neuer teach soche fylthye lernynge More of this shall I wryte God willing in the answere of their bokes Anne Askewe Then the Byshoppes chaunceller rebuked me and sayde that I was moche to blame for vtterynge the scryptures For S. Paule he sayde forbode women to speake or to talke of the worde of God I answered hym that I knewe Paules meanynge so well as he whyche is i. Corintheorum xiiii that a woman oughte not to speake in the congregacyon by the waye of teachynge And then I asked hym how manye women he hadde seane go into the pulpette preache He sayde he neuer sawe none TheÌ„ I said he oughte to fynd no faute in poore women excepte they had offended the lawe Iohan Bale PleÌ„teouse ynough is her answer here vnto this quarellinge and as apereth vnlerned chancelloure Manye godlye women both in the olde lawe the newe were lerned in the scriptures and made vtterauÌ„ce of theÌ„ to the glorie of god As we reade of Helisabeth Mary and Anna the wydowe Lu. i. ii yet were they not rebuked for it yea Marye Christes mother retained all that was afterwarde wrytten of hym Luc. ii yet was it not imputed vnto her an offence Christ blamed not the woman that cryed whyls he was in preachynge happye is the wombe that beat the Luce. xi The women which gaue knowlege to his discyples that he was rysen from death to lyfe discomfited not he but solaced them with hys most gloriouse aperauÌ„ce Mat. xxviii Io. xx In the primatyue churche specially in Saint Hieromes time was it a great praise vnto womeÌ„ to be lerned in the scriptures Great commendacioÌ„s geueth our Englysh Cronicles to Helena Vrsula and Hilda womeÌ„ of our nacyon for beynge lerned also in the scriptures Soch a woman was the seid Hilda as openlye disputed in them against the superstycyons of certen byshoppes But thys chancellour by like chaunced vpon that blynde popysh worke whych Walter Hunte a whyte fryre wrot iiii score yeares ago Contra doctrices mulieres against scole women or els some other lyke blynde Romysh beggeryes Anne askewe Then my Lorde Mayre commaunded me to warde I asked him if suertees woulde not serue me And he made me short answer that he wold take non Then was I had to the Counter and there remayned xii dayes no frynde admytted to speake with me Iohan Bale Here is Christ yet troden on the hele by that wycked serpent whych tempted Eua. Gene. iii. His faithful membre for beleuyng in him is here throwne in preson And no maruel for it was his owne ê“mes ye shall be brought before rulers debitees saith he for my truthes sake Mat. x. ye shal be betraied of your owne nacyon and kindred so throwne in presoÌ„ Luc. xxi If they haue persecuted methinke not but they wyll also persecute yow Io. v. This serpent is agayne becomeÌ„ the prince of this world holdeth the gouerners therof captyue Io. xiiii Suertees wold haue ben takeÌ„ for a thefe or a mourtherer but not for Chrystes meÌ„ber the bishoppes chauÌ„cellour being at hande nor yet her fryndes permitted to confort her Anne Askewe But in the meane tyme there was a prest sent to me whiche sayd that he was comaunded of the byshopp to examyne me and to geue me good counsell which he dyd not But fyrst he asked me for what cause I was put in the CouÌ„ter And I tolde hym I coulde not tell Then he sayde it was great pitie that I shulde be there with out cause and concluded that he was verye sorye for me Iohan Bale O temptacion of Sathan Christ beinge in the solitarie wildernesse alone was after thys flattering sort assaulted first of his enemye Matt. iiii This Iudas was sente afore to geue a frindelie kisse the more depelie to trappe the innoceÌ„t in snare But Gods wisdom made her to perceiue what he was A false prophete is sone knowne by hys frutes amonge theÌ„ that are godlye wyse Mat. vii She coÌ„sidered with Salomon that more to profyght are the strypes of a frinde thaÌ„ the fraudâ—lent kysses of a deceitful enemye Prouerb xxxvii Anne Askewe Secondly he sayd it was tolde hym that I shuld denye the sacrament of the aultre And I answered hym agayne that that I had sayd I had sayd Iohan Bale In this brefe answere she remeÌ„bred SalomoÌ„s couÌ„sell Answer not a fole all after his folishnesse Beware of theÌ„ saith Christ which come in shepes clothinge for inwardlye they are most rauenynge wolues Mat. vii God destroieth the craftes of the wicked sayth Iob so that they are not hable to perfourme that they take in hande Iob. v. Anne Askewe Thirdly he asked me yf I were shryuen I tolde hym no. Then he sayde he wolde brynge one to me for to shryue me And I tolde hym so that I myghte haue one of these iii. that is to saye doctor Crome syr Gyllam or Huntyngton I was contented bycause I knewe them to be men of wysedome As for yow or anye other I wyll not dysprayse bycause I knowe ye not Then he sayde I woulde not haue yow thynke but that I or an other that shall be broughte yow shall be as honest as they For yf we were not ye may be sure the king wolde not suffer vs to