iob. xlii A murtherer sayth Christ to the spirytualte of the Iewes a blasphemouse lyar is that father of youres and hathe bene frome the worldes begynnynge Iohan. viii These maners hath he not yet lefte but contynueth them styll in his wycked posteryte In the prymatiue churche as testyfyeth Bedas they persecuted the heares of Christes head whych were so pure as the whyte wolle that is apte to receyue al colours Apoca. i. They slewe those true beleuers whych his word and spret had depured from al false worshyppinges and made fytte for al trybulacions to be suffered for his names sake In these lattre dayes they meddel with his fete whyche are lyke vnto brasse burnynge as it were in an whote furnace Apocalypsis i. For they that beleue nowe agreably to hys worde and not after theyr corrupted and cursed customes are consumed in the fyre As here after wyll appere by this godly woman Anne Askewe whiche wyth othere more was brente at London in the yeare of our lorde a. M. D. XLVI For the faythfull testymonye of Iesu agaynste Antichrist Whos 's lattre handelynge here foloweth in course lyke as I receyued it in coppye by serten duche marchauntes cōmynge frō thens which had bene at theyr burnynge and beholden the tyrannouse vyolence there shewed First out of the preson she wrot vnto a secrete frynde of hers after this maner folowynge Anne Askewe I do perceyue dere frynde in the Lorde that thou arte not yet perswaded thoroughlye in the truthe concernynge the Lordes supper bycause Christe sayde vnto hys Apostles Take eate Thys is my bodye whyche is geuen for yow In geuynge forthe the breade as an outewarde sygne or token to be receyued at the mouthe he mynded them in a perfyghte beleue to receyue that bodye of hys whyche shulde dye for the people or to thynke the deathe therof the onelye helthe and saluacyon of theyr sowles The breade and the wyne were lefte vs for a sacramentall communyon or a mutuall partycypacyon of the inestymable benefyghtes of hys moste precyouse deathe and bloude shedynge And that we shulde in the ende therof be thankefull togyther for that moste necessarye grace of our redempcyon For in the closynge vp therof he sayd thus Thys do ye in remembraunce of me Yea so oft as ye shall eate it or drynke it Luce xxii and. i. Corinth xi Els shulde we haue bene forgetfull of that we oughte to haue in daylye remembraunce and also bene altogyther vnthankefull for it Iohan Bale Agreable is thys womans doctryne here to the scriptures of both testamētes Wherin these wordes Edere Bybere to eate to drynke are often tymes spiritually taken for Credese to beleue or receyue in faithe The pore saith Dauid shal eate and be satisfyed Al that seke to please the lorde shall praise him their sowles shall neuer perysh Psal. xxi They that eate me sayth the veryte of God shall hunger more and more they that drincke me shall thirst more desirouslie for me Eccles. xxiiii On lesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man saith Chryste and drynke his bloud ye can haue no lyfe in yow Ioan. vi These scirptures expounde the doctours spyrytuallye yea the papystes al. Whereas the other iii. Euangelystes Mathew Marke and Luke sheweth nothynge els of the lordes supper but the playne historye Saint Iohan writynge laste of thē all many festeth there the whole cōplete doctrine full vnderstāding therof after Christes owne instruccyons and meanynge Requyred it is there that the true receiuers therof be taught of God and learned of the heuenlye father and not of synnefull mennes customes The worke of God or that pleaseth God is not there the puttynge of breade into the mouthe and bellye but to beleue or exactlye to consydre that Christ dyed for vs to clense vs from synne to ioyne vs into one mystycall body and to geue vs the lyfe euerlastynge And that there is none other but he that can procure vs that lyfe For that which entereth the mouth feadeth onlye the bodye But that entreth faythe feadeth the sowle I am the lyuynge breade saith he which came downe from heauen He onlye that beleueth in me hath the lyfe euerlasting Iohā vi The sprete is it that quyckeneth the fleshely vnder