The lattre examinacyon
of Anne Askewe, latelye martyred
in Smythfelde, by the wycked
Synagoge of Antichrist,
with the Elucydacyon of
Johan Bale.
Printed captionAnne Askewe stode fast by thys veryte of
God to the ende.
Psalme 116.
“The veryte of the lorde endureth for ever.”
“I wyll poure out my sprete upōon all flesh”
(sayth God) “your sonnes and your doughters
shall prophecye. And who so ever call
on the name of the lorde/shall be saved.”
Johel. ii.
Johan Bale to the
Christen Readers.In the prymatyve churche,
as the horryble persecucyōons
increased, manye
dylygēent wryters collected
the godlye answers
and tryumphaūunt
sufferynges of the martyrs, as necessarye
examples of Christen constancye to
be folowed of other. Of thys nōombre was
Lucas, whych wrote the Apostles actes
So were after hym Linus, Marcellus,
Egesippus, Meliton Asianus, Abdias
Babylonius, Iosephus Antiochenus,
Clemens Alexandrinus, Antherus, Phileas,
Eusebius, Nicephorus, & a great
sort more. Fabianus, not a chayre Byshopp,
but a pulpet Byshopp of Rome, ordayned
in hys tyme for that onlye offyce
vii. deacōons & so manye notayres, aboute
the yeare of our lorde. 0236CC.XXXVI.
that they shuld faythfullye regestre ther
martyrdomes, to holde thēem in contynuall
remembraunce, as witnesseth Platina
Polydorus, Masseus, & soch other chronyclers.Aij
nyclers.
A2v
No lesse necessarye is that offyce
now, though fewe mēen attempt it, nor no
lesse profytable to the christēen
cōommōonwelth
than it was in those terryble dayes. For
now are persecucyōons all
Christendome
over, so wele as were than. Now are the
true Christyanes vexed of the syttynge
Byshoppes for their Christen beleve, so
wele as than. Now are they revyled, ponnyshed,
imprysoned, & have all evyll spoken
agaynst them for Christes verytees sake.
Math.5. so wele as than.
And what can be more confortable to
the sufferers, than to knowe the ernest
constancye of their troubled companyons
in that kyngedome of pacyēence? Apo.
1. or to marke in them the stronge workynge
of faythe, & beholde the myghtye
mageste of God in their agonyes? what
though they were afore, synners of the
worlde. Saynt Bernarde sayth in hys homelyes
upon Salomons cantycles, that
the godlye sufferaunce of martyrs hath
geven as good erudycyon to the christen
churche, as ever ded the doctryne of the
sayntes. Than is it mete that some be
sterynge, and not that all men in these
dayes be ydell/concernynge that godlye
offyce.
A3r
3
offyce. Manye have suffered in thys
realme
of late years, by the bolde callynge
on of Antichristes furyouse advocates,
whose lattre confessyons, causes, and answers,
are a great deale more notable &
godlye, if they be ryghtlye wayed, than
ever were the confessyons, causes and
answers of the olde canonysed martyrs,
whych in the popes Englysh churche have
had so manye solempnytees,
servyces,
and sensynges. Manye have also
most
desperatlye recanted through their most
wycked persuasyons and threttenynges,
in whose vayne recantacyons are both to
be seane, their blasphemyes agaynst
God, and manyfest treasons agaynst
their kynge.
Now in conferrynge these martyrs,
the olde with the newe / and the popes
with Christes. I seclude first of all the
Brytayne churche, or the prymatyve churche
of thys realme, whych never
had autoryte
of the Romysh pope. Her martyrs
in dede were agreable to that Christ
spake afore in the Gospell concernynge
hys martyrs, wherby we shuld knowe
thēem, as we
evydentlye fynde in the lyves
of Emerita kynge Lucyes syster, Amphibalus,Aiij
balus,
A3v
Albanus, Aaron,
Julius, Dionothus,
& soch other. “I sende yow forth”
(sayth he) “as shepe amonge wolves.
Mēen
shall delyver ye up in their counsels and
synagoges. Ye shall be brought before rulers
and kynges, and be hated of all men
in a maner for my names sake,” Mathei
10. “Cast not afore in your myndes what
answere to make. For I in that houre
shall geve ye
both utteraunce and wysdome,
whych all your adversaryes shall not
be hable to withstande,” Luce 21. “They
shall excommunycate yow
or condēempne
yow for heretykes. Yea, they shall brynge
yow in soche hate of the world, that who
so ever kylleth yow, wyll thynke he doth
God great good servyce. And thys shall
they do bycause they knowe ryghtlye neyther
the father nor yet me,” Joan.16.
Manye other lyke sentēences left the
lorde
Jes9us Christ
in hys holye Gospell, that
we shuld alwayes by thēem dyscerne hys
true martyrs, frōom the
popes & Mahometes
con̄ūun
terfett martyrs. In Englāand here
sens the first plāantacyon of the popes Englysh
churche, by Augustyne & other Romysh
monkes of Benettes superstycyōon, ii.
kyndes of martyrs hath bene, One of monasteryenasterye
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4
buylders and chaunterye founders,
whom the temporall prynces & secular
magistrates have dyverslye done
to deathe, sumtyme for dysobedyence, &
sumtyme for manyfest treason, as we have
of Wallenus of Crowlande, Thomas
of Lāancastre,
Rycharde Scrope, Becket
; soch other. The ymages of these have
bene sett up in their tēemples, lyke the olde
goddes of the paganes, & have had ther
vygyls, holye dayes, ryngynges, sacryfysynges,
cāandels, offerynges, feastynges, &
moch a do besydes, as they had. The other
sort were preachers of the Gospell, or
poore teachers
therof īin corners, whāan the
persecucyōon was soche, that it myght not
be taught abroade. And these poore sowles,
or true servauntes of God, were put
to deathe by the holye spirytuall fathers
Byshoppes, prestes, monkes, chanons, &
fryers for heresye & lollerye, they saye.
These Christen martyrs were
never solēempnysed
of thēem. No, they had not so
moch
as a penye dyrge or a grote masse of Requiem,
nomore than had Johan Baptyst
and Steven amonge the Jewes.
But they have bene holden for condempned
heretykes ever sens.
Who ever hearde anye goodnesse yet
reported of Dionothus with hys M. &
CC. companyons, whom Augustyne caused
to be slayne at Westchestre in hys
churches begynnynge, bycause they wolde
not preache as he ded apoynt them, nor
baptyse after the Romysh maner, neyther
yet hallowe the eastre feast as they
ded. Manye a blessed creature, both men
; womēen, have bene brēent
sens Johāan Wycleves
tyme & afore, for onlye dysclosynge
the pharysees yokes & teachynge the
Gospels lyberte.
And thēem have that bawdye
bloudye Synagoge of Sathāan dyffamed,
blasphemed, condēempned, execrated
; cursed to hell as most detestable heretykes
and dogges. Where as if they were
of Christ, they ought (in case they were
their haters or enemyes) to
suffre thēem,
to saye wele of them, to do them good, &
to praye for them. Math.5. Luce 6. and
not thus to use more tyrannye over them,
than ever ded Saracene,
Turke, Tyran̄ūunt
or devyll. A great dyfference is there of
the martyrs whom they make, from the
martyrs whom they canonyse. Of them
whom they dampne, from them whom
they worshypp. Yea, so great a dyfferencece or
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5
or dyversyte betwyn them (if ye marke
them wele) as is betwixt golde and
dyrt, or lyght and darkenesse.
The martyrs, whose deathes they have
procured by all ages of their bloudthurstye
church, harkened unto Christ, healde
of ryghtousnesse, & sought their
lorde God in sprete, Esa. 51. but the martyrs
for the most part, whom they have
with so manye latyne mawlynges, torches
& candell burnynges, magnyfyed
in their temples, harkened to the pope,
healde of hys unryghtousnesse, & sought
out hys superstycyouse ydolatryes. In
the conferrynge of their olde canonysed
martyrs, with our newlye condempned
martyrs here, Anne Askewe and her
other iii. companyons, with soch lyke,
their dyfferennce wyll be moch more easelye
perceyved. first lete us begynne with
Thomas Becket, whych was so gloryouse
a martyr and precyouse advocate of
theirs, that they made hys bloude equall
with Christes bloude and desyred to clyme
to heaven therby. Manye wonderfull
myracles coulde that mytred patrone of
theirs do in those dayes, whan the monkes
had fryre Bakons bokes and knewe
Av
the
A5v
the bestowynge of fryre Bōongayes mystes
but now he can do non at all. Thys Becket
in all hys floryshynge doynges, harkened
to the pope, defended hys pompouse
kyngedome, supported hys churches excesse,
& wretchedlye dyed for the synnefull
lybertees of the same. Anne Askewe
; her sort, gave dylygēent hede to their lorde
Jesus Christ, sought the kyngedome
of heaven in daylye repentaunce, myghtelye
detested all ydolatrouse worshyppynges,
& in conclusyon suffered most
tryumphaunt deathe for the same.
Cōoncernynge other martyrs. As
Wenefryd,
otherwyse called Bonyface an Englysh
mōonke &
archebyshopp of Magunce
was slayne cōonfirmynge neophytes, or professyng
hys newlye baptysed brode to the
Romysh popes obedyēence. There was foūunde
aboute hym a casket full of rellyckes
or dead mēennys bones, whāan he was put to
deathe in the yeare of our lorde, 0755755.
Anne Askewe & her felyshypp, had non
other rellyckes aboute thēem, whāan they stode
at the stake to be brent in Smythfelde.
but a bundell of the sacred scriptures
enclosed in ther hartes, and redye to be
uttered agaynst Antichristes ydolatryes,
Saynt
A6r
6
Saynt Clare of Orchestre contemnynge
lawfull marryage, made hym selfe an
ydell prest, & was byheaded in hys owne
gardene by procuremēent of a woman. S.
Clytanke of Southwales, was in lyke case
stabbed in with a dagger, bycause a
yonge mayden loved hym. The onlye true
honoure of God was it, & no wordlye
cause, that Anne Askewe & her companye
dyed for. Saynt Edwyne beynge wele armed, was slayne in battayle at Hatfelde
in the North, and S. Edwarde rydynge
a Huntynge in the forest of Warham
in the wweast,
was kylled upon hys
horse in drynkynge a cuppe of wyne. And
all thys was done for the kyngedomes
of thys worlde. The martyrdome of Anne
Askewe and her Bretherne, was
neyther in battelynge nor huntynge, rydynge
nor drynkynge, but in that ryght
course whych Christ prescrybed unto hys
dyscyples undre the cruell Byshoppes,
for hys onlye glorye.
Saynct Cadock of Cowbridge a Byshopp,
was pearced through with a speare,
as he stode at hys Masse at one of
the clocke at after none, bycause he
wolde be of the order of martyrs. Saynt
Elphege
A6v
Elphege archebyshopp of Caunterburye
was stoned to deathe of the Danes, bycause
he wolde not paye them thre. M.
Marke, in the yeare of our lorde. M. and
xi. Of soch martyrs,
moch doubted Lanfrancus,
whych succeded hym in that offyce
about a iiii. score years after, and
dysputed therof with Anselmus. The
cause of Anne Askewe and her companyons,
was neyther madnesse nor moneye,
but the onlye sekynge of their lorde
God a ryght. As Saynt Indract with
other devoute pylgrymes of Rome laye
in bed in their inne at Shapwyck by
Glastenbury, their throtes were cut in
the nyght for moneye, whych was reckened
to be in their pylgrymes scryppes.
Saynt Juthware a vyrgyne was byheaded
also, for layenge fresh chese or cruddes
whether ye wyll, to her brestes. The
cause of Anne Askewe and her other fellawes,
conferred with Christes scriptures,
semeth a farre other matter. Hewalde
the blacke and Hewalde the whyght
ii. Englysh mōonkes, goynge frōom place to
place with cruettes, chalyce, and superaltare,
to do their daylye sacryfyces, were
done to deathe in Frislande by the
bowers
A7r
7
bowers of the cuntraye for teachynge a
straunge relygyon, and are worshypped
at Coleyne for martyrs. For bearynge
about Christes testament, whych is most
heavenlye treasure, and for spredynge
the wholsom doctryne therof, was Anne
Askewe and her sort brent by the prestes
procurement, yet axe they no honour
for it.
Osytha runnynge awaye from her
husbande, by the intysement of ii. monkes
bycame a professed nonne, and was
murthered of the Danes. Wenefryda
by counsell of a prest, dysdaynouslye refusynge
the marryage of a prynce christened,
lost her head for it. Maxentia also
played a part not all unlyke to thys.
Soch pylde popysh martyrdomes, compared
to the martyrdome of Anne Askewe
and her faythfull cumpanye, is as is
rustye yron compared to pure sylver. S.
Wyllyam of Rochestre a Scotte, leavynge
both wyfe and howsholde, ydellye to
trudge on pylgrymage, was strycken in
the head with an axe/of hys owne companyon
by the waye. Saynt Thomas of
Dover a monke was soch a wone, as
was slayne of the frenche men for hydyngedynge
A7v
the churches jewels, crosses, chalyces
& copes. No soch lyght corruptyble
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,
yōonge S. Melor
of Cornewayle, yōong S.
Kenelme of Glocestre, yōonge S. Eldrede
of Rāamsaye & hys brother, with soch other
lyke, were but verye babes (they saye) &
were martyred of the Jewes & of other
enemyes. Wherfor their martyrdomes
shall be but babysh in comparyson of these,
the veryte havynge by them so small
furtheraunce.
Foillanus & hys iii. bretherne,
goynge
homeward in the nyght, after they had
wele banketed with S. Gertrude & her
nonnes, were kylled in a wood of one murtherer,
and their horses solde in the next
market towne. Justinanus,
S. Davyes
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 from Rome, he
was murthered in hys selle with other
holye
A8r
8
holye pylgrymes by a woman, as they
laye there a slepe in the nyght. Saynt
Ursula also and her she
pylgrymes,
with their chaplaynes, nurses, and
suckynge babes, were but homelye handeled
at Coleyne of the hunnes and pyctes
(if that legende be true) as they
were commynge homewardes from Rome.
Compare me Anne Askewe and
her condempned cumpanye, with these
clowted, canonysed, solempnysed, sensed,
mattensed, and massed martyrs,
and tell me by the Gospels tryall, whych
of them seme most Christenlyke martyrs.
Yea, brynge saynt Edmonde of Burye.
S. Fremūunde of
Dunstable, S. Ethelbert
of Herforde, S. Oswalde of Glocestre,
S. Oswyne of Tynmoth,
and Saynt
Wynstane of
Evesham (whych are the
best of the Englysh martyrs) to the touche
stone of Gods worde, & ye shall fynhe
their martyrdomes and causes full
unlyke to theirs whom 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 hys
martyrs shuld be knowne by, unlesse ye
take
A8v
take pylgrymages, pōompes rellyckes, women,
battels, hūuntynges, ydelnesse, mōonkeryes,
moneye, treasure, worldlye kyngedomes,
contēempt of marryage, superstycyōons
; soch other vanytees for thēem. And than
wyll I saye, & not lye in it/ that ye are
moch better overseane thāan lerned in the
scriptures of God/ as your olde blynde
bludderynge predecessours hath bene. Ye
wyll axe me here, if
I reckēen Englāande thāan
all barrēen of Christēen martyrs? Naye marry
do I not, for I knowe it hath had
good store sēens the
popes faythe came first
into Englande to the Gospels obscuracyōon
/ though their names be not knowne
to all mēen. Great tyrāannye was shewed by
the heythnysh emprours & kynges at
the first preachynge of the Gospell in the
prymatyve churche of the Brytaynes/ by
the cruell callynge on of the pagane prestes
But nothynnge lyke to that hath bene
shewed sēens in the Englysh
churche by
the spirytuall tyran̄unt of Rome & hys mytred
termagaūuntes/ at
the provocacyōon of
ther oyled swylbolles & blynd Balaamytes.
For they most cruellye brēent those innocēentes
/ whych ded but
only reade the testamēent
of God in their mother tunge/ & do
not
B1r
9
not yet repent them of that myschefe but
contynewe therein.
If ye marke wele these ii. examynacyons
of Anne Askewe, ye shall fynde in
her and in her other iii. companyons, besydes
other whōom the Byshoppes in our
tyme and afore hath brent, the expresse
tokens that Christ sealeth hys martyrs
with. They apered as shepe amonge wolves.
They were throwne in stronge preson.
They were brought forth into counsels
and synagoges. Their answers were
out of Gods sprete (as herin apereth)
and not out of their owne. They were
revyled, mocked, stocked, racked, execrated,
condempned, and murthered, as is
sayd afore. By a spirytualte also, as he
promysed they shuld be, Math. 23. and
24. Yea, those spirytuall tyrauntes besydes
their mortall malyce upon the innocent
bodyes, have most blasphemouslye
uttered in their spyghtfull sermons and
writynges, that their sowles are dampned,
as is to be seane in the bokes of wynchestre
and Peryn. But lete them be ware
least they dampne not their owne
wretched sowles. For full sure we are by
Christes stronge promes, Luce 12. That
B
their
B1v
their sowles they can not harme with
all their popes blacke curses. Full swetelye
rest they now in the peace of God,
where their slaunderouse and malycyouse
judgementes can not hurte them at
all. Sapi. 3. Lete those Epycures pygges
dampne them with as manye blasphemouse
lyes as they can ymagyne, for
other armour they have not. And we
shall on the other syde canonyse them
agayne with the myghtye wordes and
promyses of Christ, whych they shall never
be hable to resist. The father of
our
lorde Jesus Christ, graunt the lyght of
hys worde so to sprede the worlde over
that the darke mystes of Sathan maye
clerelye be expelled, to the specyall confort
of hys redemed churche, and
glorye of hys eternall name.