preache Then I answered by the saynge of Salomon By commonynge with the wise I maye lerne wysedome but by talkynge with a fole I shall take skath Prou. i. Iohan Bale Se how thys aduersary coÌ„paseth lyke a rauenyng lyon to deuoure this lambe i. Pet. v. Now temptethhe her with CoÌ„fession which hath bene such a bayte of theirs as hath broughte into theyr nettes and snares the myghtiest prynces of the worlde both kynges and emprours Se here yf they leaue anye subtylte vnsought to obtaine theyr praie He reckened by this to winne his purpose which waye so euer he had taken Yf she hadde bene confessed to hym he had knowen whyche waye she had bene bente If she had vtterlye refused confessyon he had more matter to accuse her of O subtyle sede of the serpeÌ„t This part plaied your olde generacion the Pharisees and prestes with Christ to bring him in dauÌ„ger of the lawe Mat. xxii Ioha viii No ChristeÌ„ erudicioÌ„ bringeth this prest nor yet good counsels of scripture But as Esay sayth The hypocryte ymagyneth abhomynacion agaynst God to famysh the hungry and witholde drinke from the thirstye Yet shall not the eyes of the seynge be dymme nor the eares of the hearyng be deffe Esa. xxxii Yf the king admit soch preachers as I can not thinke it a sore plage remaineth both to him and to his people Anne Askewe Forthly he asked me yf the hoste shulde fall and a beaste dyd eate it whether the beaste dyd receyue God or no I answered Seynge ye haue taken the paynes to aske thys questyon I desyre yow also to take so moche payne
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
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
stones Acto vii Lete beastlie blinde babbyllers and bawdes with their charmynge chaplaynes than prate at large out of theyr malycyouse sprete and ydle braynes We haue in habundaunce the veryte of Gods worde and promes to proue them both saued and gloryfyed in Christe For God euer preserueth them which trust in him Psal. xvi All that call vpon hys holye name are saued Iobel ii What reasonable man will thynke that they can be loste whyche haue their lorde God more dere than their owne lyues No man shall be hable sayth Christ to plucke my shepe out of my handes but I wyll geue theÌ„ eternall lyfe Ioan. x. Beleue sayth Paule to the iayler at Philippos on the lorde Iesus Christ and thou shall be saued thy whole howsholde Acto xvi They that seme in the sight of the vnwyse to go into destruccyon do rest in the peace of God and are replenished with immortalite Sapien. iii. With other in numerable scriptures to the praise of God whose name be glorified worlde without ende Amen FINIS God saue the kynge Thus endeth the lattre conflict of Anne Askewe latelye done to deathe by the Romysh popes malycyouse remnaunt and now canonysed in the preciouse bloude of the lorde Iesus Chryste Imprynted at Marpurg in the lande of Hessen 16 die Ianuary anno 1.5.4.7 Bedes prophecy 2. sortes 2. sygnes Israelytes preachers Tyndale Barnes The fathers Martyrs Christen martyrs Breade myracles rochettes Steuen Legendes Forest. Fysher More Writers Christen martirs Anne Askewe Goddes power Bokes coÌ„dempned Latyne God wyll be knowne Iohan Wlcleues bokes Canonise Gamaliel Anne Askewe True nobylyte Lydia Cecilia Blandina Anne Askewe Companions RecaÌ„ters Tryed Golde The chauncell Corage Rakced Burned Beastes ShaxtoÌ„ Graces Sprete Hygh stomacke Mother Asshes Autors Not all deed Weakenesse Martyrs Example Sprites Christofer dare Reallye The boxe Temples Accusers Masses Goddes worde The prest Iudas Sacryfyces Thevi of Iohan. ConfessioÌ„ Prestes The kynges boke Pharysees The spyrite A prest mockers A serpent ryseth Masses pryuate Druydes For sowles The prestes receyuynge Mayre Bonner IgnorauÌ„ce Wynchester Peryn Diuisio Guimundus Waldenus Algerus Christus Fayth Nota. Women Scripture women Women Englyshe women Walter hunte Preson Christ troden on the hele A prest Iudas The sacramente Shrifte Prechers ConfessyoÌ„ Practise hypocryte preachers The hostâ— A fallynge God Wynchestre Peryn An Idolle Lyke olde Gossyppes Dronckennesse hypocrite Howsell Spirituallye A whore Dogges Baylynge antichryst The beast Examples A custome The chauÌ„celler Fayth in Christe Tyrannye Wylye Wylye Subtyle A wolfe Foxes A prest A thefe Iudas Herode A false lyar O traiter A tyraunt Murtherers Egles More laÌ„bes to deuoure Lyke the deuyll Archedeacon A lyar Iudas Iohan. Frith Bokes coÌ„dempned Bokes brent Her fryndes Cayphas Practise Sathan Tempter Cayphas Enemyes Surgerye Counsell A murtherer Botches Gathered store Sinon cast Bowgittes Antichrist a sore heresye Prestes Breade Steuen Beastes The boxe Honorius Eua reclusa Bostius Iudases Temples A teÌ„pter scripture practyses Christ. In Gods stede Temples Arystotle Dons Fewe wordes Sylence Bonner Priuate Masses Henrye Spenser Frires Masses Iohan Wycleue Pardons Druydes Perin Chaunceler StaÌ„dyshe Watchemen Vypers I tempter StaÌ„dyshe Doctor Swyne Accuser Dogges rhetoryck