standynge or only mouth eatynge profyteth nothynge at all Here wyll an obstynate papyst parauenture saye that we attrybute nothynge to the corporall communyon Yeas we reuerentlye graunt that ryghtlye mynystred after Christes instytucyon it both confirmeth our faythe in the necessarye consyderacyons of his death and also sturrethe vp that brotherlye Christē loue which we ought to haue towardes our neyber besydes that this faythfull woman hath spoken here of it afore And these are the onlye frutes which he requyreth of vs in that supper of sacramentall metynge Anne Askewe Therfore it is mete that in prayers we call vnto God to grafte in our foreheades the true meanynge of the holy Ghost concernynge thys communyon For Saynte Paule dothe saye that the letter slayeth The sprete it is onlye that geueth lyfe ii Cor. iii. Marke wele the vi chapitre of Iohan where all is applyed vnto faythe Note also the fourth chaptre of Saint Paules first epystle to the Corynthes and in the ende therof ye shall fynde playnelye that the thinges which are seane are temporall but they that are not seane are euerlasting Yea loke in the third chaptre to the Hebrues and ye shall fynde that Chryste as a sonne and no seruaunt rulethe ouer hys howse whose howse are we and not the deade temple yf we hold
worshyppynge of them consideryng that he so ernestly abhorreth them Fynallye ii sortes of people she reckeneth to be in the world and sheweth the dyuerse manner of them The one in the sprete of Christe obeyeth the worde the other in the sprete of errour cōtempneth it And lyke as S. Paule dothe saye To the one part is it the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe and to the other the sauour of deathe vnto death ii Corinth ii Anne Askewe Salomon sayth saynte Steuen buylded an howse for the God of Iacob Howe be yt the hyeste of all dwelleth not in temples made wyth handes As saythe the prophete Esaye lxvi Heauen is my seate and the earth is my fote stole What howse wyll ye buylde for me sayth the Lord or what place is it that I shall rest in hathe not my hande made al these thynges Actorum vii Woman beleue me sayth Christe to the Samaritane the tyme is at hand that ye shall neyther in thys mountayne nor yet at Hierusalem worshyppe the father Ye worshyppe ye wote not what but we knowe what we worshyppe For saluacyon commeth of the Iewes But the houre cōmeth and nowe is wherin the true worshyppers shall worshype the father in spirite and veryte Ioannis iiii Laboure not sayth Christe for the meate that perysheth for that endureth into the lyfe euerlastynge whych the sonne of man shall geue yowe For hym god the father hath sealed Iohan. vi Iohan Bale Here bringe she iii. stronge testymonyes of the newe testament to confirme her owne Chrysten beleue therwith and also both to confute and condempne the moost execrable heresie and false filthy beleue of the papystes The fyrste of them proueth that the eternall God of heauen wyll neyther be wrapped vp in a clowte nor yet shutte vp in a boxe The seconde declareth that in no place of the earthe is he to be sought neither yet to be worshypped but wythyn vs in sprete and veryte The thirde of thē concludeth that Chryste is a feadynge for the sowle and not for the bodye More ouer he is soche a meate as neither corrupteth mouldeth nor perisheth neyther yet consumethe or wasteth awaye in the bellye Lette not the Romysh popes remnaunt in Englāde thynke but in condempnynge the faythe of thys godlye woman they also condemyne the veryte of the lorde vnlesse they cā discharge these iii. textes of the scripture with other iii. more effectuall As I thinke they shall not nisi ad Calendas Grecas If they allege for their part the saynge of Christ Math. xxiiii Lo here is Christ or ther is Christ. They are confoūded by that which foloweth Wherin he ernestlye chargeth hys faith full folowers not to beleue it callynge the teachers of soch doctrine false anointed deceyuable prophetes and sorcerouse worke men Marci xiii Anne Askewe The summe of the condempnacyon of me Anne Askewe at yelde hawle They sayde to me there that I was an heretyke and condempned by the