The lattre examination
of the worthye
servaunt of God mastres
Anne Askewe the yōonger doughter
of Sir Wyllyam Askewe
knyght of Lyncolne shyre, latelye
martyred in Smithfelde
by the wycked Synagoge
of Antichrist.
The censure or judgemēentof Johan Bale therupon,
after the sacred Scriptures and
Chronycles.
Christ wylled hys most
dere Apostle and secretarye
Saynt Johāan the
Evangelist, to sygnyfye
by writynge to the oversear
or preacher of the
congregacyon of Pergamos, that there
onlye are hys faythfull mēembers murthered,
where Sathāan inhabyteth or holdeth
Bij
resydence
B2v
resydence. And for exāample he bryngeth
forth hys constaunt witnesse Antipas,
whych was there most cruellye slayne of
that Synagoge of hys, for confessynge
the veryte, Apoca.2. “That Behemoth”
(sayth Job) “that
Levyathan, that Sathan,
regneth as a most myghtye kynge
over all the spirytuall chyldren of pryde.”
Job 42. “A murtherer” (sayth Christ
to
the spirytualte of the Jewes) “and a blasphemouse
lyar, is that father of yours, &
hath bene from the worldes begynnynge”
Joan.8. These maners hath he not yet
left, but contynueth them styll in hys
wycked posteryte.
Inn the
prymatyve churche (as testyfyeth
Bedas) they persecuted the heares of
Christes head, whych were so pure as the
whyte wolle that is apte to receyve all
colours, Apoca,.1. They slewe those true
belevers whych hys worde & sprete had
depured from all false worshyppynges,
and made fytt for all trybulacyons to be
suffered for hys names sake. In these lattre
dayes they meddele with his fete,
whych are lyke unto brasse, burnynge as
it were in an whote furnace, Apo.1. For
they that beleve now agreably to hys
worde,
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11
worde, and not after ther corrupted and
cursed customes, are consumed in the fyre.
As here after wyll apere by thys godlye
woman Anne Askewe, whych with
other more was brent at London in the
yeare of our lorde a 1546M.D.XLVI. For
the faythfull testymonye of Jesu agaynst
Antichrist. Whose lattre handelynge
here foloweth in course, lyke as I
receyved it in coppye, by serten
duche
merchauntes cōommynge frōom thens, whych
had bene at their burnynge, and beholden
the tyrannouse vyolence there shewed.
First out of the preson she wrote unto
a secrete frynde of hers, after thys
manner
folowynge.
Anne Askewe.
I do perceyve (dere frynde
in the lorde) that thu art not
yet persuaded throughlye in the
truthe concernynge the lordes
supper, bycause Christ sayd unto
hys Apostles. “Take, eate
Thys is my bodye whych is geven
for yow.” In gevynge forth
the breade as an outwarde sygneBiij
ne
B3v
or token to be receyved at
the mouthe, he mynded them in
a perfyght beleve to receyve
that bodye of hys whych shuld
dye for the people, or to thynke
the deathe therof, the onlye helthe
and salvacyon of their
sowles.
The breade and the wyne
were left us, for a sacramentall
communyon, or a mutuall pertycypacyon
of the inestymable
benefyghtes of hys most precyouse
deathe and bloud shedynge.
And that we shuld in the
ende therof, be thankefull togyther
for that most necessarye
grace of our redempcyon. For
in the closynge up therof, he
sayd thus. “Thys do ye, in remēembraunce
of me. Yea, so oft as ye
shall eate it or drynke it,” Luce
22. and 1. Corinth. 11. Els shuld
we have bene forgetfull of that
we ought to have in daylye remembraunce,membra-
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12
& also bene altogyther
unthankefull for it.
Johan Bale.
Agreable is thys womāannish
doctryne
here, to the scriptures of both testamēentes.
Wherin these wordes Edere & Bibere,
to eate & to drynke, are oft tymes
spirytuallye taken for Credere, to beleve
or receyve in faythe. “The poore” (sayth David)
“shall eate and be satisfyed. All that
seke to please the lorde shall prayse hym,
; their sowles shall never perysh.” Psal.
21. “They that eate me” (sayth the veryte
of God) “shall hungre more and more,
and they that drincke me shall thirst
more desyerouslye for me.” Eccles. 24.
“Onlesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne
of man” (sayth Christ) “and drynke hys
bloude, ye can have no lyfe in yow,”
Joāan.
6. These scriptures expounde the doctours
spirytuallye, yea, the papistes & all
Where as the other iii. Evangelistes.
Mathew, Marke, and Luke, sheweth
nothynge els of the lordes supper but the
playne historie, S. Johan writynge last
of thēem all, manyfesteth there the
whole
cōomplete doctryne & full understāandynge
Biiij.
therof
B4v
therof after Christes owne instruccyons
and meanynge. Requyred is it there,
that the true receyvers therof, be taught
of God, and lerned of the heavenlye 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 beleve
or exactlye to consydre, that Christ
dyed for us to clense us from synne, to
joyne us into one mystycall bodye, and
to geve us the lyfe everlastynge. And
that there is non other but he that can
procure us that lyfe. For that whych entereth
the mouthe, feadeth onlye the bodye.
But that entereth faythe, feadeth
the sowle. “I am the lyvynge breade”
sayth he) “whych came downe from heaven.
He onlye that beleveth in me, hath
the lyfe everlastynge,” Joan.6. The sprete
is it that quyckeneth, the fleshelye under
standynge, or onlye mouthe eatynge, profyteth
nothynge at all. Here wyll an obstynate
papyst paraventure saye, that
we attrybute nothynge to the corporall
communyon. Ye as, we reverentlye, graunt,
that ryghtlye mynystred after Christesstes
B5r
13
instytucyon, it both confirmeth our
faythe in the necessarye consyderacyons
of hys deathe, and also sturreth up that
brotherlye Christēen love whych we ought
to have towardes our neyber, besydes
that thys faythfull woman hath spoken
here of it afore. And these are the onlye
frutes whych he requireth of us in that
supper or sacramentall metynge.
Anne Askewe.
Therfor it is mete, that in
prayers we call unto God, to
grafte in our foreheades, the
true meanynge of the holye
Ghost concernynge thys communyōon.
For S. Paule doth
saye
that the letter slayeth. The sprete
is it onlye that geveth lyfe.
2.Cor.3. Marke wele the vi. chaptre
of Johan, where all is applyed
unto faythe. Note also
the fort chaptre of S. Paules
first epistle to the Corynthes, &
in the ende therof ye shall fynde
playnelye, that the thynges
Bv
whych
B5v
whych are seane are temporall,
but they that are not seane are
everlastynge. Yea, loke in the
third chaptre to the Hebrues, &
ye shall fynde that Christ as a
sonne and no servaunt, ruleth
over hys howse (whose howse
are we, and not the dead tēemple)
if we holde fast the confydence
and rejoysynge of that hope to
the ende. Wherfor as sayth the
holye Ghost. “To daye if yow
shall heare hys voyce, harden
not your hartes, &c,” Psalm.94.
Johan Bale.
By the fore heades understāande she the
hartes or myndes of men, for so are they
takēen of S. Joh
āan, Apoc.7.
annd 22. I can
not thynke, but herin she had respect unto
the plate of fyne golde whych the lorde
commaunded to be sett upon Aarōons
foreheade, for the acceptacyon of the
people of Israel, Exodi. 2. For here wolde
she all mennys hartes to be endued
and lyghtened with the most pure
sprete of Christ, for the understandynge
of
B6r
14
of that most holye and necessarye cōommunyon,
the corrupted dreames and fantasyes
of synnefull men sett a part. She
knewe by the synngular gyft of the holye
Ghost, that they are lyenge masters, procurers
of ydolatrye, and most
spyghtfull
enemyes to the sowle of man, that applyeth
that offyce to the corruptyble lyppes,
whych belongeth to an unncorrupted
faythe, so settynge the creature that is
corruptyble breade, in place of the creator
Christ both God and man, Roma. 1.
lamentynge it with the ryghtouse, at
the verye hart rote. And in thys she shewed
her selfe to be a naturall membre of
Christes mystycall bodye. 1.Cor.12. relygyouslye
carefull for her Christen bretherne
& systerne, least they shuld take
harme of the popes masmongers.
Anne Askewe.
The summe of my examynacyōon afore thekynges counsell at Grenewyche.
Your request as cōoncernynge
my presōon fellawes, I am not hable
to satysfye, bycause I hearde
not their examynacyōons. But
the effect of myne was thys I
beynge before
B6v
beynge before the counsell, was asked
of mastre Kyme. I answered,
that my lorde chāancellour knewe
all redye my mynde in that matter,
They with that answere were
not cōontented, but sayd, it was
the kynges pleasure, that I
shuld open the matter to them.
I answered thēem playnelye, that
I wolde not so do. But if it were
the kynges pleasure to heare
me, I wolde shewe hym the truthe.
Then they sayd, it was not
mete for the kynge with me to
be troubled. I answered, that
Salomon was reckened the wysest
kynge that ever lyved, yet
myslyked not he to heare. ii.
poore cōommon womēen,
moch more
hys grace a symple woman and
hys faythfull subject. So in cōonclusyon.
I made thēem non other
answere in that matter.
Johan Bale.
Concer- B7r 15Cōoncernynge mastre Kyme, thys
shuld
seme to be the matter. Her father Sir
Wyllyam Askewe knyght and hys father
olde mastre Kyme, were sumtyme
of famylyaryte and neybers within the
countye of Lyncolne shyre. Wherupon
the seyd Sir Wyllyam, covenaunted
wyth hym for lucre, to have hys eldest
doughter marryed with hys sonne and
heyre (as an ungodlye maner it is in Englande
moch used amonge noble men)
And as it was her chaunce to dye afore
the tyme of marryage, to save the moneye
he constrayned thys to supplye her
rowme. So that in the ende she was cōompelled
agaynst her wyll or fre consent to
marrye with hym. Notwithstandynge
the marryage ones past, she demeaned
her selfe lyke a Christen wyfe, annd had
by hym (as I am infourmed) ii.
chyldrēen.
In processe of tyme by oft readynge of
the sacred Bible, she fell clerelye from
all olde superstycyons of papystrye, to a
perfyght beleve in Jhesus Christ. Wherby
she so offēended the prestes (as is to be
seane afore) that he at their suggestion,
vyolentlye drove her oute of hys howse.
Wherupōon she thought
her selfe free frōom
that
B7v
that uncomelye kynde of coacted marryage,
by thys doctryne of S. Paule 1.
Cor. 7. If a faytfull womāan have an
unbelevynge
husbāande, whych wyll not tarrye
with her, she maye leave hym. For a brother
or syster is not in
subjeccyōon to soch,
specyallye where as the marryage afore
is unnlawfull. Upōon thys
occasyōon (I heare
saye) she sought of the law a
dyvorcemēent
frōom hym, namelye and above all, bycause
he so cruellye drove her out of hys howse
in despyght of Christes veryte. She coulde
not thynke hym worthye of her marryage
whych so spyghtfullye hated God the
chefe autor of marryage. Of thys matter
was she first examyned (I thynke) at
hys instaunt laboure anbd sute.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde chauncellour
asked me of my opynyon in the
sacrament. My answere was
thys. I beleve, that so oft as I
in a Christen congregacyon, do
receyve the breade in remembraunce
of Christes deathe, &
with thankes gevynge accordyngedynge
B8r
16
to hys holye instytucyōon,
I receyve therwith the frutes
also of hys most gloryouse passyon.
The Byshopp of wynchestre
bad me make a dyrect answere.
I sayd, I wolde not synge
a newe songe to the lorde in a
straunge lande.
Johan Bale.
Dyrect ynough was thys answere after
Christes syngle doctryne, but not after
the popes double and covetouse
meanynge
for hys oyled queresters advauntage.
And here was at hande hys generall
advocate or stewarde, to loke upon
the matter, that nothynge shuld perysh
perteynynge to the mayntenaunce of
hys superstycyouse vayne glorye, if anye
craftye polycye myght helpe it. What
offended thys godlye Christen woman
here, eyther in opynyon or faythe, ye
cruell and vengeable tyrauntes? “But
that ye must” (as David sayth) “temper
your tunges with venemouse wordes
to destroye the innocent.” Psal. 63.
Coulde yow have brought in agaynst her
a matter of more daunger concernynge
your
B8v
your lawes, to depryve her of lyfe, ye
wolde
have done it, soch is your gostlye charyte.
But be sure of it, as hawtye as ye
are now, the harde plage therof wyll be
yours, whan the great vengeaunce shall
fall for shedynge of innocentes bloude.
Mathei 23.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshopp sayd, I
spake in parables. I answered
it was best for hym. For if I shewe
the open truthe (quoth I) ye
wyll not accept it. Thēen he sayd
I was a paratte. I tolde hym
agayne, I was ready to suffre
all thynges at hys hāandes. Not
onlye hys rebukes, but all that
shuld folowe besydes, yea, and
that gladlye. Then had I dyverse
rebukes of the counsell, by
cause I wolde not expresse my
mynde in all thynges as they
wolde have me. But they were
not in the meane tyme unanswered
for all that, whych now
to
C1r
17
to rehearce, were to moche.
For I was with them there above
fyve houres. Then
the clerke
of the counsell conveyed me
from thens to my ladye Garnyshe.
Johan Bale.
Most cōommonlye Christ used to speake
in darke symylytudes and parables, whāan
he perceyved hys audyence rather geven
to the hearynge of pharysaycall constytucyons
and customes, than to hys
heavenlye veryte, Math. 13. Mar. 4.
Luce 7. Whych rule thys woman beynge
hys true dyscyple, forgote not here, in
cōommenynge with thys proude
Byshopp,
whōom she knewe
to be alwayes a most obstynate
withstander of that wholsom veryte
of hys. And as concernynge mockes
and scornefull revylynges, they have
bene ever in that generacyon of scorners
more plenteouse than good counsels to
the ryghtwyse. And therfor as a name
after their condycyons, it is unto them
appropryate of the holye Ghost in manye
places of the scriptures. “In the lattre C
tre
C1v
dayes” (sayth Judas the apostle) “shall
come mockers, walkynge in ungodlynesse
all after their owne lustes.” These
are they whych separate themselves frōom
the common sort by a name of spirytualtie,
beynge in conversacyon beastlye,
and
havynge no sprete that is godlye. “But
derelye beloved”(sayth he) “grounde your
selves surelye upon our most holye faythe,”
&c.
Anne Askewe.
The next daye I was brought
agayne before the counsell.
Then wolde they nedes knowe
of me, what I sayd to the sacrament.
I answered, that I alredye
had sayd that I coulde saye
Then after diverse wordes, they
bad me, go by. Then came my
lorde Lyle, my lorde of Essexe,
and the Byshopp of wynchestre
requyrynge me ernestlye, that
I shuld confesse the sacrament
to be fleshe, bloude and bone.
Then sayd I to my lorde Par
and
C2r
18
and my lorde Lyle, that it was
great shame for them to counsell
contrarye to their knowlege.
Wherunto in fewe wordes
they ded saye, that they wolde
gladlye all thynges were wele.
Johan Bale.
Alwayes have the worldelye governours
shewed more gentylnesse
and
faver to the worde of God, than the consecrate
prestes and prelates. As we have
for example in the olde lawe, that Ezechias
the kynge of Juda wolde in no case
at their callynge on, put Micheas
the true prophete unto deathe, whan he
had prophecyed the destructyon of Samaria
for their ydolatrye, and for the
tyrannye of their prynces and false prophetes,
Miche 1. and 3. Neyther wolde
the prynces at the prestes headye exclamacyons,
murther Hieremye for the
lordes veryte preachynge, but mercyfullye
delyvered hym out of their malycyouse
handes, Hieremye 26. Pylate in
lyke case, concernynge the newe lawe,
Cii
pleated
C2v
pleated with the Jewes spirytualte, to
have saved Christ frōom the deathe, Math.
27. Joan.18. So ded the captayne
Claudius
Lisias delyver Paule from their
mortall malyce, after that the hygh prest
Ananias had commaunded hym to be
smytten, and hys retynewe cōonspyred hys
deathe, Acto.23. At the prestes onlye provocacyon
was it, that the heythnysh emprours
so grevouslye vexed and
tormented
the Christen belevers in the prymatyve
churche, as testyfyeth Egesyppus,
Clemens Alexandrinus, Eusebius, annd
other olde hystoryanes.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshopp sayd, he
wolde speake with me famylyarlye.
I sayd, so ded Judas whan
he unfryndelye betrayed Christ
Then desyered the Byshopp to
speake with me alone. But that
I refused. He asked me, whye?
I sayd, that in the mouthe of
two or thre wytnesses everye
matter shuld stande, after Christesstes
C3r
19
& Paules doctryne. Math.
18. and 2. Cor. 13.
Johan Bale.
Ded she not (thynke yow) hytt the nayle
on the head, in thus tauntynge thys
Byshopp? yeas. For as great offence
doth he to Christ, that geveth one of hys
belevynge members unto deathe, as ded
he that betrayed first hys owne bodye.