Quarellers Thre score prestes Prestes Lordshyp Hypocresi Wonders I prest Occupyenge Scripture Folowers Lordships possessioÌ„s Marryage He wryteth Worshyp thâ— beaste Holye lecherye papystyck Canonysed lecheri Priapystes Scripture Vnsuffycient The pope Fauer Falshede Flatterye catholyck â— woman Catholick FroÌ„ oyle Weston Layte Sodomytes Manye delayes Pharao Practyse Knauery spirituall With prestes TyrauÌ„tes Practyse Subtylte Byshoppes KyngedoÌ„ of God Popes kyngedom A change Polycye No felde â–ª Counsel Sylence Perryn take hede Germanes Peryns sermons Wynchestre modestie Oke groue CoÌ„scyeÌ„ce Hate them ExaÌ„ples Wycleue and huse Sprete Waues Pray and obeye Abhorre Wryters notaireye Martyrs Sufferers Bernardus Barnes other RecaÌ„ters Brytayne churche Christ. Byshoppes Englysh churche Martyrs Other martyrs No dyrge Augustine Wycleue Suffre Difference of martyrs Martyrs Compare Becket Miracles Ryght matyrs Bonifacius Anglê° Clarus Clitancus Edwinê° Edwardus Cadocus Lanfrancus Indractus Iuthwara Newaldy duo Anne Askewe Ositha Wenefrida MaxeÌ„tia Guilhelmus Thomas Yonge Sayntes Foillanê° Iustinanus Kilianus Vrsula Proue the ipretes EdmuÌ„dê° FremuÌ„dê° and other Tokens the autor Brytannyshe Englyshe Tokens Answers TyrauÌ„tes Winchostre Peryn Epycures pygges Lyght S. IohaÌ„ Sathan Christes heares Christes fete Fyre Coppye Christ. Breade RemeÌ„bre Edere Bibere Beleue Euangelystes Doctryne Faythe Christ. Communyon Loue. Letter Christe Foreheades Hartes A membre CoÌ„panyons Kyme Salomon Kyme An vse Marryed Exyled Dyuorcement A beast Sacrament Wynchestre Answere Tyraunt Daunger Parables Rebukes v. houres Parables Wynchestre Mockers Hypocrytes SacrameÌ„t Wynchester Godlye Prynces â–ª Micheas Hieremye Pylate Lisias Cesares Wynchester Treason Christes Sacrament Halte Englande Tepidi Brenne Antichrist To breÌ„ne Prestes God laugheth Christes meanyng Sygnyfye Remembraunce Idolatrye Not in breade The eater Remembraunce Tyll he come Frute of the vyne Partakynge Coxe and RobynsoÌ„ newgate In breade A waffer antychrist Inpaned newgate Breade Temple Moses vayle Blessed Temple warnynge The masse Idolles Tyberius Caligula Masses Antichrist Shurns them The vails Darkenesse Syght Daniel Strength Promes Faythe A martyre TyrauÌ„tes Stedefast Valcaunt Faythe Helchesytes In constaunt Prayer Ephraim Oseas Ydolatrie Ephraimytes ii sortes S. SteueÌ„ Temple Worshyp Meate 3. bulwerkes â—omystes Lo here Se there Heretyke Sacrament Moulde in the boxe Christ coÌ„dempned Membre Sacrament no sygnes the wyne Confesse Teachers Belles Prestes Tyranny Wycked lawes Remembraunce Apostles â–ª Eatynge The suÌ„mâ— of belefe O beastlye ydolaters O constaunt martyre Olde ydolaters Newe ydolaters A waffer The supper Answere An ydoll Death Promises To the Chauncellour The kyng To God Stronge ObedyeÌ„t Her matter Theyr offyce To God Trouble Heresyes Faythe Dyscharge Heresye What it is Who is the heretyke The kyng Ryche Shaxton Sathan 3. ghostlye enemyes Wynchestre spirytuall MammoÌ„ Shaxton Double Vnworthy Hypocrytes IudgemeÌ„t Ryche Christen ladyes Babylon Obedyence A secte Ladyes Helthe The kyng Mardocheus Haman Papystes Craftye Pyghius Bucer Obseruauntes Letters to accuse Ioseph Paule Onesymus Iudges Prelates Gentyllwomen Ladyes Christ. Noble women Lydia Noble women TyrauÌ„tes Prelates Faythe Masses hearynge The racke Nicodemus Fryndes Hygh treason Frenesye A tourmentour Chaunceller Riche MaÌ„mon wretches TyrauÌ„tes Tyrauntes A lambe TyrauÌ„tes Christe Periures A mylstoÌ„ Vnlosed Perseuer Practyse TeÌ„ptacioÌ„ â— sortes Prayse Wrisleye Ynne kepers Profyght My ladye Honour cardynall A tyraunt Swete woman A martyr Gods creature Christes seruaunt A verye Saynt Deathe Chronycles Deathe No feare Haruest Racked No noyse Wrisleye Ryche Iulianus In excuse TyrauÌ„tes No noise Of Cayphas Christes martyr Bonnee Wolues SaluacyoÌ„ Hande wrytynge Gods stede Buylded A lambe Eucharystys Pryson Pryson Chryst Smyrna Antichrist With fire Trouble Condempned Proue her â—â—ntâ—s of faythe ObedyeÌ„t to God No hereâ—yke Breade Proue yet Frutes of faythe Consecracyon Waffer Breade Shall come Antichrist Myracle No God Doctors Moulde in the boxes Godmakers The supper Scriptures Without Masse Idolatryes Mannes wysdome Scriptures Hope proue styll Frutes of faythe Her god A sure part Eucharystye masse an ydoll obidyeÌ„ce The Masse Ydolaters An ydoll Popes Monkes Vniuersytees The masse Profytable Necessaryes myracles of the masse Dead letter Sathan Wytches An ydoll Enemyes Hate theÌ„ Aduersaryes Haters Fryndes Fauorers Northfolke Prayer Swete woman Goddes true seruaunt Christes membre Charyte A Saynt Antichrist compassioÌ„ Pylate Wrisleye Pylate Wrysleye Pylate Wrisleye Pylate Wrisleye Ladyes Pylate Wrisleye Riche Pylate Prestes Pylate Wrysleye Pilate Wrisleye Brent Martyrs A sygne Gods haÌ„de Centurio Christianes Take hede Ceremonyes Tendrelynges Hypocresye Papystes Prestes Bawdes ThoÌ„ders Thonder Apocal. ThoÌ„ders Eucheryê° For tyrauntes North folke Markewele S. SteueÌ„ gods wordes Not lost