lawe yf I wolde stande in my opynyon I answered that I was no heretyke neythere yet deserued I anye deathe by the lawe of God But as concernynge the faythe whyche I vttered and wrote to the counsell I wolde not I sayde denye it bycause I knew it true Then wolde they nedes knowe if I wolde denye the sacramente to be Chrystes bodye and bloude I sayde 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 wente vp Acto i. And as for that ye call your God is but a pece of breade For a more profe therof marke it whan ye lyste let it lye in the boxe but iii. monethes and it wyll be moulde and so turne to nothynge that is good Wherupon I am persuaded that it can not be God Iohan Bale Christ Iesus the eternall sonne of God was condempned of thys generacion for a sedicyouse heretyke a breaker of their sabbot a subuerter of their people a defyler of their lawes and a destroyer of their temple or holye churche Ioan. vii Luce xxiii Mathei xxvi Mar. xiiii suffred death for it at their procuremente by the lawe than vsed Is it than any maruele if hys inferiour subiect here and faythfull membre do the same at the cruell callynge on and vyolent vengeaunce of their posteryte No no the seruaunt muste folowe her mastre and the fote her heade and maye be foūde in that poynt no better thā he Ioan. xiii Saint Augustine diffynynge a sacrament calleth it in one place a signe of an holye thynge In an other place a vysyble shape of an inuisyble 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 but the verye effectuall thynges in dyde signified by those figures of breade and wyne But how that drye and corruptyble cake of theirs shulde become a God manye men wonder now a dayes in the lyght of the Gospell lyke as they haue done afore tyme also And specyally why the the wyne shulde not be accepted and set vp for a God also so we le 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 preste And than I smyled Then they asked me if it were not good I sayde I wolde confesse my fawtes to God for I was sure that he wold heare me with fauer And so we were cōdempned without a queste Iohan Bale Prestes of godlye knowlege she dyd not refuse For the knewe that they are the massengers of the lorde that his holy wordes are to be sought at ther mouthes Mala. ii Of them she instauntlye desyred to be instructyd and it was denyed her as is written afore What shulde she than els do but returne vnto her lorde God in whome she knewe to be habundaunce of mercy for all them whych do from the hart repent Deutro xxx As for the other sort of prestes she dyd not amys to laugh both them and their maynteners to scorne For so doth God also Psalme ii And curseth both their absolucyons blessynges Mala. ii A thefe or a murtherer shulde not haue bene condempned without a queste by the lawes of Englande But the faythfull members of Iesus Christ for the spyght and hate that thys worlde hath to hys veryte must haue an other kinde of tyrannye added therunto besides the vnryghteouse bestowynge of that lawe Do be vnto yow sayth the eternall God of heauen by hys prophete or dampnacyō be ouer your heades that make wicked lawes and deuise cruell thinges for the poore oppressed innocentes Esaie x Do vnto hym that buyldeth Babylon with bloude and maynteyneth that wicked citie styll in vnryghtwysnesse Abacuch ii Nahum iii.
thinke you a propre frayenge playe whaÌ„ our armes and eies are compelled to leaue theyr naturall holdes Ye ment no lyght dallyaunce whan ye wolde haue had so many great women accused toke the hangemannes offyce vpon youre owne precyouse personnes O tourmentours and tyrauntes abhomynable Ye feare leaste your temporall and mortall kyng shuld know your madde frenesyes But of the eternall kynge which wyl ryghtly punysh you for it with the deuyl his angels vnles ye sore repent it ye haue no feare at all It is so honest a part ye haue played that ye wyll not haue it noysed But I promyse yow so to dyuulge thys vnsemelye facte of yours in the latyne that all christendome ouer it shall be knowne what ye are Anne Askewe I haue redde the processe whyche is reported of them that knowe not the truthe to be my recantacyon