“That ye have done unto those lyttle ones”
(shall he saye at the lattre daye) “whych
have beleved in me, ye
have done unto
myne owne persone,” Math.25. “Who so
toucheth them” (sayth Zacharye) “shall
touche the apple of the lordes owne eye.”
Zacha.2. But thys beleveth not that perverse
generacyon.
Anne Askewe.
Then my lorde chauncellour
begāanne to examyne me agayne
of the sacrament. Then I axed
hym, how longe he wolde halte
on both sydes? Then wolde he
nedes knowe, where I founde
that? I sayed in the scripture 3.
Reg. 18, Thēen
he wēent hys waye,
Johan Bale.
Of Helias the prophete were these
wordes spoken, to the people of Israel,
soch tyme as they halted betwyne ii. opynyōons
or
walked unryghtlye betwyne the
true lyvynge God, & the false God Baal
as we do now in Englāande
betwyne Christes
Gospell and the popes olde rotten
customes. We slenderlye consydre with
S. Paule, that Christ wyll have no felyshypp
or concorde with Belial, lyght
with darkenesse, ryghtwysnesse with unryghtwysnesse,
the temple of God with
ymages, or the true belevers with the
infydels, 2.Corinth.6. For all our nnewe
Gospell, yet wyll we styll beare the
straūungers
yoke with the unbelevers, and
so become
neyther whote nor colde, that God
maye spewe us out of hys mouthe as unsaverye
morsels. Apoc. 3. Saynge unto
us as to the folysh vyrgynes. Verelye I
knowe yow not. Mathei 25.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshopp sayd, I
shuld be brēente. I answered, that
I had serched all the scriptures
yet coulde I never fynde there
that
C4r
20
that eyther Christ or hys Apostles
put anye creature to deathe.
Well, well, sayd I, God wyl
laughe your threttenynges to
scorne, Psal. 2. Then was I cōommaunded
to stande a syde.
Johan Bale.
Amonge other sygnes, that the holye
scripture geveth us to
knowe an Antichrist
by, it sheweth that he shall be an
adversarye, 2. Thes. 2.
An unsacyable
dogge, Esa. 56. A persuynge enemy, psa.
4. An enemye in the sanctuarye, Psal 73
A ravenynge wolfe.
Mat. 7. Luce 10. Joan.
10. Acto. 20. And a most cruell murtherer,
Dani. 11. Joāan. 16.
Apoc. 13. “Unto
soche” (sayth S. Johāan) “is
it gevēen to vexe
mēen with
heate of fyre,” Apo. 16. “The wyckednesse
of prestes” (sayth Hiere.) “shedeth
innocēentes bloude.” “Yea” (saye they) “ye must
be brent, ye must dwell amonge the gentyles,”
Treno. 4. Or be committed to pryson
of the worldlye powers, & so put unto
deathe by them. We marvele not therfor
though these partes be played of
proude Byshoppes. Cōonsyderynge the holye
Ghost must be fon̄unde
true in hys forejudgemēentes,
&
that some ther muust be to
C4v
do the feates. But trulye ded thys woman
cōonclude with the prophecye of David,
Psalme 2.
That God whych dwelleth
in heaven shall have their tyrannye
in derysyon, and bringe all their
wycked counsels to naught, in the clere
openynge of hys worde, have they never
so manye paynted colours of false ryghtwysnesse.
Anne Askewe.
Then came mastre Pagett
to me with manye gloryouse
wordes, and desyred me to speake
my mynde to hym. I myght
(he sayd) denye it agayne, if nede
were. I sayd, that I wolde
not denye the truthe. He
asked me, how I coulde avoyde
the verye wordes of Christ. “Take,
eate. Thys is my bodye,
whych shall be broken for yow.”
I answered, that Christes meanynge
was there, as in these other
places of the scripture. I
am the dore, Joan. 10. I am the
vyne
C5r
21
vyne, Joan. 15. Beholde the lambe
of God, Joan. 1. The rocke stone
was Christ. 1 Cor. 10. and soch
other lyke. Ye maye not here
(sayd I) take Christ for the materyall
thynge that he is sygnyfyed
by. For than ye wyll make
hym a verye dore, a vyne, a lambe,
and a stone, cleane cōontrarye
to the holye Ghostes meanynge.
All these in dede do sygnyfye
Christ, lyke as the breade
doth hys bodye in that place.
And though he ded saye there.
Take, eate thys in remēembraunce
of me. Yet ded he not byd
them hange up that breade in
a boxe, and make it a God, or
bowe to it.
Johan Bale.
Moche a do is here made, and manye
subtyle wayes are sought out, to brynge
thys woman into their corrupted, and
false beleve, that the corruptyble
creature
made with handes, myght stande in
Cv
place
C5v
place of the eternall creator or maker
God and man for the prestes advauntage.
But all is in vayne. In no case wolde
he so accept it. Nothyng lesse mynded
Christ, than to dwell in the breade, or to
become a feadynge for the bodye, whan
he sayd. “Take, eate. Thys is my bodye.”
For a contrarye doctryne he taught
hys dyscyples the yeare afore hys last
supper, as we have in the vi. chaptre of
Johan Where as he declareth hys flesh
to be a spirytuall meate, hys bloude a spirytuall
drynke, annd both
thēem to be receyved
in faythe, the breade and the wyne
remaynynge as sygnes of hys everlastynge
covenaunt. Reason is it, that he rather
be judged the receyver whych lyveth
in that refeccyon, than he whych lyveth
nnot
therby. Whych is the sowle and
not the bodye, What neaded Christ to
have geven to those
bodyes a newe bodylye
feadynge, whych were suffycyentlye
fed afore with the passe over lambe? If
he had not ment therin some other maner
of thynge?
But he suffycyēentlye ynough declareth
hys owne meanynge, Luce 22. Where
he cōommaundeth us
to do it in hys remēembraunce,braunce,
C6r
22
and not to make hym agayne
by blowynge upon the breade. Thys sacramentall
eatynge and drynkynge in
hys remēembraunce, S. Paule more largely
declareth, 1, Cor, 11. “So oft” (sayth he)
“as ye shall eate of that breade and drynke
of that cuppe, ye shall shewe the lordes
deathe tyll he come.” If ye ernestlye
marke that lattre clause (tyll he come) ye
shall wele perceyve that hys bodylye presēence
in the breade,
is utterlye denyed there.
More over in the afore sayd xxii.
chaptre
of Luke, bycause we shuld not be to
scrupulose. Christ sheweth what that
wyne & breade of hys supper were, yea,
as he left thēem there, evēen
īin these wordes. “I
saye unto yow” (sayth he) “that hens forth
I shall not drynke of thys frute of the
vyne (or eate of thys frute of wheate)
tyll the kyngedome of God be come, or
tyll I drynke it newe with yow in my fathers
kyngedome,” Math 26. Marci 14.
Here calleth it he the juse of the grape
or frute of the vyne, and not the bloude
yssuynge from hys bodye. “Yet is that
cuppe” (as S. Paule sayth) “the partakynge
of Christes bloude, and the
breade that we breake there, the partakyngetakynge
C6v
of Christes bodye,” 1. Corint. 10.
But that is in faythe and sprete, as afore
in Johan.
Anne Askewe.
Then he compared it unto
the kynge, and sayd, that the more
hys magestees honour is set
forth, the more commendable it
is. Then sayd I, that it was an
abhomynable shame unto hym,
to make no better of the eternall
worde of God, than of hys
slenderlye conceyved fantasye.
A farre other meanynge requyreth
God therin, than mannys
ydell wytte can devyse, whose
doctryne is but lyes without
hys heavenlye veryte. Then he
asked me, if I wolde commen
with some wyser man? That offer,
I sayd, I wolde not refuse.
Then he tolde the counsell. And
so wēent I to my laydes agayne.
Johan Bale.
Not C7r 23
Not all unlyke is thys Pagett here,
unto those graye fryres whych made of
Christ but a fygure or shaddowe to their
first Patrone S. Frances, as we fynde
in the hystorye of hys ydolatrouse feast,
and also in the boke of conformytees of
Frāances to Christ, written by an Italysh
fryre called Bartholomeus Pisanus.
In Frances (they saye) is expressed the
full signifycacyon of Christ, by reason
of hys woundes. And Pagett here compareth
Christes presence in the sacrament,
to the kynges presence, I wote
not where. And as great pleasure (I
thynke) he doth the kynge therin, as
though he threwe dust in hys face or salte
in hys eyes, but that soch flatterynge
Gnatoes must do their feates, though
they be most blasphemouse. Neyther heade
nor tayle hath thys wytlesse comparyson
of hys, to make good hys enterpryse
with thys woman. And moch doubt it
is, whether he maketh here Christ a
shaddowe to the kynge, or the kynge a
shaddowe to Christ. But he shulde seme
rather to take Christ for the shaddowe.
O gracelesse papystes, whan wyll ye be
godlye wyse? Thus to your owne dampnacyonnacyon
C7v
ye worke the workes of Sathan
in deceyvablenesse, amōonge
them that perysh
for not lovynge the veryte, 2.Thes.2.
Anne Askewe.
Thēen came to me doctor Coxe,
and doctor Robynson. In conclusyon
we coulde not agree.
Then they made me a byll of
the sacrament, wyllynge me to
set my hande therunto, but I
wolde not. Then on the sondaye
I was sore sycke, thynkynge no
lesse than to dye. Therfor I desyred
to speake with Latymer
it wolde no be. Then was I sent
to Newgate in my extremyte
of syckenesse. For in all my lyfe
afore, was I never in soch payne.
Thus the lorde strengthen
yow in the truthe. Praye, praye
praye.
Johan Bale.
What an hurlye burlye is here, for thys
newe beleve? that Christ shuld
dwelle
in the breade, whych is māannys creature
; not gods, Christ is the lyvynge breadede
C8r
24
whych came frōom heavēen,
Joan.6. But
that is not suffycyēent (saye the prestes) unlesse
ye beleve also, that he is that dead
breade whych came frōom the waffer
bakers
And therūunto must ye set your
owne hāande
writynge, else wyll it not be allowed in
the spirytuall courte. For he that speaketh
great thynges and blasphemyes
(whych is Antichrist) makynge warre
with the sayntes, wyll have it so, Apo.13
In the Apostles tyme, & manye yeares
after, it was ynough for a christēen
māannys
ryghtwysnesse, to beleve with the hart,
that Jesus is the lorde, & that God raysed
hym up frōom the dead. Roma. 10. But
now we must beleve that he cōommeth downe
agayn at the wyll of the prestes, to be
inpaned or inbreaded for their bellyes
commonwelthe, lyke as he afore came
downe, at the wyll of hys heavenlye father,
to be incarnated or infleshed for
our unyversall sowles helth.
And unto
thys we must set our hande writynge,
that we maye be knowne for Antichristes
cattell. Els shall we to stynkynge Newgate
by their spirytuall appoyntment,
be we never so sycke, and within a
whyle after, to the fyre in Symthfelde.felde
C8v
For Christes membre must tast
with hym both esell and gall.
Anne Askewe.
The confessyon of me Anne Askewe,for the tyme I was in
Newgate, cōoncernynge
my beleve.
I fynde in the Scriptures
(sayth she) that Christ toke the
breade, and gave it to hys dyscyples,
saynge. “Eate, Thys is
my bodye, whych shall be broken
for yow,” meanynge in substaunce
hys owne verye bodye,
the breade beynge therof an
onlye sygne or sacrament. For
after lyke maner of speakynge,
he sayd, he wolde breake downe
the temple, & in iii. dayes buylde
it up agayne, sygnyfyenge
hys owne bodye by the temple,
as S. Johan declareth
it. Joāan.
2. And not the stonye temple it
selfe. So that the breade is but
a remem-
D1r
25
a remembraunce of hys death,
or a sacramēent of thankes
gevynge
for it, wherhby we are knytt
unto hym by a communyon of
Christen love. Although there
be manye that can not perceyve
the true meanynge therof, for
the vayle that Moses put over
hys face before the chyldren of
Israel, that they shuld not se
the clerenesse therof, Exo.34. &
2.Cor.3. I perceyve the same
vayle remayneth to thys daye.
But whan God shall take it awaye,
than shall these blynde
men se.
Johan Bale.
Ye wyll saye paravennture,
that the
symylytudes here of breade and of
the tēemple,
are not lyke. For he blessyd the breade
with thankes gevynge. So wyll ye
saye, an other tyme for your pleasure and
advauntage, that he blessyd the
temple
also, and called it both the howse of hys
father and also the howse of prayer. I
D
praye
D1v
praye ye, be as good here to your market
place, as ye are to your sale wares therin,
for your onlye bellyes sake. For the one
wyll not do wele to your commodyte in
ydelnesse, without the other. But take
good hede of it, if ye lyst. For Christ hath
alredye called one of them an howse of
merchaundyse and a denne of theves, by
reason of your unlawfull occupyenge
therin, Joan. 2. and Luce. 19. He hath
also promysed to overthrowe it, Math.
24. and not to leave one stone therof standynge
upon an other, Marci 13. Bycause
ye have not regarded the tyme of your
vysytacyon, or not accepted hys eternall
worde of helthe. A warnynge myght the
turnynge over of your monasteryes have
bene unto yow, if ye were not, as ye are
altogyther blynde.
I cannot thynke the contrarye, but
he calleth the other also, as ye handle it
now a dayes in the popes olde toyes of
conveyaunce, the abhomynacyon of
desolacyon,
or soch an abhomynable ydoll
as subvertynge Christes true relygyon,
wyll be your fynall destruccyon both here
and in the worlde to come. For ydolles
are called abhomynacyon, all the
scriptures
D2r
26
Scriptures over. “Yet shall it endure”
(sayth Daniel) “sumwhere, unto the
ende of all,” Daniel 9. Wherby ye maye
wele perceyve, that it comprehendeth
not onlye the tryumphaunnt stremers
of Tyberius, or golden ymages of Caligula,
whych both prevented the subversyon
of Hierusalem, but some other
ydoll els whych shuld contynewe. And
it foloweth in the Gospell texte, that
he shuld fytt in the holye place for
the tyme of hys contynuaunce, Mathei
24. And not in the paganes temples.
Tell me if your Masses be done
anye where els, than in your hallowed
sanctuaryes, upon your sanctyfyed
aulters, and in your holye ornamentes
and consecrate cuppes? Neyther
maye anye do thēem, unlesse they
be anoynted
therunto of your Byshoppes and
sorcerers.
“Not without the holye place” (sayth
Christ) “is that abomynacyon, but in it,”
Math.24. “Antichrist” (sayth S. Paule)
“shall sytt, not without, but within the
verye temple of God.” 2. Thessalon.2.
The papacye is not without, but
within
D2v
within the verye churche of Christ, what
though it be no part therof, Apoca.11.
Thefor it shall be mete that we be ware,
and separate our selves from them
at the admonyshmentes of hys holye
doctryne, least we be partakers with
yow in their promysed dampnacyōon,
Apoca.18.
By the vayle over Moses face,
she meaneth the blynde confydence that
manye men yet have in olde Jewysh ceremonyes
and beggerlye tradycyons of
men, as S. Paule doth call them, Gala.
4. Wherby the veryte of God is sore blemyshed.
The spirytuall knowlege, whych
cometh by the clere doctryne of the Gospell,
mynystreth no soch impedymentes
of darkenesse. But all thynges are clerelye
seane to them whych are endued therwith.
They can be deceyved by non of
Sathans subtyle convayers, but perceyveth
all thynges, whych have obtayned
the pure eyes of faythe.
Anne Askewe.
For it is playnelye expressed
in the hystorye of Bel in the
Bible, that God dwelleth in no
thynge
D3r
27
thynge materyall. “O kynge”
(sayth Daniel) “be not deceyved”
Daniel 14. For God wyll be in
nothynge that is made with hāandes
of men. Acto.7. Oh what
styffnecked people are these, that
wyll alwayes resyst the holye
Ghost. But as their fathers have
done, so do they, bycause they
have stonye hartes. Written by
me Anne Askewe, that neyther
wyshe deathe, nor yet feare hys
myght, and as merye as one
that is bowne towardes heavēen.
Truthe is layed in pryson. Luce
21, The lawe is turned to wormewood,
Amos 6. And there cāan
no ryght judgement go forth,
Esaie 59.
Johan Bale.
Marke here how gracyouslye the lorde
kepeth promyse with thys poor servaunt
of hys. “He that beleveth on me”
(sayth Christ) “out of hys bellye shall
flowe ryvers of lyvynge
water,” Joan. 7.
Diij
Neyther
D3v
Neyther lasheth thys woman out in her
extreme troubles, language of dispayre
nor yet blasphemouse wordes agaynst
God with the unbelevynge,
but uttereth
the scriptures in wonderfull habundaunce
to hys lawde and prayse. She rebuketh
here the most pestylent vyce of ydolatrye.
Not by olde narracyons and fables,
but by the most pure worde of God,
as ded Daniel & Steven. And in the ende
she sheweth the stronge stomacke of
a most Christen martyr, in that she is
neyther desyerouse of the deathe, neyther
yet standeth in feare of the vyolēence
or extremyte therof. What a constancye
was thys of a womāan, frayle,
tēendre, yonge
and most delycyouslye brought up? But
that Christes sprete was myghtye in her
who bad her be of good chere. For though
the tyrauntes of thys worlde have
power
to slee the bodye, yet have they
no power over the sowle, Mathei 20.
Neyther have they power in the ende to
demynysh one heare of the heade, Luce
21.