toke those sentences I answered that I woulde not throwe pearles amōge swine for acornes were good ynough Iohan Bale An ignoraūt woman yea a beast wyth out fayth is herin allowed to iudge the holy scriptures heresye and agaynst al good lawes admitted to accuse thys godly woman the seruaūt of Christ for an haynouse heretyke for the only readinge of them As peruerse and blasphemouse was thys qwestmonger as she as beastlye ignoraūt in the doctryne of health yet is neyther of them iudged yl of the worlde but the one permitted to accuse this true membre of Christe and the other to cōdēpne her Wherfore her answere out of the. vii chapter of Mathew was most fytte for them For they are no better than swine that so contempne the precyous treasure of the Gospell for the myre of mennes tradycions Anne Askewe Thirdlye he asked me wherfore I sayde that I had rather to reade fyue lynes in the Byble than to heare fyue Masses in the temple I confessed that I sayd no lesse Not for the dysprayse of eyther the Epistle or Gospell But bycause the one dyd greatly edyfye me and the other nothynge at all As saynt Paule doth wytnesse in the. xiiii chaptre of hys fyrste Epistle to the Corinthes where as he dothe say Yf the trumpe geueth an vncertayn sounde who wyll prepare himselfe to the battayle Iohan Bale A commaundement hath Christ geuen vs to serche the holy scriptures Iohan v. for in them onlye is the lyfe eternal Blessed is he sayth Christ vnto Iohan whych readeth heareth the wordes of this prophecye Apo. i. But of the latyne popysh masse is not one word in al the Byble and therfore it perteyneth not to fayth A straight cōmaundement haue almyghty God geuen Deuteo xii that nothing be added to hys word nor yet taken frō it Put thou nothing vnto hys wordes saith Salomon Pro. xxx least thou be foūde in so doynge a reprobate persone and a lyar S. Paule wylled nothynge to be vttered in a dead speche i. Cor. xiiii as are your masse and mattens but sylence alwayes to be in the congregacyons where as is no interpretour for fiue wordes saith he auaileth more to vnderstādynge then x. thousande wordes with the tong This proueth tēple seruyce of the papystes all the yeare to be worth nothynge Anne Askewe Forthly he layed vnto my charge that I shoulde saye Yf an yll prest mynystred it was the deuyl and not God My answere was that I neuer spake suche thynge But this was my sayenge That what so euer he were whych mynistred vnto me his yll condycyons coulde not hurte my faythe But in sprete I receyued neuer the lesse the bodye and bloude of Christ. Iohan Bale Christ saith Ioan. vi Haue not I chosen you xii yet one of you is a deuyl meanynge Iudas that false vnfaythful prest No lesse sayth Peter ii Pet. ii of those lyēge curates by whōe the truthe is blasphemed and the people made marchaundyce of theyr couetousnes Yf the yll frute than be alone with the yl tree in noughtynesse the worke of a deuyl must be deuelysh God sayd vnto the wycked prestes Esa. i. Hier. vi Am. v. and Mala. ii that he abhorred theyr sacrifyces and also hated them euen at the very hart wyllynge both heauen earthe to marke it Into Iudas entered Sathan after the soppe was geuē hym Ioā xiii wher as the other Apostles receyued the bodye and bloude of Christ. The table was all one to them both so was the bread which their mouthes receyued The inwarde receyuynges than in Peter and in Iudas made all the diuersyte whiche was beleue vnbeleue or faithe and vnfaythfulnesse as Christ largelye declareth in the vi of Iohan wheras he shewed a fore hande the full doctryne of that misticall supper Only he that beleueth hath there the promes of the lyfe euerlastinge and not he that eareth the materyall breade Of God are they taught and not of men whych trulye vnderstande this doctrine Anne Askewe Fyftly he asked me what I sayd concernynge confession I answered hym my meanynge whyche was as Saynt Iames sayth that euerye man ought to acknowlege his fautes to other and the one to praye for the other Ihon Bale This cōfessyon onlye do the scripture appoīt vs Ia. v. as we haue offēded our neighbour But if we haue offēded god we must sorowfully acknowlege it before hym And he sayth Saint Iohan i. Iohan. i. hath faythfull ye promysed to forgeue vs our synnes yf we so do to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse If the lawe of truth be in the prestes mouthe he is to be sought vnto for godli coūsel Mala. ii But if he be a blasphemouse hypocryte or supersticiouse fole he is to be shourned as a most pestilēt poyson Anne Askewe Syxhtly he asked me what I sayde to the kynges boke And I answered hym that I coulde saye nothynge to it bycause I neuer sawe it Iohan Bale All craftie waies possible sought this quaretlynge questmonger or els the deuyll in hym to brynge thys poore innocent lambe to the slaughter place of Antichrist Moche after this sort sought the wicked