But as sure as the Lorde lyueth I neuer meÌ„t thing lesse than to recaÌ„t Notwithwandynge this I confesse that in my first troubles I was examined of the Byshop of LondoÌ„ aboute the sacrameÌ„â— Yet had they no grauÌ„t of my mouth but this That I beleued therin as the worde of God dyd bynd me to beleue More had they neuer of me Iohan Bale In the ende of her fyrste examynacyoÌ„ is thys matter treated of more at large Here do she repete it agayne onely to be knowne for Christes stedefast membre and not Antichristes To the voyce of hym she faythfullye obeyed but the voyce of that Romyshe monstre and other straungers she regarded not Iohan. x. As she perceyued whan she was before the Byshopp of London that all passed styll after theyr olde tyrannye and nothynge after the rules of scrypture she suspected their doctryne more than afore and thoughte them none other than Christe warned his dyscyples to be ware of Luce. xii Whereupon she throughâ—â—e couenaunted wyth her selfe neuer to deny his verite afore men at theyr callynge on lest he shuld agayne denye her before his eternall father Math. x. For yf the confessynge therof bryngethe saluacion as saynt Paule sayth it dothe Romanorum x. The denyeng therof on the other syde must nedes bryng in damnacyon Anne Askewe Then he made a coppye whyche is nowe in prynte and requyred me to sette therunto my hande But I refused it Then my ii suertyes dyd wyll me in no wyse to stycke therat For it was no great matter they sayd TheÌ„ with moch ado at the last I wrote thus I Anne Askewe do beleue thys yf Gods worde do agre to the same and the true catholycke churche Iohan Bale Commonlye is it spoken of popysh prestes that in doynge their false feates they syt in Gods stede This poynt folowed the bludderinge Byshoppe of London here which for their olde fantasied superstycyon laboured in thys woman to displeace the sincere veryte of the lorde But so surelye was she buylded vpoÌ„ the harde rocke that neyther for enmite nor fryndeshyp wolde she ones remoue her fote Math vii Neyther anguyshe trouble tormente nor fyre coulde separate her from that loue of her lord God Rom. viii Though she were for his sake rebuked and vexed and also appoynted as a shepe to be slayne Psa xliii Yet did she strongely thorughe him ouercome haue I doubt it not obtayned the crowne of lyfe Apoc. ii Anne Askewe Then the byshoppe beynge in greate dyspleasure wythe me bycause I made doubtes in my wryttynge commaunded me to prysone Where I was a whyle But afterwardes by the meanes of fryndes I came oute agayne Here is the truthe of that matter And as concernynge the thynge that ye couete mooste to knowe Resorte to the. vi of Iohan and be ruled alwayes thereby Thus fare ye well Quoth Anne Askewe Iohan Bale In all the scriptures we reade not that eyther Chryste or yet hys Apostles commaunded anye man or woman to pryson for their faythe as thys tyraunt Byshope dyd here But in dede we fynde that Christes holy Apostles were oft tymes cruellye coÌ„maunded to pryson of the same spyghtfullye spirytual generacyon Acto iiii v. xii xvi Christe wylled his true beleuers to loke for none other at theyr spirytual handes than enprisonmentes and death Math. x. Iohan. xvi And therfore sayde Peter vnto hym I am redye to go with the Lorde both into pryson and to deathe Luce. xxii Paule greatly complayneth of hys enprysonmentes and scourgynges by them ii Corinty xi Dyuerse in the congregacyon of Smyrna were enprisoned by that fearce synagoge of Sathan Apocal. ii Esaye prophecyenge the condycyons of the spirytuall Antichriste saythe amonge other that he shulde bolde men captyue in prison Esaye xiiii Ezechiel reporteth that he shuld churlyshlye checke and in cruelte rule Ezech. xxxiiii zacharye shewethe that he shulde eate vp the fleshe of the fattest zacharie xi Daniel declareth that he shoulde persecute wyth swerde and fyre Daniel xi And saynt Iohan verefyeth that he shuld be all dronke wyth the bloude of the wytnesses of Iesu Apoca. xvii And therfore in these feates hys Byshoppes do put their kyndes Thus endeth the lattre examynacyon The confessyon of her faythe which Anne Askewe made