She faynteth not in the myddes of
the battayle, 1.Cor.9. But persevereth
stronge and stedefast to the verye ende,
Math.
D4r
28
Math. 10. Not doubtynge but to have
for her faythfull perseveraūunce,
the crowne
of eternall lyfe, Apoc.2. “So merye am
I” (sayth she good creature, in the myddes
of Newgate) “as one that is bowne
towardes heaven.” A voyce was thys of
a most worthye and valeaunt witnesse,
in the paynefull kyngedome of pacyence,
Apoca. 1. She faythfullye reckened of
her lorde God, that he is not as men are,
fyckle, Numeri 23. But most sure of
worde and promyse, Psalme 144. And
that he wolde most faythfullye kepe covenaunt
with her, whan tyme shuld come,
Apoca.2. She had it most groundedlye
planted in her hart, that though heaven
and earthe ded passe, yet could not
hys wordes and promes passe by unfulfylled.
Luc.21. Ashamed maye those carnall
Helchesytes be, whych have not
onlye
denyed the veryte of their lorde God,
but also most shamefullye blasphemed
; dishonoured both it and themselves
for the pleasure of a yeare or ii. to dwell
styll in thys fleshe. They cōonsydre not, that
he, with whome they mocke, hath power
to sende them to helle, for their
blasphemye, Luce 12. They shall not
Diiij
fynde
D4v
fynde it a matter lyght, for their inconstancye
to be vometed out of the mouthe
of God, as unsaverye morsels, Apoca.3.
Neyther shall they prove it a
Christmas
game, to be denyed of Christ before hys
heavenlye father and hys angels, for denyenge
here hys veryte, Math. 10.
Anne Askewe.
Oh forgeve us all our synnes
; receyve us
gracyouslye. As
for the workes of our handes,
we wyll nomore call upon thēem,
For it is thu lorde that arte our
God. Thu shewest ever mercye
unto the fatherlesse. “Oh, if they
wolde do thys” (sayth the lorde)
“I shuld heale theyr sores, yea
with all my harte wolde I love
them.” O Ephraim, what have
I to do with ydolles anye more
Who so is wyse, shall understāande
thys. And he that is ryghlye
enstructed, wyll regarde it. For
the wayes of the lorde are ryghteouse.
Soch as are godlye wyll
walke
D5r
29
walke in them. And as for the
wycked, they wyll stomble at
them, Osee 14.
Johan Bale.
All these wordes alleged she, out of
the last chaptre of Oseas the prophete,
where as he prophecyed the destruccyon
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 above all, and to repent frōom
the hart, that she hath at anye tyme
worshypped the workes of mennys handes,
eyther stone, wode, breade, wyne, or
anye soch lyke, for the eternall lyvynge
God. Consequentlye she confessyth hym
to be her onlye God, and that she had at
that tyme trust in non other els, neyther
for the remyssyon of her synnes, nor yet
sowles cōomfort at her nede. And lyke soch
a wone as is unfaynedlye cōonverted
unto
the lorde, she axeth of the spirytuall Ephraimytes
in hys worde, what she hath
anye more to do with ydolles? or whye
they shuld so tyrannouslye enforce her
to the worshypynge of them? consyderynge
that he so ernestlye abhorreth them.
Dv
Fynallye
D5v
Fynallye ii. sortes of people she
reckeneth
to be in the worlde, and sheweth the
dyverse maner of them. The one in the
sprete of Christ obeyeth the worde, the
other in the sprete of errour cōontempneth
it. And lyke as S Paule doth saye. To
the one part is it, the savour of
lyfe unto
lyfe and to the other, the savour of deathe
unto deathe. 2.Corinth. 2.
Anne Askewe.
“Salomon”
(sayth S. Steven)
“buylded ann howse for the God
of Jacob. Howbeyt the hyest
of all dwelleth not in tēemples
made
with hāandes.”
As sayth the prophete,
Esa. 66. “Heavēen is my seate
; the earthe is my fote stole”.
“What howse wyll ye buylde for
me?” sayth the lorde, “or what place
is it that I shall rest in? hath
not my hande made all these
thynges?” Acto.7. “Woman beleve
me” (sayth Christ to the Samarytane)
“the tyme is at hande
that ye shall neyther in thys moununtayneuntayne
D6r
30
nor yet at Hierusalem
worshypp the father.” Ye worshypp
ye wote not what, but we
knowe what we worshypp. For
salvacyon commeth of the Jewes.
But the houre cōommeth, and
now is, wherin the true worshyppers
shall worshypp the father
in sprete & veryte, Joan.4.
“Laboure not”)(
sayth Christ) “for
the meate that perysheth, but
for that endureth into the lyfe
everlastynge, whych
the sōonne of
māan shall geve yow.” For hym god
the father hath sealed, Joan.6.
Johan Bale.
Here bringe she iii. stronge testymonyes
of the newe testament, to confirme
her owne Christen beleve therwith,
and also both to confute and condempne
the most execrabyle heresye and false
fylthye beleve of the papystes. The
first of them proveth, that the eternall
God of heavēen, wyll
neyther be wrapped
up in a clowte, nor yet shutte up in a
boxe. The seconde declareth, that in no
place
D6v
place of the earthe, is he to be sought,
neyther yet to be worshypped, but within
us, in sprete and veryte. The thirde of
them concludeth, that Christ is a feadynge
for the sowle and not for the bodye.
More over he is soch a meate, as
neyther corrupteth, mouldeth, nor perysheth,
neyther yet consumeth or wasteth
awaye in the bellye. Lete not the Romysh
popes remnaunt in Englāande thynke,
but in condempnynge the faythe of
thys godlye woman, they also condempne
the veryte of the lorde, unlesse they
can discharge these iii. textes of the scripture
with other iii. more effectuall. As
I thynke, they shall not, nisi ad Calendas
Grecas. If they allege for their
part, the saynge of Christ, Math.24. Lo
here is Christ, or there is Christ. They
are confounded by that whych foloweth.
Wherin he ernestlye chargeth hys faythfull
folowers not to beleve it, callynge
the teachers of soch doctryne, false anoynted,
deceyvable prophetes, and sorcerouse
workemen. Marci. 13.
Anne Askewe.
The D7r 31 The summe of the condempnacyonof me Anne Askewe,
at yelde hawle.
They sayd to me there, that I
was an heretyke and condempned
by the lawe, if I wolde stāande
in my opynyon. I answered
that I was no heretyke, neyther
yet deserved I anye deathe
by the lawe of God. But as
concernynge the faythe whych
I uttered and wrote to the coūunsell,
I wolde not (I sayd) denye
it, bycause I knew it true. Thēen
wolde they nedes knowe, if I
wolde denye the sacrament to
be Christes bodye and bloude:
I sayd, yea. For the same sonne
of God, that was borne of the
vyrgyne Marie, is now gloriouse
in heaven, and wyll come agayne
from thens at the lattre
daye lyke as he went up, Acto.
1. And as for that ye call your
God
D7v
God, is but a pece of breade.
For a more profe therof (marke
it whan ye lyst) lete it lye in the
boxe but iii. monthes, and it
wyll be moulde, and so turne to
nothynge that is good. Wherupon
I am persuaded, that it
can not be God.
Johan Bale.
Christ Jesus the eternall sonne
of
God, was condempned of thys generacyon
for a sedicyouse heretyke, a breaker
of their sabbath, a subverter of their
people, a defyler of their lawes, and a
destroyer of their temple or holye churche,
Joan.7. Luce 23. Mathei 26. Marci
14. and suffered deathe for it at ther
procurement, by the lawe than used.
Is it than anye marvele, if hys inferiour
subject here, and faythfull membre
do
the same, at the cruell callynge on and
vyolent vengeaunce of their posteryte?
No, no, the servaunt must folowe her
mastre, & the fote her heade, and maye
be founde in that poynte no frear thāan he,
Joan. 13. Saynt Augustyne dyffynynge
a sacra-
D8r
32
a sacrament, calleth it in one place, a sygne
of an holye thynge. In an other place
a vysyble shappe of an invysyble grace.
Whose offyce is to instructe, anymate,
and strengthen our faythe towardes
God, and not to take it to it self, and so
depryve hym therof. Christes bodye and
bloude are neyther sygnes nor shaddowes,
but the verye effectuall thynges in
dede, sygnyfyed by those fygures of breade
and wyne. But how that drye and corruptyble
cake of theirs shuld become a
God, manye men wondre now a dayes
in the lyght of the Gospell, lyke as they
have done afore tyme also. And specyallye
whye the wyne shuld not be accepted
and set up for a God also so wele
as the breade, consyderynge that Christ
made so moche of the one as of the other.
Anne Askewe.
After that they wylled me to
have a prest. And than I smyled.
Then they asked me, if it
were not good? I sayd, I wolde
confesse my fawtes to God.
for I
D8v
for I was sure that he wolde
heare me with faver. And so we
were condempned without a
quest.
Johan Bale.
Prestes of godlye knowlege she ded
not refuse. For she knewe that they
are the massengers of the lorde, & that
hys holye wordes are to be sought at ther
mouthes, Mala.2. Of them she instauntlye
desyred to be instructed, and it was
denyed her, as is written afore. What
shuld she than els do, but returne unto
her lorde God? in whome she knewe to
be habundaunce of mercye for all them
whych do from the hart repent, Deutro.
30. As for the other sort of prestes, she
ded not amys to laugh both them and
their maynteners to scorne. For so doth
God also, Psalme 2. And curseth both
their absolucyons & blessynges, Mala.
2. A thefe or a murtherer shuld not have
bene condempned without a quest, by
the lawes of Englande. But the faythfull
members of Jesus Christ, for
the
spyght and hate that thys worlde hath
to hys veryte, must have an other kynde
of
E1r
33
of tyrannye added therunto, besydes the
unryghtouse bestowynge of that lawe.
“Wo be unto yow” (sayth the eternall God
of heaven by hys prophete) “or dampnacyon
be over your heades, that make wycked
lawes, and devyse cruell thynges
for
the poore oppressed innocentes.” Esaie 10.
“Wo unto hym that buyldeth Babylon
with bloude, annd maynteyneth that
wycked cytie styll in unryghtwysnesse,”
Abacuch 2. Nahum.3. Ezech.24.
Anne Askewe.
My beleve whych I wrote
to the counsell was thys. That
the sacramentall breade was
left us to be receyved with thāankes
gevynge, in remembraūunce
of Christes deathe, the onlye remedye
of our sowles recover.
And that therby we also receyue
the whole hbenefyghtes and
frutes of hys most gloryouse
passion.
Johan Bale.
We reade not in the Gospell, that the
materyall breade at Christes holye supper,E
per
E1v
was anye otherwyse taken of the Apostles,
thāan thus. Neyther yet that Christ
our mastre & saver requyred anye other
takynge of them. If so manye straunge
doubtes had bene therin, and so hygh
dyffycultees, as be moved and are in
controversye amonge men now a dayes
both papystes and other, they coulde no
more have bene left undyscussed of hym,
than other hygh matters were. The dyscyples
axed here neyther how nor what
as doubtlesse they wolde have done, if
he had mynded them to have taken the
breade for hym. They thought it ynough
to take it in hys remembraunce, lyke
as he than playnelye taught them, Luce
22. The eatynge of hys fleshe and drynkynge
of hys bloude therin, to the relevynge
of their sowles thirst and hunger,
they knewe to perteyne unto faythe
accordynge to hys instruccyons in the
vi. of Johan.
What have thys godlye
woman than offended, whych neyther
have denyed hys incarnacyon nor deathe
in thys her confessyon of faythe, but
most firmelye and groundedlye trusted
to receyve the frutes of them both.
Anne Askewe.
Then wolde they nedes knowe,
whether the breade in the
boxe were God or no? I sayd.
“God is a sprete, and wyll be worshypped
in sprete and truthe,”
Joan.4. Then they demaūunded.
“Wyll yovu planelye denye Christ
to be in the sacrament?” I answered
that I beleved faythfullye
the eternall sōonne of God not
to dwell there. In witnes wherof
I recyted agayne the hystorye
of Bel, & the ix. chaptre of
Daniel, the vii. and xvii. of the
Actes, and the xxiiii. of Mathew,
concludynge thus. I
neyther wyshe deathe, nor yet
feare hys myght, God have the
prayse therof with thankes.
Johan Bale.
Amonge the olde ydolaters, some toke
the sūunne, some the mone,
some the fyre,
some the water, with soch other lyke
for their Goddes, as witnesseth Diodorus
Siculus, Herodotus, Plynius, Lactantius
& dyverse autours more. Now
come our dottynge papystes here, wadynge
yet more deper in ydolatrye, and they
must have breade for their God, yea, a
waffer cake whych is scarse worthye to
be called breade. In what sorowfull case
are Christēen people now a dayes? that
they maye worshypp their lorde and redemer
Jhesus Christ in no shappe that
hys heavenlye father hath set hym forth
in, but in soch a shappe onlye as the waffer
baker hath ymagyned by hys slendre
wytte. Gods creatures were they whom
the ydolaters toke for their Goddes, but
thys cake is onlye the bakers creature,
for he alone made it breade, if it be breade.
And so moch is it a more unworthye
God than the other. Farre was it from
Christ to teache hys dyscyples to worshypp
soch a God, eyther yet to have hymself
honoured in soch a symylytude. Nothynge
is here spoken agaynst the most
holye table of the lorde, but agaynst that
abhomynable ydoll of the prestes, whych
hath most detestablye blemyshed that
most godlye and wholsom communyon.
A gloryouse witnesse of the lorde ded
thys blessyd woman shewe her self, in
the answere makynge to thys blasphemouse
beggerye, whāan she sayd, that god
was a sprete and no waffer cake, & wolde
be worshipped in sprete and veryte, &
not in superstycyon and juglynge of the
ydoll prestes. Godlye was she to denye
Christes presence in that execrable ydoll
but moch more godlye to geve her lyfe for
it. Her alleged scriptures prove, that
God dwelleth not in tēemples, but a fowle
abhomynacyon in hys stede, as is shewed
afore. In that she feareth not the
power of deathe, she declareth her self
a most constaunt martyr praysynge her
lorde God for hys gyft. She called to
remembraunce the promyses of her lorde
Jhesus Christ, that they shuld se no
deathe whych observed hys worde, Joan.8.
Agayne they that beleved on hym,
shuld joyfullye passe through from deathe
unto lyfe, Joan.5. And upon these
promyses, she most strōongelye trusted. She
consydered also with Peter, that Christ
had swallowed up deathe, to make us
the heyres of everlastynge lyfe, 1.Petri
3. More over that he had overthrowne
Eiij
hym
E3v
hym whych sumtyme had the rule of deathe,
Hebre.2. And also taken awaye the
sharpe stynge of the deathe it self,
Osee 13.
Anne Askewe.
My lettre sent to the lordeChauncellour.
The lorde God, by whome all
creatures have their beynge,
blesse yow with the lyght of hys
knowlege, amen. My dutye to.
your lordshyppe remēembred &c.
It myght please yow to accepte
thys my bolde sute, as the sute
of one, whych upōon
due cōonsyderacyons
is moved to the same and
hopeth to obtayne. My request
to your lordeshypp is only, that
it may please the same to be a meane
for me to the kynges magestie,
that hys grace maye be certifyed
of these fewe lynes whych
I have writtēen cōoncernynge my
beleve. Whych whan it shall be
trulye cōonferred with the harde
iudge-
E4r
36
judgemēent
gevēen me for the same.
I thynke hys grace shall wele
perceyve me to be wayed in an
uneven payer of
balaūunces. But
I remytt my matter and cause
to almyghtye god, whych ryghtlye
judgeth all secretes. And
thus I commende your lordeshypp
to the governaunce of
hym, and felyshypp of all sayntes.
Amen. By your handemayde
Anne Askewe.
Johan Bale.
In thys byll to the chauncellour, apereth
it playne all frowarde affeccyōons sequestred,
what thys womāan was. She
is
not here dejected with the desperate, for
unryghtouse handelynge, mournynge,
cursynge, and sorowynge, as they do commōonlye.
But stāandynge up
strōongelye in the
lorde, most gentyllye she obeyeth the powers,
she blesseth her vexers & persuers
; wysheth them the lyght of Gods necessarye
knowlege, Luce 6. She consydereth
the powers to be ordayned of
God, Romanorum 13. And though
their autoryte be sore abused, yet
E4v
with Christ and hys Apostles, she humblye
submytteth herself to them, thynkynge
to suffer undre them as no yll doer
but as Christes true servaunt, 1.Pet.4.
Notwithstandynge she layeth forth here
both before chaūuncellour &
kynge, the
matter wherupon she is condempned to
deathe, that they accordynge to their
bounde dewtye, myght more ryghtlye
waye it, 3.Regum 10. Not that she coveted
therby to avoyde the deathe, but to
put them in remembyraunce of their
offyce concernynge the swerde, whych
they ought not vaynelye to mynystre,
Roma, 13. and that they shuld also
be without excuse of ignoraunce in the
great daye of reckenynge, for permittynge
soch vyolēence to be done, Roma.2. In
the ende yet to make all sure, she commytteth
her cause and quarell to God,
wherin she declareth her onlye hope to
be in hym, and no man, Psalm. 145.
Anne Askewe.
My faythe brevelye written tothe kynges grace.
I Anne Askewe of good memorie
although God hath gevēen
me
E5r
37
me the breade of adversyte and
the water of trouble, yet not so
moch as my synnes have deserved,
desyre thys to be knowne to
your grace. That for as moch as
I am by the lawe cōondēempned for
an evyll doer, Here I take heaven
and earthe to recorde, that
I shall dye in my innocencye.