Pharisees by certē of their own faccyon or hyred satellytes with the Herodyanes to brynge Christ in daunger of Cesar so to haue hym slayne Mat. xxii Mar. xii Luce. xx Anne Askewe Seuenthly he asked me yf I hadde the sprete of God in me I answered yf I hadde not I was but a reprobate or caste awaye Iohan Bale Electe are we of God sayth Peter through the sanctifienge of the sprete i. Pe. i. In euery true christē beleuer dwelleth the sprete of God Ioh. xiiii Their sowles are the sanctyfyed temples of the holye Ghost i. Corin. iii. He that hath not the spret of Christ saith Paule is non of Christes Rom. viii To them is the holy Ghost geuē which heareth the Gospell and beleueth it and not vnto them which wil be iustified by theyr workes Gala. ii All these worthye scryptures confirme her sainge Anne Askewe Then he said he hadde sente for a prest to examyne me whyche was there at hāde The preste asked me what I sayde to the Sacrament of the aultre required moche to knowe therin my meaninge But I desyred hym agayne to holde me excused concernynge that matter None other answere wolde I make hym because I perceyued hym a papyst Iohn Bale Mockynge prestes sayth Esaye hath rule of the lordes people Whose voices are in their drōckennesse Bid that may be bidden forbid that may be forbyddē kepe backe that may be kept backe here a lyttle and there a lyttle Esay xxviii A plage shall come vpon these for why they haue chaunged the ordynaunces and made the euerlastynge testamente of non effect Esa. xxiiii They wytholde sayth S. Paule the veryte of God in vnryghtousnesse Roma i. They bred cockatryce egges sayth Esay and weue the spyders webbe
whoredome sodometrie wyth other moste deuylysh vyces reckeneth he not to hurte the minystracyon of a prest yet iudgeth it he an heresye no lesse worthye then deathe to beleue that Christes fleshe and bloude is receyued in faythe and spret What though it be Christes most ernest doctrine Ioan. vi what a saynge sayth this Bishopp is thys In sprete I wyll not take yow at the worste sayth he As though it were a most haynous heresye But mooste dyscrete and godlye was the womannes answere declaringe her a ryghte membre of Christ where as those prestes whō he here defendeth are vnworthye receyuers and membres of the deuyl Ioan. xiii i. Corin xi This is an Antichrist here knowne by hys frutes For he vttereth blasphemyes agaynst god Daniel vii Apoc xiii he calleth euyll Good and Good euyll Esa. v. Prouerbiorum iii. Anne Askewe Then he layed vnto me that I shoulde saye that the sacramēt remaynynge in the pixte was but breade I answered that I neuer sayde so But in dede the quest asked me soche a question whereunto I wold not answere I said tyll soche tyme as they hadde assoyled me this question of myne Wherfore Steuen was stoned to deathe They sayde they knewe not Then sayd I agayne no more wolde I tell them what it was Iohan Bale O Idolouse shepehearde sayth zach thou sekest not to heale the wounded but to eate the fleshe of the fatte zach xi The watche men of Israel sayth the lorde are verye blynde beastes and shamelesse dogges They haue no vnderstandinge but folowe their owne beastly wayes for couetousnesse Esaie lvi Who euer redde in the scripture or autorysed Chronycle that breade in a boxe shulde be Christes bodye Wher or whā commaunded he his moste holye bodye so to be bestowed What haue ye to laye for thys doctrine of yours Are ye not yet ashamed of your vnreuerent and blasphemouse beastlynesse will ye still plucke our Christen beleue from the right hand of God the eternall father and sende it to a boxe of your braynyshe deuysynge The first boxer of it was pope Honorius the thyrde in the yeare of our lorde M.CC.XVI after the many folde reuelacyons of dyuerse relygyouse women Neyther was there anye great honour geuen vnto it of the common people till a sorye solytarye syster or Ankorasse in the lande of Leodiū or Luke called Eua after certen visions had procured of pope Vrbanus the forth in the yeare of our Lorde M.CC.LXIIII the feaste of Corpus Christi to be holdē solempne all Christendome ouer As testifieth Arnoldus Bostius Epist vi ad Ioannem Paleonydorum In al the. xii hondred yeares afore that was it neyther boxed nor pixed honoured nor sensed vnyuersally And se what an horrible worke here is now for the boxinge therof and what a great heresie it is to beleue that Christ dwell not therin contrary both to hys owne to hys Apostles doctryne Marke also how this Gods creature is handeled here for it and how subtyllye she is betraied of the Bishoppes begles and lymmes of the deuyll Anne Askewe Then layde it my Lorde vnto me that I hade alleged a certen text of the scripture I answered that I alleged none other but Saynte Paules owne saynge to the Athenianes in the. xvii chapter of the Apostles actes That God dwelleth not in temples made wyth handes Then asked he me whate my faythe and beleue was in that matter I answered hym I beleue as the