Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	sin_n	sinner_n	3,110	5	7.5131	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22106	The first examinacio[n] of Anne Askewe latelye martired in Smythfelde, by the Romyshe popes vpholders, wyth the elucydacyon of Iohan Bale.	Askew, Anne, 1521-1546.; Bale, John, 1495-1563.; Askew, Anne, 1521-1546. Latter examynacyon of Anne Askewe latleye martyred in Smythfelde. aut	1547 (1547)	STC 851; ESTC S114741	83,394	227

thinke you a propre frayenge playe whā 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 mēt thing lesse than to recāt Notwithwandynge this I confesse that in my first troubles I was examined of the Byshop of Londō aboute the sacramē● Yet had they no graūt 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 examynacyō 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 through●●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 Thē 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 vpō 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 cōmaunded 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 heauē 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 tyrānouse 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

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

sayth he to those thynges which are laied Here against that of these mē Neuerthelesse he helde hys peace Mar. xiiii But whan he was ones throughly compelled by the name of the lyuynge God to speake and hadde vttered a verye fewe wordes he toke him at suche aduauntage though they were the eternall veryte as he was able through thē to procure hys death Matth. xxvi lyke as thys bloudye Bishopp Bonner of the same wycked generacion dyd at the lattre by thys faythful woman Anne Askewe Thirdelye my lorde layed vnto my charge that I shulde saye that the Masse was ydolatrye I answered hym No I sayde not so Howbeyt I sayde the quest dyd aske me whether pryuate Masses dyd releue sowles departed or no Vnto whome than I answered O Lorde what ydolatrye is thys that we shulde rather beleue in pryuate masses than in the helthsome deathe of the dere sonne of God Than sayde my lorde agayne What an answere was that Thoughe it were but meane sayd I yet was it good ynough for the question Iohan Bale About the lattre dayes of Iohan wycleue in the yeare of our lorde a M.CCC LXXXII as Henrye Spenser than Bishopp of Norwich was with a great nombre of English warryours besieginge the Towne of Hypers in Flaunders in the quarell of pope Vrbanus the. vi The vessels of perdycyon or verye organes of Sathan the iiii orders of beggynge fryres preached all Englande ouer that that moste holye father of theirs had lyberallye opened the wele of mercye and graunted cleane remyssyon to all them that wolde eyther fyghte or geue anye thynge towardes the mayntenaunce of those warres in the quarell of holye churche agaynst scysmatykes and heretikes For than was thys matter of their popyshe Masse in great controuersye lyke as it is now More ouer thei promised by vertue of hys great pardons to sende the sowles departed to heauen And diuerse of them sayd they had seane thē flye vp out of the churche yeardes from their graues thydre warde Thys moste deuilishe blasphemie wyth suche other lyke prouoked the sayde Iohan wycleue the verye organe of God and vessell of the holy Ghost not onlye to replye than agaynste them at Oxforde in the open scooles but also to wryte a greate nombre of bookes agaynst that pestylente popyshe kyngedome of theyrs lyke as Martyn Luther hath done also in our tyme wyth many other godly men And lyke as those false prophetes the frires dyd than attribute vnto the popes pardons the remyssyon of synnes the deliueraunce from dāpnacyon and the fre enteraunce of heauē whych peculyarly belongeth to the precyouse payment of Christes bloud i. Petri i. i. Io. i. So do these false anoynted or blasphemouse Byshoppes and prestes now attrybute them agayne vnto theyr pryuate and publique Masses the popes owne wares as prowlynge and pelferynge as the pardons with no lesse blasphemye The deuylysshenes of this newe doctrine of theyrs shall be refelled in my bokes agaynst fryre Peryn and Wynchestre and therfore I wrytte the lesse here Anne Askewe Then I tolde my Lorde that there was a prest whyche dyd heare what I sayde there before my lord Mayre them with that the chaunceller answered which was the same prest So she spake it in veri dede saith he before my lord the Mayre me Then were there certen prestes as doctor Standyshe other which tempted me moche to knowe my mynde And I answered them alwayes thus That I haue sayd to my lorde of London I haue sayde Iohan Bale By thys ye may se that the Byshoppes haue euery wher their watchmē lest the kynges offycers shulde do anye thynge contrarye to their bloudie behoue This Chauncellour wolde not haue thus answered hardely so agreablye to her tale had it not bene to theyr aduauntage agaynste her as here after wyll apere Marke here the fashyon of these temptynge serpentes Standysh and hys fellowes And tel me if they be not lyke vnto those vypers whelpes whyche came to Iohans Baptym Mathei iii. and to Christe Iesus preachynge Luce. xi I thynke ye shall fynde them the same generacion Anne Askewe And then doctor Standyshe desyered my lorde to byd me say my mynde concernyng that same text of S. Paule I answered that it was agaynste saynt Paules lernynge that I beynge a woman shulde interprete the scriptures specyallye wher so many wyse lerned men were Iohan Bale It is not yet halfe a score of yeares ago sens thys blasphemouse Idyote Standyshe compared in a lewde sermon of his the dere pryce of our redempcion or precyouse blode of Christ to the bloud of a fylthy swyne lyke himselfe a swyne And for hys good doyng he is now becomen a dawe a doctor I shuld saye of the popes dyuynyte and a scolasticall interpretour of the scriptures to his behoue Here wold the swynysh gētylman haue proued both that S. Steuen dyed an heretyke and S. Paule a scysmatyke for teachynge that God dwelleth not in tēples made with handes Act vii xvii if he might haue reasōe● out the matter with thys woman But she toke a swyne for a swyne and wold laye no pearles afore hym as Christe had charged her afore Mathei vii For all their interrogacions are now about the temple and the temple wares Matthei xxvi Anne Askewe Then my lorde of London sayde he was infourmed that one shulde aske of me yf I woulde receyue the Sacramente at Easter and I made a mocke of it Then I desyred that myne accuser myghte come fourth whyche my lorde wolde not But he sayde agayne vnto me I sente one to geue yow good counsell and at the first worde ye called him papyste That I denied not for I perceyued he was no lesse yet made I non answere vnto it Iohan Bale No confortable scriptures nor yet anye thynge to the sowles consolacyon maye come oute of the mouthe of these spirytuall fathers But dogges rhetorycke and curres curtesye narrynges brawlynges and quarellynges Whan she was in the myddes of thē she myght wele haue sayd wyth Dauid Delyuer me lord from the quarelouse dealynges of men that I maye kepe thy cōmaundemētes I deale with the thynge that is lawfull and ryght O geue me not ouer to these oppressers lette not these proud quarellers do me wronge Psal. cxviii But among all these quarellynges her accusers myght not be seane whych were the grounders of them Anne Askewe Then he rebuked me and saide that I shoulde reporte that there were bente agaynste me thre score prestes at Lyncolne In dede quothe I I sayde so For my fryndes tolde me yf I dyd come to Lyncolne the prestes woulde assaulte me and put me to greate trouble as therof they had made theyr boast And whan I hearde it I wente thyder in dede not beynge afrayed because I knewe my matter to be good More ouer I remayned there vi