And accordynge to that I have
sayd first, and wyll saye last,
I utterlye abhorre and detest
all heresyes. And as cōoncernynge
the supper of the lorde, I beleve
so moch as Christ hath sayd
therin, whych he confirmed
wyth hys most blessyd bloude.
I beleve also so moch as he wylled
me to folowe & beleve, and
so moch as the catholyck churche
of hym doth teache. For I wyll
not forsake the commaundemēent
of hys holye lyppes. But loke
what God hath charged me
Ev
with
E5v
with hys mouthe, that have I
shutte up īin my harte. And thus
brevelye I ende, for lacke of lernynge.
Anne Askewe.
Johan Bale.
In thys she dyschargeth her self to
the worlde agaynst all wrongefull accusacyons
& judgemēentes of
heresye, what
though it be not accepted to that blynde
worlde, unto whome the lorde sayd by
hys prophete. “Your thoughtes are not my
thoughtes, neyther yet are your wayes
my wayes. But so farre as the heavens
are hyer than the earthe, so farre do my
wayes excede yours, & my thoughtes
yours,” Esa.55. Heresye is not to dyssent
frōom the churche of Rome in the doctryne
of faythe, as Lāanfrāan
cus in hys boke de Eucharistia
adversus
Berengariūum, & Thomas
waldēen in hys worke of
sermōons, Ser.
21. Dyffyneth it. But heresye is a voluntarye
dyssēentynge frōom the veryte of the
scriptures
of God, and also a blasphemouse
depravynnge of
them, for the wretched bellyes
sake, & to maynteyne the pompes of
thys worlde. Thus is it dyffyned of S.
Hierome in cōommentariis
Hiere. S. Augustynegustyne
E6r
38
and Isidorus agreynge to the
same, Cōonsydre
thāan whether he be the thefe
that sytteth upōon the
bēenche, or he that
standeth at the barre? The popysh clergye
that condempneth, or the innocent
that is condempned? Athanasius in hys
boke de fuga adversus Arrianos, calleth
them the heretykes, whych seketh
to have the Christen belevers murthered
as ded the seyd Arryanes. Thys godlye
womann, hyr innocencye to clere, laboureth
not here to an inferyour membre of
the realme, but to the head therof, the
kynges owne persone. Whome she beleveth
to be the hygh mynyster of God, the
father of the lande, and upholder of
the
people, Sapi.6. that he myght faythfullye
and ryghtlye judge her cause. But
who can thynke that ever it came before
hym? Not I, for my part.
Anne Askewe.
The effect of my examynacyonand handelynge, sens my
depature from Newgate.
On tewesday I was sēent
frōom new
gate
E6v
gate to the sygne of the crowne
where as mastre Ryche and the
Byshopp of London with all
their power and flatterynge
wordes wēent aboute to persuade
me frōom God. But I ded not exteme
their glosynge pretenses.
Then came there to me Nicolas
Shaxton, and counselled
me to recāant as he had done. Thēen
I sayd to hym, that it had bene
good for hym, never to have bene
borne with manye other lyke
wordes.
Johan Bale.
After that Christ had ones overcommen
Sathan in the desart, where he had
fasted longe tyme, Math.4. We reade
not in the scriptures that he was moch
assaulted or vexed of the worlde, the
fleshe, and the fyende, whych are reckened
the common enemyes of man. But
yet we fynde in the Gospell, that these
iii. ghostlye enemyes, the prelates, the
prestes, and the lawers, or the Byshoppes,pes,
E7r
39
pharysees, and scrybes, never left
hym afterwarde, tyll they had throughlye
procured hys deathe. Marke it (I desyre
yow) if it be here anye otherwyse
wyth hys dere membre. What other enemyes
tempteth here Anne Askewe, thāan
the Byshopp of London, mastre Ryche,
and doctor Shaxton, besydes the great
Cayphas of Wynchestre with hys spyghtfull
(I shuld saye) spirytuall rable, or
who els procureth her deathe? Ye wyll
thynke paraventure, concernynge mastre
Ryche, that though he be an enemye, yet
is he no spirytuall enemye, bycause he is
not anoynted with the popes grese. But
than are ye moch deceyved. For it is the
sprete (of blasphemye, avaryce, and malyce)
and not the oyle, that maketh them
spirytuall. And where as they are anoynted
in the hande with oyle, he is in the
hart anoynted with the sprete of Mammon,
betraynge with Judas at the Byshoppes
malycyouse callynge on, the poor
innocent sowles for moneye, or at the
least for ambycyouse faver.
O Shaxton, I speake now unto the
; (I thynke) in the voyce of God. What
devyll bywytched the to playe thys most
blasphe-
E7v
blasphemouse part? as to become of a
faythfull teacher, a temptynge sprete?
Was it not ynough, that thu and soch
as thu art, had forsaken your lorde God
and troden hys veryte most unreverentlye
undre your fete, but with soch feates
(as thys is) thu must yet procure the a
more deper, or double dāampnacyōon? Ryghtlye
sayd thys true servaūunt of God, that
it had bene better for the and thy fellawes,
that ye never had bene borne. Ye
were called of God, to a most blessyd
offyce. If ye had bene worthye that vocacyon
(as ye are but swyne, Mathei
7.) ye had persevered faythfull and
constaunt to the ende, Mathei 10. and
so have worthelye receyved the crowne
therof, Apoca.2. But the love of your
beastlye fleshe, hath verye farre in yow
overwayed the love of the lorde Jesus
Christ. Ye now shewe what ye are in dede,
even waverynge reedes with everye
blast moved, Luce 7. Yea verye faynt
harted cowardes and hypocrytes, Apo.
3. Ye abyde not in the shepe folde as
true shepeherdes, but ye flee lyke hyrelynges,
Joan 10. Had ye bene buylded
upon the harde rocke, as ye were on the
fyckle
E8r
40
fyckle sande, Math. 7. neyther Romysh
floodes nor Englysh wyndes had over
throwne yow. But now loke onlye, after
your deseruynge, for thys terryble judgement
of God. “For them” (sayth S. Paule)
“whych voluntarylye blaspheme the truthe,
after they have receyved the Gospell
in faythe and in the holye Ghost, remayneth
no expyacyon of synne, but the
fearfull judgement of hell fyre. For a
mocke have they made of the sonne of
God,” Hebreo.6. and 10.
Anne Askewe.
Thēen mastre Riche sent me
to
the tower, where I remayned
tyll thre of the clocke. Then came
Riche and one of the coūunsell,
chargynge me upon my obedyēence,
to shewe unto them, if I knewe
man or woman of my secte.
My answere was, that I knewe
none, Then they asked me
of my ladye of Sothfolke,
my ladye of Sussex, my ladye
of Hertforde, my ladye
Dennye
E8v
Dennye, and my ladye Fizwyllyams.
I sayd, if I shuld pronounce
anye thynge agaynst thēem,
that I were not hable to prove
it.
Johan Bale.
Never was there soche turmoylynge
on the earthe, as is now a dayes for that
wretched blynde kyngedome of the Romysh
pope. But trust upon it trulye, ye
terryble termagauntes of hell, There is
no practyse, there is no wysdome, there
is no counsell, that can agaynst the lorde
prevayle, Proverb. 21. Ye loke to be
obeyed in all devylyshnesse. But ye
consydre
not, that where God is dyshonoured
by your obedyence, there belongeth
non to yow, Acto.5. Ye have moch a do
here with sectes, as though it were a
great heresye, ryghtlye to beleve in our
lorde Jesus Christ, after the Gospell &
not after your Romysh father. But where
was ever yet a more pestylent and devylysh
secte, than is that Sodomytysh
secte, whom ye here so ernestlye maynteyne
with tyrannye and myschefe? How
gredelye
F1r
3241
gredylye seke yow the slaughter of
Gods true servauntes, ye bloudthurstye
wolves? as the holye Ghost doth call
yow. Psal.25. If the vertuouse ladyes &
most noble women, whose lyves ye cruellye
seke in your madde ragynge furye,
as ravyshynge lyons in the darke, Psal.
9. have throwne of their shulders for
Christes easye and gentyll burdene, Mathei
11, the popes uneasye and importable
yoke, Luce 11. Happye are they that
ever they were borne. For therby have
they procured, a great quyetnesse and
helthe to their sowles. For Christes worde
is quycke, and bryngeth nothynge els
to the sowle but lyfe, Hebreo.4. The popes
olde tradycyons and customes, beynge
but the wysdome of the fleshe, are verye
poyson and deathe, Roma.8.
Anne Askewe.
Then sayd they unto me, that
the kynge was infourmed, that
I coulde name, if I wolde a
great nombre of my secte. Then
I answered, that the kynge
was as wele deceyved in that
E
behalfe,
F1v
behalfe, as dyssembled with in
other matters.
Johan Bale.
Great Assuerus, kynge of the Perseanes
& Medes, was infourmed also, that
the servaūunt of
God Mardocheus was a
traytour, whych neverthelesse had
dyscovered
ii. traytours
a lyttle afore, and so
saved the kynges lyfe, Hester 3. But Haman
that false counseller, whych so infourmed
the kynge, was in the ende proved
a traytour in dede (as I doubt it
not
but some of these wyll be founde after
thys) and was worthelye hanged for it,
so fallynge into the snare that hys selfe
had prepared for other, Psal.7. Albertus
Phyghius, Cochleus, Eckius,
& soch
other pestylent papystes, have fylled all
Christendome with raylynge bokes of
our kynge, for renouncynge the Romysh
popes obedyēence, but therof ye infourme
not hys grace. No, neyther excuse ye, nor
yet defēende ye hys godlye acte in
that behalfe.
But ye are (as apereth) verye well
cōontēented, that
he by yll spoken of for it.
It is not a yeare a go, sens our wynchestre
was at Utrecht in
hollāande (where as
the seyd Pyghius dwelt, & was for hys
papystrye
F2r
42
papystrye in great autoryte) I knowe certaynlye,
the māan there was moch more easye
to please in that cause, thāan in an other
slevelesse matter of hys
owne cōoncernynge
Martyne Bucer. Hys
gallan̄untes
also warran̄unted
there (I knowe to whome)
that the Romysh pope, by the Emprours
good helpe, shuld withīin fewe yeares
have in Englāande, as great autoryte
as ever he had afore. I doubt not
but sn̄ūumwhat
they knewe of their masters good
cōonveyan̄unce,
but of thys is not the kynge infourmed.
I coulde write here of manye
other mysteryes, cōoncernynge the
observaunt
fryres & other ran̄ungynge Rome
ronners,
what newes they receyve wekelye
out of Englāande frōom
the papystes there, &
in what hope they are put, of their returne
thydre agayne. For I have seane ther
braggynge letters therof, sent frōom Emeryck
to Frislāande, & frōom the
cūuntraye of Coleyne
into Westphalye. Of thys and soch
other cōonveyan̄unces,
the kynge is not yet infourmed,
but (I trust) he shall be.
Anne Askewe.
Thēen cōommaunded they me to shewe,
how I was maynteyned in
the Counter, and who wylled
Fij
me
F2v
me to stycke by my opynyon. I
sayd that there was no creature,
that therin ded strengthen
me. And as for the helpe that
I had in the Counter, it was by
the meanes of my mayde. For
as she went abroade in the stretes,
she made to the prentyses,
and they by her ded sende me
moneye. But who they were, I
never knewe.
Johan Bale.
Joseph was in
pryson undre Pharao
the fearce kynge of Egypte, yet was he
favourablye handeled and no man forbydden
to consort hym, Gene.39. Whan
Johan Baptist was in stronge duraunce
under Herode the tyraunt of Galile,
hys dyscyples ded frelye vysytt hym, and
were not rebuked for it, Math.11. Paule
beynge emprysoned and in cheanes at
Rome, undre the most furyouse tyran̄unte
Nero, was never blamed for sendynge
hys servaunt Onesimus abroade, nor yet
for writynge by hym to hys fryndes for
socour, Philem.1. Neyther yet was Philemonlemon
F3r
43
troubled for relevynge hym there
by the seyd Onesimus, nor yet hys olde
frynde Onesipherus, for personallye there
vysytynge hym, and supportynge hym
with hys moneye, lyke as he had done afore
also at Ephesus. Now conferre
these storyes annd soch other lyke, with
the present handelynge of Anne Askewe
and ye shall wele perceyve our Englysh
rulers and judges in their newe Christyanyte
of renouncynge the pope, to excede
all other tyrauntes in all crueltye,
spyght and vengeaunce. But loke to have
it no otherwyse, so longe as mytred
prelates are of counsell. Be ashamed
cruell beastes, be ashamed, for all Christendome
wondereth on your madnesse
above all.
Anne Askewe.
Then they sayd, that there
were dyverse gentylwomēen, that
gave me moneye. But I knewe
not their names. Thēen they sayd
that there were dyverse ladyes,
whych had sent me moneye. I
answered, that there was a māan
Fiij
in a
F3v
in a blewe coate, whych delyvered
me, x, shyllynges, and sayd
that my ladye of Hertforde sēent
it me. And an other in a vyolet
coate ded geve me viii. shyllynges,
and sayd that my ladye
Dennye sent it me. Whether it
were true or no, I can not tell.
For I am not suer who sent it
me, but as the men ded saye.
Johan Bale.
In the tyme of Christes preachynge
what though the holye clergye wer
than not pleased therwith, but judged it
(as they do styll to thys daye) most horryble
heresye, yet serten noble women,
as Marye Magdalene., Joāanna the wyfe
of Chusa Herodes hygh stewarde, Susanna,
& manye other folowed hym frōom
Galile, & mynystred unto hym of their
substanunce, cōoncernynge hys bodylye nedes
Luce 8. These with other more, after he
was by the seyd clergye done to most cruell
deathe for the veryte preachynge, both
prepared oyntmentes and spyces to anoynte
hys bodye, Luce 24. and also proclamedclamed
F4r
44
abroade hys gloryouse resurreccyon
to hys Apostles and other, Joāan. 20
contrarye to the Byshoppes inhybycyon,
Acto.4. Yet reade we not that anye man
or womāan was racked for the accusement
of them. A woman amōonge
the Macedonyanes,
dwellynge in the cytie of Thyatira,
& called Lydia by name, a purple
seller verye rytche in
merchan̄undyse, receyved
Paule, Sylas, and Timothe with other
suspected bretherne in to her howse
; habundauntly releved
thēem there. Act.
16. yet was she not troubled for it. In
lyke maner at Thessalonica, a great nōombre
of the Grekes and manye noble women
amonge thēem,
beleved Paules forbydden
doctryne, and resorted boldelye
both to hym and to Sylas, Acto.17. yet
were they not cruellye handeled for it.
Be ashamed than ye tyrauntes of
Englāande,
that your horryble
tyrāannyes shuld
excede all other, Jewes or
Gentyles, turkes
or Idolaters. More noble were these
womēen here rehearced, for
thus relevynge
Christ and hys members, than for anye
other acte, eyther yet degre of nobylyte.
For whereas all other have peryshed,
these shall never perysh, but be conservedFiiij
serued
F4v
in the most noble and worthye
scriptures of God, the tyrannouse Byshoppes
and prestes with their tyrannouse
maynteners there condempned. A
through Christēen charyte
is not lightlye
terryfyed, with the tempestes of worldlye
affliccyons nomore than true faythe
is changed in men that be Christenlye cōonstaunt.
Soch can not chose but consydre,
that it is both gloryouse to be afflicted
for Christ, 1. Petri 3. and also most merytoryouse
to releve them here in their
afflyccyons, Math.25. Unto that Christen
offyce hath Christ promysed the lyfe
everlastynge at the lattre daye, where as
Masse hearynge is lyke to remayne without
rewarde, except it be in helle for ydolatrye
and blasphemye. Not unto them
that in pryson vysyteth murtherers and
theves (if ye marke wele the texte) is
thys rewarde promysed. For they are not
there allowed for Christes dere mēembers,
but unto them that releve the afflicted
for hys verytees sake.
Anne Askewe.
Then they sayd, there were
of the counsell that ded maynteyneFv
teyne
F5r
45
me. And I sayd, no. Then
they ded put me on the racke, bycause
I confessed no ladyes nor
gentyllwomen to be of my opynyon,
and theron they kepte me
a longe tyme. And bycause I
laye styll and ded not crye, my
lorde Chauncellour and mastre
Ryche, toke peynes to racke me
their owne handes, tyll I was
nygh dead.
Johan Bale.
Nicodemus, one of the hygh counsell,
was sore rebuked amonge the senyours
of the Jewes, for
defēendyng Christes
innocēencye, whāan they wēent aboute to
slee
hym, Joan.7. And therfor it is no newe
thynge that Christes doctryne hath
supportacyon
amonge the counsels of thys
worlde. All men be not of one corrupted
appetyte, nor yet of one ungracyouse dyete.
Christ promysed hys dyscyples, that
they in one howsholde shuld fynde both
hys enemyes and fryndes. “I am come”
(sayth he) “to set man at varyaunce agaynst
his father, and the doughter agaynstFv
gaynst
F5v
her mother, and the doughter in
lawe agaynst the mother in lawe. He
that loveth hys father or mother, hys
sonne or doughter, hys prynce or governour,
above me, he is not mete for me.”
Math. 10. I feare me thys wyll be judged
hygh treason. But no matter. So lōonge
as it is Christes worde, he shall be also
undre the same judgement of treason.