scripture doth teache me Then enquyred he of me what yf the scripture dothe saye that it is the bodye of Chryste I beleue sayde I lyke as the scrypture doth teache me Then asked he agayne what yf the scrypture dothe saye that it is not the bodye of Christ My answere was styll I beleue as the scrypture infourmeth me And vpon thys argumente he taryed a greate whyle to haue dryuen me to make him an answer to his minde Howe be it I wolde not but concluded thus with hym that I beleued therin and in all othere thynges as Christ and hys holy Apostles dyd leaue them Iohan Bale Se what an horryble synne here was She alleged the scripture for her beleue whyche is a sore and a daungerouse matter For it is agaynste the popes canon lawes and agaynst the olde customes of holie churche Sens kynge Henryes dayes the fourth hath it ben a burnynge matter onlye to reade it in the Englyshe tunge and was called wycleues lernyng tyll now of late years And it wyll not be wele with holye churche tyll it be brought to that point agayne For it maketh manye heretykes agaynst holye churche O insipyent papystes These are your corrupted practyses and abhomynable studyes to dryue the symple from God and yet ye thynke he seyth yow not Psalme xiii S. Paule sayth Roma xv what so euer thynges are wrytten in the scriptures are written for our lernynge that we through pacyence and cōfort in them myght haue hope and ye wyll robbe vs therof Christ commaunded all peoples both men and women Iohan. v. to serche the scryptures yf they thynke to haue euerlastynge lyfe for that lyfe is no where but in thē Yet wyll yow in payne of deathe kepe them kyll from them For ye take vpon ye to sytte in Gods stede and thynke by that vsurped offyce that ye maye turne ouer all ii Thes. ii But Christ bad vs to be ware both of yow and your chaplaines whā he said There shall aryse false Christes and false prophetes workynge many great wōders and saynge Lo here is Christ and there is Christ. Beleue them not Matt. xxiiii And therfore alleged this womā vnto your qwestmongers the dogges that Christ warned vs of Mathei vii and now vnto yow that saing of S. Paule Acto xvii That God dwelleth not in tēples made with handes which also were the wordes both of Salomon longe afore iii. Reg. viii of Steuen Act vii in his tyme. That scripture somoch offēded yow that ye wolde nedes knowe therof the vnderstādynge For soche textes as agre not with the cloynynges of youre cōiurers and the conueiaunces of your sorcerers must nedes be seasoned with Aristotles Phisickes and fawced with Iohan Donses subtyltees Here make ye a wonderfull turmoylynge to wrynge out of this Womānes beliue in that matter that she might eyther become a creature of your olde God the pope or els be burned yet haue she not ones remoued her fote from the harde foundacyon or sauynge rocke Ihesus Chryst. i. Corinth xi Blessed be hys holye name for it Anne Askewe Then he asked me whye I had so fewe wordes And I answered God hath geuen me the gyfte of knowlege but not of vtteraunce And Salomō sayth that a womā of fewe wordes is a gifte of God Prouer. xix Iohan Bale Whā Christ stode before Cayphas he asked him moche after thys sort wherfore he had so few wordes Thou answerest not
dyscyples vnder the cruell Byshoppes for his onlye glorye Saynet Cadocke of Cowbridge a Bysshop was pearced through with a speare as he stode at his Masse at one of the clocke at after non bicause he wolde be of the ordre of martyrs Saynte Elphege archebishopp of Caunterburye was stoned to deathe of the Danes bycause he wolde not pase them thre M. Marke in the yeare of our lorde M. xii Of soch martyrs moch doubted Lāfrancus which suceeded him in that office about a iiii score years after and disputed therof with Anselmus The cause of Anne Askewe and her companions was neither madnesse nor moneye but the onlie sekinge of their lord God righte As Sainte Indract with other deuoute pilgrimes of Rome laie in bed in their inne at Shapwyck by Blastenbury their throtes were cut in the night for moneie which was reckened to be in their pylgrymes scryppes Saynt Iuthware a virgine was behedded also for layenge fresh chese or cruddes whether ye will to her brestes The cause of Anne Askewe and her other fellowes conferred with Christes scriptures semeth a farre other matter Hewalde the blacke and Hewalde the whyght ii Englysh mōkes goynge frō place to place with cruettes chalyce and superaltare to do their daylye sacrifices were done to deathe in Frislande by the bowers of the contrey for teachynge a straunge relygyon and are worshypped at Coleyne for martyrs For bearynge about Christes testament which is most heauenlye treasure and for spredynge the wholsom doctrine therof was Anne Askewe and her sort brēt by the prestes procuremēt yet are they no honour for it Osytha runnynge awaye frome her husbande by the intysement of ii monkes became a professed nonne and was murthered of the Danes Wenefryda by counsell