in Newgate afore she suffered I Anne Askewe of good memorye althoughe my mercyfull father hathe geuen me the breade of aduersytie and the water of trouble yet not so moche as my synnes hathe deserued confesse my selfe here a synner before the trone of hys heauenlye magestye desyerynge hys eternall mercye And for so mouche as I am by the lawe vnryghtouslye condempned for an euyll doer concerninge opynions I take the same moste mercyfull God of myne whyche hath made both heaueÌ„ and earth to record that I holde no opynyons contrarye to hys mooste holy worde Iohan Bale What man of sober dyscresyon can iudge thys woman yl indyfferently but markynge this her last confessyon Not a fewe of most euydent argumentes are therin to proue her the true seruaunt of God Her wyttes were not ones dystracted for all her most tyraÌ„nouse handelynges She was styll of a perfyght memorye accountynge her emprysonmentes reuylynges rackynges and other tormentes but the breade of aduersyte and the water of trouble as dyd Dauid afore her Psa. lxxix As the louyng chyld of God she receyued them wythoute grudge and thought them deserued on her partye She toke them for hys hande of mercye and gaue most hygh thankes for them She mekelye confessed herselfe in hys syghte a synner but not an haynouse heretyke as she was falselye iudged of the world In that matter she toke hym most stronglye to witnes that thoughe in faythe she were not agreable to the worldes wylde opynyon yet was she not therin contrarye to hys heauenlye truth She had afore that proued their spretes conferrynge both their iudegementes i. Iohan. iiii perceyued them farre vnlyke Esaye iv Anne Askewe And I truste in my mercyfull Lorde
whyche is the geuer of all grace that he wyll gracyoslye assyst me agaynste all euyll opynyons whyche are contrarye to hys blessed veryte For I take hym to witnes that I haue do and wyll do vnto my lyues ende vtterlye abhorre them to the vttermost of my power But this is the heresye which they report me to hold that after the prest hath spokeÌ„ the wordes of consecracyon there remayneth breade styll Iohan. Bale Consydre without frowarde party all or wylful affeccyon the poyntes herin contayned and than iudge of what hatte or conscyence they haue rysen The hope of thys woman was onlye in God Hym she confessed to be of all grace the geuer Alone in hys mercye she trusted She instauntlye desyred hym to defende her from all errours She abhorred all heresyes She detested mennys superstycyouse inuencions And most firmelye cleaued to hys eternall worde If these with those that went afore be not frutes of true christianyte or of a perfyght member of Gods eleccyon what frutes will we demauÌ„d S. Paule saith No man can confesse that Iesus is the lorde as she hath done here but in the holye Ghost i. Corinth xii Dauid also specifieth that the lord neuer forsaketh them which call vpon hys name put their trust in hym Psal. ix And as touchynge the prestes consecracioÌ„ which is soch a charme of inchauntemeÌ„t as maie not be done but by an oyled offycer of the popes generacyon she dyd godlye to reiect it in that clowtynge kynde For in all the Byble is it not that anye maÌ„ can make of a drie waffer cake a newe sauer a newe redemer a newe Christ or a new God No though he shulde vtter all the wordes and scriptures therin Anne Askewe But they both saie and also teach it for a necessarye artycle of faithe that after those wordes be ones spoken there remayneth no bread but euen the selfe same bodie that bynge vpon the crosse on good frydaye both fleshe bloud and bone To thys beleue of theirs saye I naye For then were our commen Crede false whych saith that he sytteth on the right haÌ„de of God the father almyghtye and from thens shall come to iudge the quycke and the deade Loo thys is the heresye that I holde and for it muste suffer the deathe Iohan Bale Of Antichrist reade we in the scriptures that he hys oyled Apostles shulde do false myracles Math. xxiiii ii Thes ii Apoca. xiii We finde also in the same selfe places that he shuld exalte hymselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshypped as God Who euer