Lete no man care to be condēempned with
hym, for he in the ende shall be hable to
rectyfye all wronges.
Marke here an example most
wōonderfull,
and se how madlye in their ragynge
furyes, men forget themselves and lose
their ryght wittes now a dayes. A
kynges hygh counseller,
a Judge over
lyfe and deathe, yea, a lorde Chauncellour
of a most noble realme, is now become
a most vyle slave for Antichrist,
and
a most cruell tormentoure. Without all
dyscressyon, honestye, or manhode, he
casteth of hys gowne, and taketh here
upōon hym the most vyle offyce of an hāangemāan
and pulleth at
the racke most vyllanouslye.
O Wrisleye and Riche ii. false
christianes & blasphemouse apostataes
frōom God. What chaplayne of the pope
hath
F6r
46
hath inchaūunted yow,
or what devyll of helle
bewytched yow. to execute upōon a poore
cōondēempned
womāan, so prodygyouse a kynde
of tyrāannye?
Even the verye Māammon of
inyquyte, & that insacyable hunger of
avarice, whych cōompelled
Judas to betray
unto deathe hys most lovynge master,
Joāan. 12.
The wynnynges were not small
that ye reckened upon,
whāan ye toke on ye
that cruell enterpryse, & wolde have had
so many great men and women accused
But what els have ye wonne in the
ende, than perpetuall shame and confusyon?
God hath suffered yow so to
dyscover your owne myscheves, that
ye shall nomore be forgotten of the
worlde, than are now
Adonisedech,
Saul,
Hieroboam,
Manasses, Olophernes,
Haman, Tryphon, Herode, Nero,
Trajanus, and soche other horryble
tyrauntes.
And as concernynge the innocēent womāan,
whōom yow
so cruellye tormēented. Where
coulde be seane a more clere and open
experyment of Christes dere membre,
than in her myghtye sufferynges? lyke a
lambe she laye styll without noyse of
cryenge, and suffered your uttermost
vyolence
F6v
vyolence, tyll the synnowes of her armes
were broken, and the strynges of her eys
peryshed in her heade. Ryght farre doth
it passe the strength of a yonge, tendre,
weake, and sycke woman (as she was at
that tyme to your more confusyon) to abyde
so vyolent handelynge, yea, or yet of
the strongest man that lyveth. Thynke
not therfor but that Christ hath suffered
in her, and so myghtelye shewed hys
power, that in her weakenesse he hath
laughed your madde enterpryses to scorne,
Psalm.2. Where was the feare of
God, ye tyrauntes? Where was your christen
professyon, ye helle houndes? Where
was your othe and promes to do true
justyce, ye abhomynable
perjures, whan
ye went aboute these cursed feates? More
fytt are ye for swyne kepynge, than
to be of a prynces counsell, or yet to governe
a Christen commen welthe. If
Christ have sayd unto them whych do
but offende hys lytle ones that beleve in
hym, that it were better they had a mylstone
tyed aboute thyir neckes, and were
so throwne into the bottom of the see, Luce
17. What wyll he saye to them that
so vyllaynouslye pull at the racke in ther
myscheuouse
F7r
47
myschevouse malyce? These are but warnynges
take hede if ye lyst, for a full sorowfull
plage wyll folowe hereafter.
Anne Askewe.
Then the lyefetenaunt caused
me to be loused from the racke.
Incontynentlye I swounded,
and then they recovered me
agayne. After that I sate ii. longe
houres reasonynge with my
lorde Chauncellour upon the bare
floore, where as he with manye
flatterynge wordes, persuaded
me to leave my opynyon.
But my lorde God (I thanke
hys everlastynge goodnesse) gave
me grace to
persever, and
wyll do (I hope) to the verye
ende.
Johan Bale.
Evermore have
the olde modye tyrauntes,
used thys
practyse of devylyshnesse.
As they have perceyved themselves
not to prevayle by extreme handelynges
they have sought to prove masteryes by
the
F7v
the contrarye. With gaye glosynge wordes
annd fayre flatterynge promyses, they
have craftelye cn̄ūumpassed the
servauntes
of God, to cause them consent to their
wyckednesse. And in thys temptynge occupacyon,
are Wrisleye & Riche verye
connynge. Notwithstandynge they shall
never fynde the chosen of God, all one
with the forsaken reprobates. The electe
vessels holde the eternall God for their
most specyall treasure, and have hym
in soch inteire love, that they had moch
lever to lose
themselves, than hym. The
wicked desperates have the voluptuouse
pleasures of thys vayne worlde so dere,
that they had lever to forsake
God
and all hys workes, than to be sequestred
from them. Thys godlye yonge
woman referreth prayse unto her lorde
God, that he hath not left her in thys
paynefull conflycte for hys verytees sake,
but persevered stronge with her, beynge
in hope that he wolde so styll contynewe
with her, to the verye ende, as
without fayle he ded.
Manye men sore wondre now a dayes
that Wrisleye whych was in my lorde
Crom-
F8r
48
Cromwels tyme so ernest a doer agaynst
the pope, is now becomen agayne
for hys pedlarye wares so myghte
a captayne. But they remembre
not the common adage, that honour
changeth maners, and lucre judgementes.
These great ynne kepers (they
saye) had lever to have one good horse
man to hoste, than vi. men on fote,
specyallye if they weare velvet whodes
or fyne rochettes. What els foloweth
Christ but beggerye and sorowes
whych are verye hatefull to the worlde?
Where fatnesse is cawte of everye mannys
laboure, there is yet sumwhat to be
loked for, If hys christēen
zele be soch, that
he wyll have no she heretykes unponnyshed
lete hym do first of all, as we reade
of dyverse ryghtfull
governers amonge
the heythen. Lete hym serche hys
owne howse wele. Paraventure he
maye fynde aboute my ladye hys wyfe,
a rellyck of no lyttle vertu, a practyse
of Pythagoras, or an olde midwyves
blessynge, whych she carryeth closelye on
her, for preservacyon of her honoure. Her
opynyōon is (folke saye)
that so lōonge as she
hath that upōon her,
her worldlye worshyp
can
F8v
can never decaye. I praye God thys provysyon
in short space
deceyveth her not
as it hath done pope Silvester the seconde,
and as it ded of late years Thomas
wolsye our late Cardynall. Thys heresye
goeth neyther to the racke nor the
fyre, to Newgate nor yet Smythfelde,
as contynuallye doth the pore Gospell.
Anne Askewe.
Then was I brought to an
howse, and layed in a bed, with
as werye and payneful bones,
as ever had pacyēent Job, I
thāanke
my lorde God therof. Then
my lorde Chauncellour sent me
worde if I wolde leave my opynyon,
I shuld want nothynge
If I wolde not, I shuld fourth
to Newgate, and so be burned
I sent hym agayne worde, that
I wolde rather dye, thāan to breake
my faythe. Thus the lorde
open the eyes of their blynde
hartes, that the truthe maye take
place. Fare wele dere frynde,
and
G1r
49
and praye, praye, praye.
Johan Bale.
Beholde in thys last parcell, most evydēent
sygnes of a
Christēen martyr and fayth
full witnesse of God, besydes that went
afore. She allegeth not in all thys longe
processe, lyenge legendes, popysh fables,
nor yet olde wyves parables, but the
most lyvelye autorytees and examples of
the sacred Byble. She putteth her selfe
here in remembraunnce, not of desperate
Cayne, nor yet of sorowfull Judas, but
of most pacyent Job,
for example of godlye
sufferaunce. For Anguysh and payne
of her broken joyntes and broused armes
and eyes, she curseth not the tyme
that ever she was borne, as the maner of
the unfaythfull is. But she hyghlye
magnyfyeth
and prayseth God for it. Neyther
was she perverted with flatterynge
promyses, nor yet overcommen with terryble
threttenynges of deathe. Neyther
doubted she the stynke of Newgate, nor
yet the burnynge fyer in Smythfelde.
But coveted rather deathe of her bodye
for the syncere doctryne of Christ, than
lyfe of the same undre the ydolatrouse
G
doctryne
G1v
doctryne of the Romysh pope. She desyred
God to take mercye of her enemyes,
and exhorted all Christen people instauntlye
to praye for them. If these be not
the frutes of a true belever, what other
frutes els can we axe?
Anne Askewes answere unto
Johan Lassels letter.
Oh frynde most derelye beloved
in God. I marvele not a lyttle,
what shuld move yow,
to judge
in me so slēendre a faythe, as
to
feare deathe, whych is the ende
of all myserye. In the lorde I
desyre yow, not to beleve of me
soch wyckednesse. For I doubt
it not, but God wyll perfourme
hys worke in me, lyke as he
hath begonne.
Johan Bale.
I wolde but knowe of them whych
are common readers of chronycles and
Sayntes lyves,
where they ever redde
of a more fervent and lyvelye faythe
than was in thys godlye yonge woman.man
G2r
50
As lyght a matter estemed she deathe,
as ded Eleazarus that aūuncyent senyour,
or yet the vii. Machabees with
their most worthye mother, 2.Mach.6.
; 7. For she sayd, that it was but the ende
of all sorowes. She reckened not with
the covetouse man, the remembraunce
therof bytter, Eccle. 14. But with the
ryghteouse she thought it a most redye
; swyfte passage unto lyfe, Joan.5. The
feare of deathe judged she great wyckednesse
in a Christēen belever, & was in full
hope that God wolde not suffre her to be
troubled therwith. For whye, deathe loseth
us no lyfe, but bryngeth it in unto us
lyke as the harde wynter bryngeth in the
most plesan̄unt somer.
Who cāan thynke, whāan
the sunne goeth downe, that it utterlye
so perysheth? Death unto the
ryghteouse
belever,
is as a profytable harvest, whych
after sweate & labour bryngeth in most
dylectable frutes. Nōon otherwyse thought
it Anne Askewe, than a verye entraunce
of lyfe, whan she had it thus in desyre,
and faythfullye trusted with Paule,
that God wolde fynysh in her that he
than begonne to hys owne glorye. Philippen.1.
Anne Askewe.
I understande, the counsell
is not a lyttle dyspleased, that
it shulde be reported abroade,
that I was racked in the towre
They saye now, that they ded
there, was but to fear me. Wherby
I perceyve, they are ashamed
of their uncomelye doynges,
and feare moch least the
kynges mageste shulde have infourmacyone
therof. Wherfor
they wolde no man to noyse it.
Well, their crueltye God forgeve
them. Your hart in Christ
Jesu. Fare wele, and praye.
Johan Bale.
Hypocrytes and tyrauntes wolde never
be gladlye knowne abroade, for
that
they are in dede. But for that they are
not, they loke alwayes to be gloryouslye
noysed. Wrisleye & Ryche wolde yet be
judged of the worlde,
ii. sober wysemen,
and verye sage counsellers. But thys tyrannouse
example of theirs, maketh a
most
G3r
51
most manyfest shewe of the contrarye.
Yea, and the God of heaven wyll have
it so knowne to the unyversall worlde, to
their ignomynye and shame. So is he
wonte to rewarde all cruell Apostataes,
as he rewarded Julianus, for
their
wylfull contempt of hys veryte. The martyr
of Christ for her pacyent sufferaunce
shall leave here behynde her a gloryouse
report, where as these forsworne enemyes
and pursuers of hys worde, have purchased
themselves a perpetuall infamye
by their cruelte and myschefe. In excuse
of their madnesse, they saye, they ded it
only to feare her. Is it not (thynke yow)
a propre frayenge playe, whāan our armes
and eyes are compelled to
leave their naturall
holdes? Ye ment no lyght dallyaunce,
whan ye wolde have had so manye
gret women accused, & toke the hangemannys
offyce upon your owne precyouse
personnes. O tormentours and
tyrauntes abhomynable. Ye feare least
your temporall and mortall kynge shuld
knowe your madde frenesyes. But of the
eternall kynge, whych wyll ryghtlye ponnysh
yow for it, with the
devyll & hys angels
(unlesse ye sore repent it) ye have no
Giij
feare
G3v
feare at all. It is so honest a part, ye have
played, that ye wyll not
have it noysed.
But I promyse yow, so to dyvulge
thys unsemelye facte of yours in the latyne,
that all christendome over, it shall
be knowne what ye are.
Anne Askewe.
I have redde the processe,
whych is reported of them that
knowe not the truthe, to be my
recāantacyon. But as sure as the
lorde lyveth, I
never mēent thynge
lesse, than to
recāant. Notwithstandynge
thys I confesse,
that in my first troubles, I
was examyned of the Byshopp
of London aboute the sacrament.
Yet had they no graunte
of my mouth but thys. That
I beleved therin, as the worde
of God ded bynde me to beleve.
More had they never of me.
Johan Bale.
In the ende of her first examynacyon,
is thys matter treated of more at large.
Here
G4r
52
Here do she repete it agayne, onlye to be
knowne for Christes stedefast membre,
and not Antichristes. To the voyce of
hym she faythfullye obeyed, but the voyce
of that Romysh monstre and other
straungers she regarded not, Joan. 10.
As she perceyved whan she was before
the Byshopp of London, that all passed
styll, after their olde tyrannye, and nothynge
after the rules of scripture, she
suspected their doctryne more than afore,
and thought them non other than
Christ warned hys dyscyples to be ware
of, Luce 12. Wherupon she throughlye
covenaunted with her self, never
to denye hys veryte afore men at their
callynge on, least he shuld agayne denye
her before hys eternall father. Mathei
10. For if the confessynge therof
bryngeth salvacyon, as saynt Paule
sayth it doth, Roman. 10. The denyenge
therof on the other syde, must nedes
brynge in dampnacyon.
Anne Askewe.
Thēen he made a coppye, whych
is now in prynt, & requyred me
to sett
G4v
to sett therunto my hande. But I
refused it. Then my ii. suertyes
ded wyll me in no wyse to stycke
therat. For it was no great matter,
they sayd. Then with moch
a do, at the last I wrote thus,
“I Anne Askewe do beleve thys
if Gods worde do agre to the
same, & the true catholick churche,”
Johan Bale.
Commonlye is it spoken of popysh prestes,
that in doynge their false feates,
they sytt in Gods stede. Thys poynt folowed
the bludderynge Byshopp of London
here, whych for their olde fantasyed
superstycyon, laboured in thys woman
to dysplace the syncere veryte of the lorde.
But so surelye was she buylded upon
the harde rocke, that neyther for enmyte
nor fryndeshypp, wolde she ones remove
her fote, Mathei 7. Neyther anguyshe,
trouble, torment, nor fyre, coulde separate
her from that love of her lorde God
Roma.8. Though she were for hys sake
rebuked and vexed, and also appoynted
as a
G5r
53
as a shepe to be slayne, Psal.43. Yet ded
she strongelye through hym overcome,
and have (I doubt it not) obtayned the
crowne of lyfe, Apoca.2.
Anne Askewe.
Then the Byshopp, beynge
in great dyspleasure with me,
bycause I made doubtes in my
writynge, commaunded me to
pryson. Where I was a whyle.
But afterwardes by the meanes
of fryndes, I came out agayne.
Here is the truthe of
that matter. And as concernynge
the thynge that ye covete
most to knowe, Resort to the vi.
of Johan, & be ruled alwayes
therby. Thus fare ye wele.
Quoth Anne Askewe.
Johan Bale.
In all the scriptures we reade not,
that eyther Christ or yet hys Apostles
commaunded anye man or woman to
pryson for their faythe, as thys tyraunt
Byshopp ded here. But in dede we fyndeGv
de
G5v
that Christes holye Apostles, were oft
tymes cruellye commaunded to pryson of
the same spyghtfullye spirytuall generacyon,
Acto.4.5.12.16. Christ wylled hys
true belevers to loke for non other at
their spirytuall handes, than enprysonmentes
and deathe, Mathei 10. Joan.
16. And therfor sayd Peter unto hym.
I am redye to go with the, lorde, both
into pryson and to deathe, Luce 22. Paule
greatlye complayneth of hys enprysonmentes
and scourgynges by them, 2.Corinth,11.
Dyverse in the congregacyon
of Smyrna were enprysoned by that
fearce synagoge of Sathan, Apoca.2.
Esaye prophecyenge the condycyons of
the spirytuall Antichrist, sayth amonge
other, that he shulde holde men captyve
in preson,
Esaie 14. Ezechiel reporteth
that he shuld churlyshlye checke,
and in cruelte rule, Ezechie. 34. Zacharye
sheweth that he shuld eate up
the fleshe of the fattest, Zacharie 11. Daniel
declareth that he shuld persecute
with swerde and fyre. Daniel 11. And
saynt Johan verefyeth that he shuld be
all dronke with the bloude of the witnesses
of Jesu, Apoca.17. And therfor
in
G6r
54
in these feates, hys Byshoppes do but
their kyndes.
Thus endeth the lattre examynacyon.
The confessyon of her faythe
whych Anne Askewe made
in Newgate afore she
suffered.
I Anne Askewe, of good memorye,
although my mercyfull
father hath geven me the breade
of adversyte, & the water of
trouble, yet not so moch as my
synnes hath deserved, confesse
my selfe here a synner before the
trone of hys heavenlye mageste
desyerynge hys eternall mercye.
And for so moch as I am
by the lawe unryghtouslye condēempned
for an
evyll doer cōoncernynge
opynyōons, I take the same
most mercyfull God of myn,
whych hath made hboth
heanuven
and earthe, to recorde, that I
holde no opynyons contrarye
to hys most holye worde.
Johan Bale.