of a prest dysdaynouslye refusynge the marryage of a prynce chrystened lost her head for it Maxentia also played a parte not al vnlyke to thys Soch pylde popysh martyrdomes compared to the martyrdome of Anne Askewe and her faythful companye is as is rustye yron compared to pure syluer S. William of Rochestre a Scotte leauynge both wife houshold ydly to trudge on pylgrymage was strycken in the heade wyth an axe of his owne companyon by the waye Saynte Thomas of Douer a monke was suche a wone as was slayne of the frenche men for hydynge the churches iewels crosses chalyces copes No such light corruptible vanytees were they that Anne Askewe her constaunt bretherne dyed for but for the precyouse veryte of God Yonge S. Wyllyam of Norwych yonge S Robert of Burye yonge S. Hugh of Lyncolne yōge S. Melor of Cornewayle yōg s. Kenelme of Glocestre yonge S. Eldrede of Rāsaye his brother wyth soch other lyke were but verye babes they saye were martyred of the Iewes of other enemyes Wherfore their martyrdomes shal be but babysh in cōparysō of these the verite hauing by thē so smal furtheraūce Foillanus his iii. bretherne goynge homeward in the nyghte after they had well banketed wyth S. Gertrude her nonnes were killed in a wod of one murtherer and their horses solde in the next market towne Iustinanus S. Dauyes ghostlye father in Wales was slayne in a gardene of hys iii. monkes bycause he compelled them to do more laboure than he wolde do hys selfe After Kilianus was come home frome Rome he was murthered in his selle wyth other holye pylgrymes by a woman as they laye there a slepe in the nyght Saynt Vrsula also and her she pylgrymes with theyr chaplaynes nurses and suckyng babes were but homely handeled at Coleyne of the hunnes and pietes if that legende be true as they were commynge homewardes from Rome Compare me Anne Askewe and her condempned companye wyth these clowted canonysed solempnysed sensed matrensed and massed martyrs and tell me by the Gosples trial whyche of them seme moste Christenlyke martyres Yea brynge saynte Edmound of Burye saynt Fremūd of Dunstable saynt Ethelbert of Herforde S. Oswalde of Glocestre saynte Oswyne of Tynmoth and Saynte Wynstane of Euesham whych are the best of the Englyshe martyres to the touche stone of Goddes worde and ye shall fynde theyr martyrdomes and causes full vnlyke to theyrs whome the Byshoppes murther now apace in Englande In all these Englysh martyrs reherced here afore ye shall fynde verye fewe coloures or yet tokens that Christ sayd his martyrs shuld be knowne by on lesse ye take pylgrimages pōpes rellyckes women battels hūtynges ydelnes monkeryes moneye treasure worldlye kingdomes contēpt of marryage superstycyōs suche other vanitees for thē And than wyll I saye and not lye in it that ye are moch better ouerseane thā lerned in the scriptures of God as youre olde blynde bludderynge predecessours hath bene Ye wyll axe me here if I reckē Englāde thā all barrē of Christē martyrs Naye marry do I not For I knowe it hathe had good store sēs the popes faith came first into Englande to the Gospels obscuracyō though their names be not knowne to al mē Greate tyrānye was shewed by the heythnysh emprours kynges at the fyrst preachynge of the Gospel in the primatyue churche of the brytaynes by the cruel callynge on of the pagane prestes But nothinge lyke to that hath bene shewed sēs in the Englysh church by the spiritual tyraūt of Rome his mytred termagaūtes at the prouocacyō of theyr oyled swylbolles blīd Baalamites For they most cruellye brēt those innocētes whych dyd but only read the testamēt of God in their mother runge do not yet repente them of that myschefe but contynewe therin Yf ye marke wel these ii examinaciōs of Anne Askewe ye shal fynde in her in her other iii. cōmpaniōs besydes other whō the Byshoppes in our tyme afore hath brēt the expresse tokēs that Christ sealeth his martyrs wt. Thei apered as shepe amonge wolues They were throwne in strōg presō They were brought forth into coūsels synagoges Their answeres were out of gods spret as herin apereth not out of their own They were reuyled mocked stocked racked execrated condempned and murthered as is sayde afore By a spiritualte also as he promised they shuld be Mat. xxiii and xxiiii Yea those spiritual tyrauntes besydes theyr mortal malyce vpō the innocent bodyes haue most blasphemouslye vttered in theyr spyghtful sermons and writynges that their sowles are dampned as is to be seane in the bokes of winchestre and Peryn But let them be ware lest they dampne not theyr own wretched soules For ful sure we are by Christes stronge promes Luce. xii That theyr sowles they can not harme wyth all theyr popes blacke curses Ful swetelye rest they now in the peace of God where theyr slaunderous and malyciouse iudgementes can not hurte them at al Sapi. iii. Lette those Epycures pygges dampne them with as manye blasphemouse
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.