hearde of so greate a wondre that a drye cake myght become a God to be worshypped A myracle were thys aboue all the myracles that euer were wrought and a worke aboue al the workes that euer were done if it were true as it is most false Though our eternall God created heauen and earthe in the first begynnynge and fourmed all other creatures Gene. i. Yet reade we not of hym that he made of hys creatures anye newe God to be worshypped In that poynt are our oiled Antichrystes afore hym And where as he rested whollye in the seuenth daye from that offyce of creacyon Gene. ii and neuer toke it vpon hym sens that tyme as testyfyeth Iohan Chrisostome Augustyne Hierome Bedas Alcuinus and all ther other doctors Yet wyll they take vpon theÌ„ to create euerye daye a fresh and whan their olde God stynketh in the boxe remoue hym out of the waye and put a newe in hys rowme yea they can make of breade whych is but mannys corruptyble creature and ordayned only to be eate soch a God as shall stande checkemate with the great God of heauen and parauenture deface hym also Oh blasphemouse wretches and theues Be ones a shamed of your abhomynable blyndenesse and submyte your selues to a iuste reformacyon Anne Askewe But as touchynge the holye and blessyd supper of the lorde I beleue it to be a mooste necessarye remembraunce of hys gloryouse suffering and deathe More ouer I beleue as moche therin as my eternall and onlye redemer Iesus Christ wolde I shuld beleue Fynallie I beleue al those scriptures to be true whom he hath coÌ„firmed with his most preciouse bloude Iohan Bale No godly institucion nor ordinaunce of Christ do thys faythfull woman contempne but reuerentlye submytteth herselfe therunto in the kynde that he dyd leaue them She protesteth here to beleue so moch as can be shewed by the scriptures of bothe testamentes And what is more to be requyred of a Christen beleuer Onlye dyd she in conscyence refuse and abhorre the ydell obseruacyons the paganes superstycyons the sorcerers inchauntmentes and the most parellouse ydolatryes whyche the Romyshe pope and his clergye haue added to theyr Masse for couetousnesse In thys I suppose she remembred the wordes of saynt Paule i. Corint ii My talkynge sayd he and my preachyng was not with persuasyble or entysynge wordes of mannes corrupt wysedom but in vtteraunce of the sprete and of power that your fayth shulde not stande in the wysedome of men but in the power of God For that sayth Christ whiche semeth hygh and holye afore men is fylthye abhomynacyon before God Luce xvi Anne Askewe Yea and as saynt Paule sayth those scryptures are suffycyente for oure lernynge and saluacyon that Chriâ—te hathe lefte here wyth vs. So that I beleue we nede no vnwrytten verytes to rule hys churche wyth Therfore loke what he hathe layed vnto me wythe hys owne mouthe in hys hoolye Gospell that haue I with Goddes grace closed vp in my harte And my full trust is as Dauid sayth that it shal be a laÌ„terne to my fote steppes Psa. cxviii Iohan Bale Styll are these frutes of inestymable wholsomnesse declarynge thys woman a mooste perfyght and innocent membre of Iesus Christe In thys whole processe marke it hardelye she ioyneth not for socourre to muddye waters or broken pyttes of the Phylystynes Hieremye ii Whyche are the corrupte doctrynes and tradycyons of men But she seketh to the verye welsprynge of helthe and fouÌ„tayne of saluacyon Ioan iiii All vnwrytten verytees lefte she to those waueringe wanderers which will eternallye perysh with theÌ„ And in the verytees written appoynted she to iournaye amonge the true Christen beleuers towardes the lande euerlastinge In all her affayres moste fyrmelye she cleaueth to the scriptures of God which geueth both spret and lyfe Ioan. vi As the hate in the forest desyreth the plesaunt water brokes so longed her sowle and was desyerouse of the manyfest glorye of her eternall God Psal. xli If her porcyon be not in the lande of the lyuynge Psal. cxli. Yea if she be not allowed a cytezen with the Sayntes Ephe. i. And her name regestred in the boke of lyfe Apoca. xxi Yt wyll be harde with manye But certayne and sure I am that