What man of sober dyscressyon, can
judge thys woman yll, indyfferentlye but
markynge thys her last confessyon? Not
a fewe of most evydent argumentes
are
therin, to prove her the true servaunt of
God. Her wyttes were not ones dystracted,
for all her most tyrāannouse
handelynges.
She was styll of a perfyght memorye,
accountynge her emprysonmentes,
revylynges, rackynges, and other tormentes,
but the breade of adversyte and
the water of trouble, as ded David afore
her. Psalm.79. As the lovynge
chylde
of God, she receyved them without
grudge, and thought them deserved on
her partye. She toke them for hys hande
of mercye, and gave most hygh thankes
for them. She mekelye confessed her
selfe in hys syght a synner, but not an
haynouse heretyke, as she was falselye
judged of the world. In that matter
she
toke hym most stronglye to witnesse, that
though in faythe she were not agreable
to the worldes wylde opynyon, yet
was she not therin contrarye to hys heavenlye
truthe. She had afore that proved
their spretes conferrynge both their
iudge-
G7r
55
judgements, 1.Joan.4. and perceyved
them farre unlyke, Esaie 55.
Anne Askewe.
And I trust in my mercyfull
lorde, whych is the gever of all
grace, that he wyll gracyouslye
assyst me agaynst all evyll
opynyons,
whych are contrarye to
hys blessyd veryte. For I take
hym to witnesse, that I have,
do, and wyll do unto my lyves
ende, utterlye abhorre them to
the uttermost of my power.
But thys is the heresye whych
they report me to holde, that after
the prest hath spoken the
wordes of consecracyon, there
remayneth breade styll.
Johan Bale.
Consydre without frowarde, parcyall
or wylfull affeccyon, the poyntes herin
contayned, and than judge
of what harte
or conscyence they have rysen.
The hope
of thys woman was onlye in God.
Hym she confessed to be of all grace
the
G7v
the gever. Alone in hys mercye she trusted.
She instauntlye desyred hym to defende
her from all errours. She abhorred
all heresyes. She detested mennys
superstycyouse invencyons.
And most firmelye
cleaved to hys eternall worde. If
these with those that went afore, be not
frutes of true christyanyte, or of a perfyght
membre of Gods eleccyon, what
frutes wyll we deman̄unde?
S. Paule sayth
“No man can confesse that Jesus is the
lorde” (as she hath done here) “but in the
holye Ghost,” 1.Corinth.12. David also
specifyeth that the lorde never forsaketh
them whych call upon hys name, & put
their trust in hym, Psal.9. And as touchynge
the prestes consecracyōon,
whych is
soch a charme of
inchauntemēent as maye
not be done but by an oyled offycer of the
popes generacyon, she ded godlye to reject
it in that clowtynge kynde. For in
all the Byble is it not that anye māan
can
make of a drye waffer cake, a newe saver
a newe redemer, a newe Christ, or a newe
God, No though he shuld utter all the
wordes and scriptures therin.
Anne Askewe.
But they both saye, and also
G8r
56
teache it for a necessarye artycle
of faythe, that after those wordes
be ones spoken, there remayneth
no breade. but even the selfe
same bodye that hynge upon
the crosse on good frydaye,
both fleshe, bloude, and bone.
To thys beleve of theirs, saye
I naye. For then were our commen
Crede false, whych sayth
that he sytteth on the ryght
hande of God the father almyghtye,
and from thens shall
come to judge the quyck & the
dead. Loo, thys is the heresye
that I holde, and for it must
suffer the deathe.
Johan Bale.
Of Antichrist reade we in the scriptures,
that he & hys oyled Apostles shuld
do false myracles, Math.24.2. Thes.2.
& Apoca.13. We fynde also in the same
selfe places, that he shuld exalte hymselfe
above all that is called God, or that
is worshypped as God. Who ever
hearde of so great a wondre? that a
G8v
drye cake myght become a God to be
worshypped? A myracle were thys above
all the myracles
that ever were
wrought, and a worke above
all the workes
that ever were done, if it were true
as it is most false. Though our eternall
God created heaven and earthe in the
first begynnynge, and fourmed all other
creatures, Gene.1. Yet reade we not of
hym, that he made of hys creatures anye
newe God to be worshypped. In
that poynt are our oyled Antichristes afore
hym. And where as he rested whollye
in the seventh daye, from that offyce
of creacyon, Gene. 2. and never toke it
upon hym sens that tyme, as
testyfyeth
Johan Chrisostome, Augustyne, Hierome,
Bedas, Alcuinus, and all ther other
doctors. Yet wyll they take upon
thēem to
create everye daye a fresh, and whan
their olde God stynketh in the boxe, remove
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 onlye to be
eate) soch a God as shall
stande checkemate
with the great God of heaven, &
paraventure deface hym also. Oh blasphemousephemouse
H1r
57
wretches and theves. Be ones
ashamed of your abhomynable blyndenesse,
and submytt your
selves to a just
reformacyon.
Anne Askewe.
But as touchynge the holye
and blessyd supper of the lorde,
I beleve it to be a most necessarye
remembraunce of hys gloryouse
sufferynges and deathe.
More over I beleve as moch
therin, as my eternall & onlye
redemer Jesus Christ wolde I
shuld beleve. Fynallye I beleve
all those scriptures to be true.
whom he hath confirmed with
hys most precyouse bloude.
Johan Bale.
No godlye instytucyon nor ordynaunce
of Christ, do thys faythfull woman
contempne, but reverentlye submytteth
herself therunto, in the kynde that he
ded leave them. She protesteth here to
beleve so moch, as can be shewed by the
scriptures of both testamentes. And
H
what
H1v
what is more to be requyred of a Christen
belever? Onlye ded she in conseyence
refuse and abhorre, the ydell observacyons,
the paganes superstycyons, the
sorcerers inchauntmentes, and the most
parellouse ydolatryes, whych the Romysh
pope and hys clergye have added
to their Masse for covetousnesse. In
thys (I suppose) she remembred the wordes
of saynt Paule, 1. Corinth 2.
“My talkynge”
(sayd he) “and my preachynge, was
not with persuasyble or entysynge wordes
of mannys corrupt wysdome, but in
utteraunce of the sprete and of power,
that your faythe shuld not stande in the
wysdome of men, but in the power of
God.” “For that” (sayth Christ) “whych semeth
hygh and holye afore men, is fylthye
abhomynacyon before God,” Luce
16.
Anne Askewe.
Yea, and as S. Paule sayth,
those scriptures are suffycyent
for our lernynge annd
salvacyōon,
that Christ hath lefte here with
us.
So that I beleve, we nede
no
H2r
58
no unwritten verytees to rule
hys churche with. Therfor loke
what he hath layed unto me
with hys owne mouthe, in hys
holye Gospell, that have I with
Gods grace, closed up in my
harte. “And my full trust is” (as
David sayth) “that it shall be a
lanterne to my fote steppes,”
Psalme 118.
Johan Bale.
Styll are these frutes of inestymable
wholsomnesse, declarynge thys womāan
a most perfyght and innocent membre
of Jesus Christ. In thys whole processe
(marke it hardelye) she ronneth
not for socour to the muddye waters or
broken pyttes of the Phylistynes, Hieremye
2. Whych are the corrupt doctrynes
and tradycyons of men. But
she seketh to the verye welsprynge of
helthe, & fon̄untayne of
salvacyon, Joāan. 4.
All unwritten verytees left she to those
waverynge wanderers whych wyll eternallyeHij
nally
H2v
perysh with them. And in the verytees
written, appoynted she to journaye
amonge the true Christen belevers
towardes the lāande
everlastynge. In all
her affayres most fyrmelye she cleaveth
to the scriptures of God, whych geveth
both sprete and lyfe, Joan.6.
As the harte
in the forest desyreth the plesaunt water
brokes, so longed her sowle and was
desyerouse of the manyfest glorye of her
eternall God, Psal.41. If her porcyon
be not in the lande of the lyvynge, Psal.
141. Yea, if she be not allowed a cytezen
with the Sayntes, Ephe. 1. And her name
regestred in the boke of lyfe, Apoca.
20. Yt wyll be harde with manye. But
certayne and sure I am, that with Marye
Marthaes systre, soch a sure part have
she chosen,
as wyll not be takēen awaye
from her, Luce 10.
Anne Askewe.
There be some do saye, that I
denye the Eucharystye or sacrament
of thankes gevynge. But
those people do untrulye report
of me. For I both saye and beleveue it,
H3r
59
it, that if it were ordered lyke
as Christ instytuted it and left
it, a most syngular confort it were
unto us all. But as concernynge
your Masse, as it is now
used in our dayes, I do saye &
beleve it, to be the most abhomynable
ydoll that is in the worlde.
For my God wyll not be eaten
with tethe, neyther yet
dyeth he agayne. And upon these
wordes, that I have now spoken,
wyll I suffer deathe.
Johan Bale.
All the workes of God and ordynaunces
of Christ, she reverentlye admytted,
as grounded matters of Christen beleve
But the Romysh popes creatures wolde
she in no case allowe to stande up checke
mate with them. The Masse (whych
is in all poyntes, of that fylthye Antichristes
creacyon) toke she for the most
execrable ydoll upon earthe. And ryghtlye.
For non other is the chylde to be reckened,
than was hys father afore hym,
be he man or beast. The whelpe of a dogge,Hiij
ge, is
H3v
is non other than a dogge, whan he
cometh ones to hys age. “Idolles” (sayth
David) “are lyke them that make them.
So are they also whych put their trust
in them,” Psalme 113. An ydoll doth Zacharye
call that proude slaughterouse
shepehearde, Zacharye 11. Who then
can denye hys prodygyouse ordynaunces
to be the same? What other is the worke
of an ydolatrouse worker, than an
execrable ydoll? And loke what propyrtees
anye ydoll hath had, or feates
hath wrought yet sens the worldes begynnynge,
the popes prodygyouse Masse
hath had & wrought the same, with
manye conveyances more.
Of popes hath it receyved
dysgysynges,
instrumentes, blessynges, turnynges
and legerdemaynes, with manye
straunge observacyons borowed of the
Jewes and paganes
olde sacryfyces, besydes
pardons for delyveraunce of sowles.
Of monkes have it gotten a purgatorye
after manye straunge apparycyōons,
with a longe ladder from thens to scale
heaven with. It hath obtayned also,
to be a remedye for all dyseases both in
man and beast, with innumerable superstycyonsstycyons
H4r
60
els. Of unyversytees and their
doctours, have it cawte all the subtyltees
and craftye lernynges of the prophane
phylosophers, to be defended by, as
is to be seane in the workes of their sentencyoners,
lyke as I have shewed in
the mysterye of iniquyte, fo.33. It serveth
all wytches in their wytcherye, all
sorcerers, charmers, inchaunters, dreamers,
sothsayers, necromansers, conjures,
crosse dyggers,
devyll raysers,
myracle doers, doggeleches, and bawdes.
For without a masse, they can not
wele worke their feates. The lawers
lyke wyse, whych seke in Westmynstre
hawle to gett most moneye by falsehede,
can neyther be wele without it. It upholdeth
vayne glorye, pryde, ambycyon,
avaryce, glottonye, slouth, ydelnesse,
hypocresye, heresye, tyrannye, and all
other devylyshnsse besydes, It maynteyneth
the spirytuall souldyers of Antichrist,
in all superfluouse lyvynge
and wanton lecherouse lustes, with
the chast occupyenges of Sodome and
Gomor.
What other ghostlye frutes it hath. I
shall more largelye shewe in my boke
Hiiij
called,
H4v
called, The myracles of the Masse agaynst
Peryne. Perchaūunce
some devoute
Masse hearers wyll laye for the holynesse
therof, that it contayneth both pystle
and Gospell. Trulye that Epystle and
that Gospell maye wele have a name of
lyfe, as S. Johan sayth of the churche
of Sardis, Apoca. 3. Yet is it in that offyce
of massynge, nōon
other than the dead
or mortyfyenge letter. 2. Cor. 3. For the
sprete that shuld quycken, is clerelye taken
frōom it, So that nothynge els therof
remayneth to the common people, but a
dead noyse and an ydle sounde, as it is
now in the Romysh lāanguage. Who can
saye, but it was the scripture, that Sathan
alleged unto Christ upon the pynnacle
of the temple? Math.4. Yet remayneth
it there styll, after hys ungracyouse
handelynge therof, as a false craftye suggestyon,
a devylysh errour, or a shyelde
of hys wyckednesse, & wyll do evermore.
Where are the names of God, of hys Angels,
& of hys sayntes, more ryfe,
thāan amōonge
witches, charmers,
inchaūunters, &
sorcerers? Yet can ye not saye, that they
are amōonge thēem
to anye māannys salvacyōon,
as they wolde be in ryght handelynge.
What
H5r
61
What it is that serveth an ydoll, lete
godlye wyse men conjecture, whych
are
not all ignoraunt how Angell became
a devyll.
Anne Askewe.
O lorde, I have more enemyes
now, than there be heeres
on my heade. Yet lorde lete thēem
never overcome me with vayne
wordes. But fyght thu lorde, in
my stede. For on the cast I my
care. With all the spyght they
can ymagyne, they fall upon me
whych am thy poore creature,
Yet swete lorde, lete me not set
by them whych are agaynst the.
For in the is my whole delyght.
Johan Bale.
O blessyd woman, and undoubted cytyzen
of heaven. Truthe it is, that
thu
hast had manye adversaryes, yea, and a
farre greatter nombre of them, than thu
hast here reckened. And the more thu
hast had, the greatter is now they vyctorye
in Christ. The great bodye of the
Beast thu hast had to enemye. whych
cōomprehendethHv
prehen-
H5v
the malygnaunt muster of
Sathāan on the one syde,
& the erthly worshyppers
of hys blasphemose beastlynesse
on the other syde, Daniel 11. Apo.13.
whose nōombre is as the
sande of the see, infynyte,
Apoc. 20. But consydre agayne,
what fryndeshypp thu hast gotten for it
on the other part. Thu hast now to frynde
for thy faythfull perseverance agaynst
those ydoll mongers, the sempyternall
trynyte, the father, the sonne, &
the holye Ghost, Joāan 14. With the gloryouse
multytude of Angels, the patriarkes,
Prophetes, Apostles & Martyrs.
with all the elect nōombre
from ryghteouse
Abel hytherto. Thu hast also here upon
earthe, & evermore shall have, the faver
of all thēem whych have not bowed to that
fylthye Beast, whose names are regestred
in the boke of lyfe, Apo. 21. And as
for thy ungodlye & cruell enemyes, as
dust in the wynde the lorde wyll scattre
them from the face of the earthe, be they
never so stowte and manye, Psal.1.
Anne Askewe.
And lorde I hartelye desyre
of the, that thu wylte of thy
most
H6r
62
most mercyfull goodnesse, forgeve
thēem
that vyolence, whych they
do & have done unto
me. Open
also thu their blynde hartes,
that they maye herafter do that
thynge in thy syght, whych is
onlye acceptable before the.
And to sett fourth thy veryte aryght,
without all vayne fantasyes
of synnefull men. So be it.
O lorde, so be it. By me Anne
Askewe.
Johan Bale.
Afore here she confessed with David
that on God she had cast her care, and
that in hym was all her hartes delyght.
Psal.60. She desyred hym also, never to
fayle her in thys harde cōonflict,
but strōonglye
to assist her, and in no case to permytt
her to be overcommen of the flatterynge
worlde, neyther yet to geve place
to hys enemyes. And I doubt it not,
but these are most evydent sygnes
that she was hys faythfull servaunt.
I knowe certaynlye, that all the power
of helle, can not prevayle agaynst
so
H6v
so ernest a faythe, Math.16. For he hath
so spoken it there, whych can not lye, Luce
21. & 1.Petri 2. In thys lattre part,
she sheweth the nature of Christes lyvelye
membre, and of a perfyght christen
marytr in ii. poyntes first she desyreth
God to forgeve her enemyes as Christ
desyred hym in the tyme of hys passyon,
Luce 23. And as holye Steven also ded
for the tyme of hys deathe, Acto.7. Secondlye
she desyreth their hartes to be
opened, that they maye trulye beleve and
be saved, Acto. 16. Thys supernaturall
affect of charyte had she only of the sprete
of Christ, whych wylleth not the deathe
of a frowarde synner, but rather that
he be frōom hys wyckednesse
turned, & so lyve
Ezech. 33.
Thus is she a Saynt canonysed
in Christes bloude, though
she never have other canonysacyon
of pope, prest, nor
Byshopp.
The destroyer shall be destroyed
without handes. Daniel.8.
The Balade whych
Anne Askewe made and sange
whan she was in Newgate.
Lyfe as the armed Knyght
Appoynted to the fielde
With thys world wyll I fyght
And fayth shall be my shielde.
Faythe is that weapon stronge
Whych wyll not fayle at nede
My foes therfor amonge
Therwith wyll I procede.
As it is had in strengthe
And force of Christes waye
It wyll prevayle at lengthe
Though all the devyls saye naye.
Faythe in the fathers olde
Obtayned ryghtwysnesse
Whych make me verye bolde.
To feare no worldes dystresse.
I now rejoyce in hart
And hope byd me do so
For Christ wyll take my part
And ease me of my wo.
Thu H7vThu sayst lorde, who so knocke.
To them wylt thu attende
Undo therfor the locke
And thy stronge power sende.
More enmyes now I have.
Than heeres upon my heed
Lete them not me deprave
But fyght thu in my steed.