house habundantly releued theÌ„ there Acto xvi yet was she not troubled for it In lyke maner at Thessalonica a great noÌ„bre of the Grekes and manye noble women amonge theÌ„ beleued Paules forbydden doctryne and resorted boldelye both to hym and to Sylas Act. xvii yet were they not cruellye handeled for it Be ashamed than ye tyrauntes of EnglaÌ„d that your horryble tyraÌ„nyes shuld exeede all other Iewes or Gentyles turkes or ydolaters More noble were these womeÌ„ here rehersed for thus releuynge Christ and hys membres than for anye other acte eyther yet degre of nobylyte For where as al other haue peryshed these shal neuer perysh but be conserued in the mooste noble and worthye scriptures of God the tyrannouse Byshoppes and prestes with theyr tyrannouse maynteners there condempned A through ChristeÌ„ charite is not lyghtlye terrifyed wyth the tempestes of worldlye affliccyons no more than true fayth is chauÌ„ged in men that be Christenly coÌ„staunte Soch can not chose but considre that it is both gloryouse to be afflicted for Christ. i. Pet. iii. and also moost merytoryouse to releue them here in theyr afflyccyons Mat. xxv Vnto that Christen offyce hath Christ promysed the life euerlastynge at the lattre daye wher as Masse hearyng is lyke to remayne without rewarde except it be in belle for ydolatrye and blasphemye Not vnto them that in pryson vysyteth murtherers and theues yf ye marke well the texte is this reward promysed For they are not there allowed for Christes dere meÌ„bers but vnto them that releue the afflycted for his verytees sake Anne Askewe Then they sayde there were of the counsayle that dydde maynteyne me And I sayde no. Then they dyd put me on the racke bycause I coÌ„fessed no ladyes nor geÌ„tylwomen to be of my opynyon theron they kepte me a longe time And bycause I laye styll and dyd not crye the Chauncelloure and maystre Ryche toke paynes to racke me theyr owne handes tyll I was nygh dead Iohan Bale Nicodemus one of the hyghe counsell was sore rebuked amonge the senyours of the Iewes for defeÌ„ding Christes innoceÌ„cye whaÌ„ they went aboute to flee hym IoaÌ„ vii And therfore it is no new thynge that Christes doctryne hath supportacyon amonge the counsels of thys worlde All men be not of one corrupted appetyte nor yet of one vngracyous diete Christ promysed his dyscyples that they in one how sholde shuld fynde both his enemyes and fryndes I am come sayth he to sette man at varyaunce agaynst hys father and the doughter agaynst her mother and the doughter in lawe agaynste the mother in lawe He that louethe his father or mother hys sonne or doughter his prynce or gouernour aboue me he is not mete for me Math x. I feare me thys wyll be iudged hygh treason But no matter So longe as it is Christes worde he shal be also vndre the same iudgemeÌ„te of treasoÌ„ Let no man care to be condeÌ„pned wyth hym for he in the ende shall be hable to rectyfye all wronges Marke here an example most wonderfull and se how madlye in theyr ragynge furies men forget themselues and lose theyr ryghte wyttes nowe a dayes A kynges hyghe counseller a Iudge ouer lyfe and deathe yea a lorde Chauncellour of a most noble realme is now become a most vyle slaue for Antychrist and a most cruell tormentoure Without al dyscresyon honestye or manhode he casteth of hys gowne and take the here vpon him the most vyle offyce of an hangeman and pulleth at the racke most vyllanouslye O Chaunceller and Riche ii false christianes and blaphemouse apostataes from God What chaplayne of the pope hath inchaunted yow or what deuyll of hell bewytched yow to execute vpon a poore condempned woman so ê“dygyouse a kynde of tyrannye Euen the very Mammon of iniquyte and that insaciable hunger of auarice whyche compelled Iudas to betray vnto death hys most louynge master IoaÌ„ xii The wynnynges were not small that ye reckened vpon whan ye toke on ye that cruell enterprise and woulde haue had so many great men and womeÌ„ accused But what els haue ye wonne in the ende than perpetuall shame and confusion God hath suffered yow so to dyscouer youre owne myscheues that ye shal no more be fogotteÌ„ of the world than are now Adomsedech Saul Hieroboam Manasses Olophernes Haman Tryphon Herode Neto Traianus and soche other horryble tyrauntes And as concernynge the innocent woman whom you so cruellye tormented Where coulde be seane a more clere and open experyment of Christes dere membre than in her myghty sufferynges lyke a lambe she laye styll wythout noyse of cryenge and suffered your vttermost vyolence tyl the sinnowes of her armes were broken and the strynges of her eis peryshed in her head Ryght farre doth it passe the strength of a yonge tendre weake and sicke woman as she was at that tyme to your more confusion to abyde so vyolent handelynge yea or yet of the strongest man that lyueth Thynk not therfore but that Christ hathe suffered in her and so myghtelye shewed hys power that in her weakenes he hath laughed your mad enterpryses to scorne Psalm ii Where was the feare of God ye tyraÌ„tes Where was your chrysten professyon ye helle houndes Where was your othe and promes to do true iustice ye abhominable periures whan ye went aboute these cursed feates More fytte are ye for swyne kepynge than to be of a prynces counsell or yet to gouerne a Chrysten commen welthe Yf Christ haue sayde vnto them whiche do but offende hys lytle ones that beleue in hym that it were better they had a milstone tied aboute their neckes and were so thrown into the bottom of the see Luce xvii What wyll he saye to them that so villaynouslye pull at the racke in ther myscheuouse malice These are but warnynges take hede if ye lyft for a full sorowfull plage wyll folowe here after Anne Askewe Then the lyefetenaunt caused me to be loused from the racke Incontynentlye I swounded and then they recouered me agayne After that I sate ii longe houres reasonynge with my lorde Chauncellour vpon the bare floore where as he with manye ftatterynge wordes persuaded me to leaue my opynyon But my lorde God I thanke hys euerlastinge goodnesse gaue me grace to perseuer and wyll do I hope to the verye ende Iohan Bale Euer more haue the olde modye tirauntes vsed thys practyse of deuilyshnesse As they haue perceyued themselues not to preuayle by extreme handelinges they haue sought to proue masteries by the contrarye With gaye glosynge wordes and fayre flatteryng promises they haue craftelye coÌ„passed the seruauntes of God to cause them consente to their wickednesse And in this temptynge occupacyon are Wrisleye and Riche very conninge Notwithstandinge they shal neuer fynde the chosen of God all one with the forsaken reprouates The elect vessels holde the eternall
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