On the my care I cast
For all their cruell spyght
I sett not by their hast
For thu art my delyght.
I am not she that lyst
My anker to lete fall
For everye dryslynge myst
My shyppe substancyall.
Not oft use I to wryght
In prose nor yet in ryme
Yet wyll I shewe one fyght
That I sawe in my tyme.
I sawe a ryall trone
Where Justyce shuld have sytt
But in her stede was one
Of modye cruell wytt.
Absorpt was rygtwysnesse
As of the ragynge floude
Sathan in hys excesse.
Sucte up the gyltelesse bloude.
Then H8rThen thought I, Jesus lorde
Whan thu shalt judge us all
Harde is it to recorde
On these men what wyll fall.
Yet lorde I the desyre
For that they do to me
Lete them not tast the hyre
Of their inyquyte.
Finis.
God save the kynge.
God hath chosen the weake thynges
of the worlde, to
cōonfon̄unde thynges whych
are myghtye. Yea, and thynges of no reputacyon,
for to brynge to nought thynges
of reputacyon, that no fleshe shuld
presume in hys fyght. 1.Corinth.1.
The Conclusyon.
Thus hast thu (dylygent reader)
the ende of these ii. examynacyons
and answers of the
most Christen martyr Anne
Askewe, with other addycyons besydes.
Marke in them the horryble madde furye
of Antichrist and the devyll, how
they worke in thys age by their tyrannouse
members, to brynge the last vengeaunce
swyftlye upon them. Afore tyme
hath not bene seane, soch frantyck outrage
as is now, the judges without all sober
dyscressyon, ronnynge to the racke,
toggynge, halynge, and pullynge therat,
lyke tormentours in a playe. Compare
me here Pylate with Wrisleye the
hygh chauncellour of Englande, with
Ryche and with other whych wyll be counted
no small moates. And se how
moch the pagane Judge
excelleth in vertu
and wysdome, the false christened Judge,
yea, rather prodygyouse tyraunt.
Whan Pylate had enquyred, what accusacyon
the Jewes clergye had agaynst
Christ, he perceyved they ded all of malyce,
and refused to meddle therin. Joan.an. 18,
I1r
65
18. In Wrisleye and Riche
is no soch
equyte. But they rather seke occasyon to
accōomplysh the
full malyce of Antichrist.
Pylate shewed the accused all faver
possyble. He examyned hym pryvatelye,
he gave hym fryndelye wordes, he bad
hym not feare to speake, he hearde hym
with gentylnesse, he counselled with
hym that he myght the more frelye suppresse
their madde furye, and he promysed,
they shuld do hym no wronge in case
he wolde utter hys full mynde, Joan. 18.
Farre contrarye to thys were Wrisleye
and Ryche, whych not all ignoraunt of
the Byshoppes beastlye errours, malycyouslye
without all feare of God and
shame of the worlde, executed upon thys
godlye woman most terryble tyrannye.
Pylate spake for the innocent, excused
hym, defended hym, layed fourth the lawe,
pleated for hym sharpelye, requyred
them to shewe mercye, alleged for hym
their custome, declared hym an innocēent
; sought by all meanes to delyver hym,
Math.27. These perjured magystrates
Wrysleye & Ryche, not onlye examyned
thys innocent woman with rigour, but
also hated her, scorned her, revyled her,
I
condempned
I1v
condempned her for an heretyke, & with
unspeakable tormentes sought to enforce
her to brynge by accusacyon other noble
women and men to deathe.
More over Pylate wolde shede no innocent
bloude, but laboured to mytygate
the Byshoppes furye, & instaūunted them
as they were relygyouse, to shewe godlye
faver, concludynge that he coulde by no
lawe of justice, judge
hym worthye to dye
Marci 15. These vengeable tyrauntes
Wrisleye and Riche insacyably thirsted,
not only the innocēent bloude
of thys faythfull
servaunt of God, but also the bloude
of the noble duchesse of Sothfolke, the
bloude of the worthye countesse of Hertforde,
and of the vertuouse countesse of
Sussexe, the bloude of the faythfull ladye
Dennye, of the good lady Fizwyllyams,
and of other godlye women more,
soche wydowes and wyves as
Paule, Peter,
and Johan
commendeth in their epistles,
besydes the bloude of serten noblemen
of the kynges hygh counsell. And
all at the spyghtfull callynge on of the
Byshoppes. Slacke eare gave Pylate
to
the prestes, he regarded not ther dyspleasure,
he detected their protervouse madnesse,nesse,
I2r
66
by delayes he dyfferred the sentence,
and fynallye washed hys handes as
one that was clere from their tyrannye,
Luce 23. Swyft eare gave Wrisleye
&
Ryche with their wycked affynyte to the
puffed up porkelynges of the pope Gardyner,
Bonner, & soch other, they folowed
their cruell counsell, they enprysoned
her, judged her, condempned her, &
racked her at the last with their owne
poluted bloudye tormentours hāandes, tyll
the vaynes and synnowes brast.
If ye marke the scriptures wele, ye
shall easelye perceyve that Pylate
was
not in fawte of Christes buffetynges,
beatynges, scornynges, face spyttynges,
crownynge with thorne, and soch
other extreme handelynges. But the
malycyouse Byshoppes & prestes whych
waged Judas to betraye hym, hyred fal
se
wytnesses to accuse hym, monyed the
multytude to dyffame hym, fayned false
matter agaynst hym, compelled
the lawe and terryfyed the judge,
to have their full myschefe accomplyshed,
as our Byshoppes have done
in thys cruell acte and soch other. Whan
the prestes wolde have blemyshed hys
Iij
name
I2v
name by the ignomynyouse deathe
whych he suffered amōonge theves on the
crosse, Pylate proclamed it gloryouse unto
all the worlde, writynge hys tytle in
Hebrue, Greke, and Latyne, Jesus of
Nazareth kynge of the Jewes, and wolde
not at their instaūunt callyng on,
chāange
it, Joāan. 19.
Wrisleye & Riche with their
ungracyouse affynyte, have in everye
poynt folowed here the execrable affectes
of the prestes. Favorablye Pylate lycensed
Joseph of Arymathye to take
downe Christes bodye, and to burye it,
Math. 27. Wrisleye commaunded thys
martyr of God with her faythfull companyons
to be brent to ashes. Pylate
was ignoraunt of Gods lawes, and a
pagane. Wrisleye and Ryche knowe both
the lawe and the Gospell, and are christyanes,
the more is it to their dampnacyon,
to execute soch turkysh tyrannye.
Now to conclude with Anne Askewe
as the argument of thys boke requyreth
In the yeare of our lord a 1546M.D.XLVI
And in the monthe of Julye, at the
prodygyouse
procurement of Antichristes
furyouse remnaunt, Gardyner, Bonner,
and soch lyke, she suffered most cruell deathethe
I3r
67
īin Smythfelde with her
iii. faythfull
companyons, Johāan Lassels
a gentylmāan
whych had bene her instructour, Johan
Adlam a tayler, and a prest so constaunt
in the veryte agaynst the seyd Antichristes
superstycyons as they, whose name
at thys tyme I had not. Credyblye am I
infourmed by dyverse duche merchauntes
whych were there present, that in the
tyme of their sufferynges, the skye abhorrynge
so wycked an acte, sodenlye altered
coloure, and the cloudes from above gave
a thōonder clappe,
not all unlyke to that
is written, Psal.76. The elementes both
declared therin the hygh dyspleasure of
God for so tyrāannouse a
murther of innocentes,
and also expreslye sygnyfyed hys
myghtye hande present to the confort of
them whych trusted in hym, besydes the
most wonderfull mutacyon whych wyll
within short space therupon folowe.
And lyke as the Centuryon with those
that were with hym, for the tokens shewed
at Christes deathe, confessed hym to
be the sonne of God, Math. 27. So ded
a great nombre at the burnynge of these
martyrs, upon the syght of thys open
experymēent,
afferme them to be hys faythfullIiii
full
I3v
members.
Full manye a Christen hart have rysen
and wyll ryse from the pope to Christ
through the occasyon of their consumynge
in the fyre. As the saynge is, of
their ashes wyll more of the same opynyon
aryse. Manye a wone sayth yet
both in Englande and Duchelande, also,
O that woman that woman O, those
men those men. If the popes generacyon
and wycked remnaunt make manye
more soch martyrs, they are lyke
to marre all their whole market in Englande.
It were best for them now a dayes
to lete men be at lyberte for their holye
fathers gaudysh ceremonyes, as they are
for beare baytynges, cocke fyghtynges
tennys playe, tables, tombelynge, daunsynge,
or hūuntynge,
who lyst & who maye.
For as lyttle have those
tradycyōons of hys
of the worde of God, in their prowdest
outshewe, as they have. Here wyll
some tender stomakes be greved, and
report that in our headye hastynesse, we
refuse to suffre with our weake bretherne
accordynge to the doctryne of Paule.
But I saye unto them, what so
ever they be whych are so scrupulousese
I4r
68
wanderers, that they most execrablye
erre in so bestowynge the scriptures.
For abhomynable is that tolleraunce
of our brethernes weakenesse, where
God is by ydolatrouse superstycyons,
dysobeyed, dyshonoured, and blasphemed.
A playne practyse were thys of Sathan
in hypocresye to upholde all devylyshnesse.
On the other syde was there an other
sort at the deathe of these blessyd martyrs,
and they judged of thys alteracyon
of the ayre and thonder clappe, as ded
the Jewysh Byshoppes
with their perverted
multytude. Whych waggynge
their heades, rayled, revyled, jangled,
jested, scorned, cursed,
mocked, and mowed
at Christes precyouse sufferynges
on the crosse, Math. 27. and Luce 23.
These were the ydle wytted prestes at
London and their beastlye ygnoraunt
broodes, with olde superstycyouse bawdes
and brethels, the popes blynde
cattell. These cryed there lyke madde modye
bedlemes, as they hearde the thonder,
They are dampned, they are dampned,
their wyse preachers outasynge
the same at Paules crosse. In dede full
Iiiii
nobyllye
I4v
nobyllye are they overseane in the
Byble
that judge the thonders to
sygnyfye dāampnacyon.
Thonder (sayth the scripture) is
the voyce of God, Eccle. 43. Thonder is
the helpynge power of the lorde, Job 26.
and no dampnacyon. Christ called Johan
and James the sonnes of thonder,
Marci 3. Whych betokened that they
shuld be ernest preachers, and no chyldren
of dampnacyon. The lorde by thonder
sheweth hys inscrutable workynge,
Job 38. Moses
receyved the lawe, Helyas
the sprete of prophecye, the Apostles
the holye Ghost, & all in thonder. What
wycked sole wyll saye, they receyved so
dampnacyon?
As the lambe had opened the first seale
of the boke, the voyce that went forth
was as it had bene thonder, Apoca. 6.
whych is no dampnacyon, but a sharpe
callynge of people to Godwarde. The
thonderynges that apered whan the
Angell fylled hys censer. Apoca.8. were
no dampnacyons but Gods ernest wordes
rebukynge the worlde for synne. The
best interpretours do call those
thōonderynges
whych came from the trone of God.
Apocal.4. soche verytees of the scripture
as
I5r
69
as terryfyeth synners, and no dampnacyons.
Neyther were the vii. thonderynges
whych gave their voyces, Apoc. 10.
anye other than mysteryes at their tymes
to be opened, Eucherius Lugdunensis
& other moralysers, call thonders in
the scripture, the voyces of the Gospell,
and their lyghtenynges, the clere openynges
of the same. If thōonder
be a threttenynge
or a fearfull judgement of God
(as in Psal. 103.) it is to them that abyde
here, and not to them that depart frōom
hens, A token is it also that the horryble
tyrauntes shall be as the meledust, that
the wynde taketh awaye sodenlye, Esaie
29. If plage do folowe of thonder, as it
ded in Egypt, whan Moses stretched
forth hys rodde, Exodi 9, It shall lyght
upon them whych
hath shewed the tyrāannouse
vyolence on the people of God, as
it ded upon pharao
and hys cruell mynysters.
At the myghtye voyce whych was both
sensyblye hearde and understanded of
the Apostles from heaven, that the
father
was & wolde be gloryfyed by Christ
the people sayd nothynge buut,
It thondereth,
Joan.12. For nothynge els they
Iv
vnder-
I5v
understode therof. What Anne Askewe
and her companyons both hearde and se
in thys thonder to their sowles consolacyon
in their paynefull sufferynges, no
mortall understandynge can
dyscerne.
Onlye was it Steven (and paraventure
a fewe dyscyples) that se the heavens
open whan he suffered, and not the
cruell multytude whych ranne upon hym
with stones, Acto.7. Lete beastlye blynde
babbyllers and bawdes with their
charmynge chaplaynes than prate at
large, out of their malycyouse sprete
and ydle braynes. We have in
habundaunce
the veryte of Gods worde and
promes, to prove them both saved and
gloryfyed in Christ. For God ever preserveth
them whych trust in hym, Psal.
16. All that call upon hys holye name,
are saved,
Johel. 2. What reasonable
man wyll thynke that they can be lost,
whych have their lorde God more dere
than their owne lyves? “No man shall
be hable” (sayth Christ) “to plucke my shepe
out of my handes, but I wyll geve
thēem eternall lyfe,” Joan.
10. “Beleve” (sayth
Paule to the jayler at Philippos) “on the
lorde Jesus Christ, and thu shall be savedued
I6r
70
and thy whole howsholde,” Acto.16.
They that seme in the syght of
the unwyse
to go into destruccyon, do rest in the
peace of God, and are replenyshed with
immortalyte, Sapien.3.
scriptures, to the prayse
of God, whose name be gloryfyed
worlde without ende,
Amen.
Finis.
God save the kynge.
Thus endeth the lattre conflict
of Anne Askewe, latelye
done to deathe by the Romysh
popes malycyouse remnaunt, &
now canonysed in the precyouse
bloude of the lorde Jesus Christ
Imprented at Marpurg
in the lande of Hessen,
1547-01-1616,
die Januarii, anno
1. 5. 4. 7.
A table compendyouse of thys
lattre boke.
- Anne Askewe
a martyr,
6.54.55;
- Anne Askewes sufferynges,
45.49.;
62.67 - Antichristes badges,
20.53.56.;
- Antichrist, where he dwelleth,
26;
- Augustyne, a bloudsheder,
4;
- Bonnner Bysh. of London,
52;
- Breade is no God,
21.34.56.;
- Brittayne churche.
3.8;
- Ceremonyes at lyberte,
67;
- Christ, what meate he is,
30;
- Christ, wherfor condempned,
31;
- Chronycle writers,
2;
- Consecracyon of prestes,
55;
- Constancye of Anne Askewe,
27.35.46;
- Deathe not feared,
27.35;
- Dyfference of martyrs,
4.5;
- Doctryne of the supper,
12;
- Edere, what it is,
12.33;
- Enemyes iii. ghostlye,
38;
- Englysh churche,
4.8;
- Eucherius Lugdunensis,
69;
- Faythe plentuouse,
28,50.55;
- Frances above Christ,
23;
- Frutes of faythe,
54.55;
- Fryndes and enemyes,
45.61;
Godlyes
I7r
- Godlynes of Anne Askewe.
27;
- Governours worldlye,
18;
- Graye fryers Christ,
23;
- Heresye dyffyned,
37;
- Hewaldes whyte & blacke,
6;
- Howse of merchaundyse,
25;
- Idolatrye of Breade,
21.24.59;
- Idolaters of ii. sortes,
34;
- Inconnstaunt
Chrystyanes,
28.39;
- Johan wycleves tyme,
6;
- Johan lassels brent,
49.67;
- Juthwara a martyr,
6;
- Kilianus & hys fellawes,
7;
- Kyme, a gentylman,
15;
- Ladyes, sought to deathe,
40.65;
- Ladye chauncellour,
48;
- Lanfrancus and walden,
37;
- Marryage of Anne Askewe,
14;
- Martyrs of Englande,
3.4;
- Masse is ydolatrye,
26.44.59;
- Masse with hys receytes,
59;
- Masse with hys frutes,
60;
- Masses, who do them,
26;
- Masse hearynge unrewarded,
44;
- Myracles of the masse
60;
- Moulde in the boxe,
31.56;
- Names of Englysh martyrs
5.6;
- Noble women,
40.43;
Northfolke,
I7v
- Northfolke, a tyraunt,
61.69;
- Obedyence, where,
40;
- Oswalde and Oswyne,
8;
- Peryn all fryerysh,
9.60;
- Pylate with Wrisleye,
64;
- Prestes of 2. sortes
32;
- Prestes and bawdes,
66.68;
- Prysoners have
favoure,
41;
- Racked is Anne Askewe,
45.64;
- Renouncers of God,
3.28.39;
- Ryght martyrs,
5;
- Sacrament, what it is,
32;
- Sacramentall cōommunyon,
22;
- Sayntes of Englande,
5.6;
- Shaxton recanteth,
39;
- Songe of Anne Askewe,
63;
- Strengthe of a martyr,
36.46;
- Tyrannye of rulers
45.47.65.69;
- Thomas walden
37;
- Thonder declared,
67.69;
- Tokens of martyrs,
9.45.49.54;
- Vayle of Moyses,
26;
- Ursula with other,
8;
- Waffer cake, no God,
24.34.56;
- Wynchestre at Utrecht,
42;
- Wrysleye, a tyraunt,
45.50.64.;
- Yonge martyrs,
7;
God save the kynge.