THE EXAMINATIONS OF ANNE ASKEW, LATELY MARTYRED IN SMITHFIELD, BY THE ROMISH POPE'S UPHOLDERS. (Written by herself, and published by John Bale. Some further particulars are added from Fox and Strype.) The verity of the Lord endureth for ever.-PSAlm cxvii. FAVOUR IS DECEITFUL, AND BEAUTY IS A VAIN THING. BUT Printed A. D. 1546. THE persecution urged forward by bishop Gardiner and his associates during the latter years of Henry VIII., was aimed at queen Catherine Parr, and several of her attendants, with others of rank at court. The narrow escape of the queen has been related; but one of her attendants, Mrs. Anne Askew, and a gentleman of the royal household, named Lascels, were burned. ANNE ASKEW* was the second daughter of Sir William Askew, of Kelsey in Lincolnshire. A marriage was planned between the eldest sister and the heir of a neighbouring gentleman named Kymē, but she died before the union took place. Sir William, unwilling to lose an advantageous match, compelled his second daughter to marry Kyme. The marriage was against her will, but when it had taken place, she demeaned herself like a Christian wife, and became the mother of two children. After a time, by the study of the Scriptures, she was convinced of the errors of popery, and became a true follower of Christ. Her husband, being a bigoted papist, was much enraged at this change, and after a series of ill treatment, by the advice of his priests, violently drove her from his house. She came to London, where she attended upon the queen, and sought a divorce on the ground of her husband's conduct, considering that his cruel usage had released her obligations, according to the principle laid down by St. Paul, 1 Cor. vii. 15. Anne Askew's beauty, learning, and piety, procured her much esteem from the queen's friends, while she was hated by Gardiner and his party. Her conduct was irreproachable. A strong testimony in her favour was borne by a papist, according to the following relation from Strype. "A great papist of Wickham college, called Wadloe, a cursitor of the chancery, hot in his religion, and thinking not well of her life, got himself lodged at the next house to her. For what purpose need not be opened. But the conclusion was, that instead of speaking evil of her, he gave her the praise to sir Leonil Throgmorton, for the devoutest and godliest woman that ever he knew. For, said he, at midnight she beginneth to pray, and ceaseth not for many hours after, when I, and others are at sleep or at work." In 1546, she was accused of heresy, and made an undaunted profession of the truth, an account of which being penned by her own hand, was conveyed to Bale, and printed by him in Germany. Bale accompanied it with severe reflections upon the conduct of the Romanists towards her, which it does not appear necessary to reprint, as the affecting narrative is a sufficient comment upon the proceedings of her persecutors. * Her name is also spelled Ascue and Ayscough. JOHN BALE TO THE CHRISTIAN READERS. AMONG other most singular offices, diligent reader, which the Lord hath appointed to be done in the earnest spirit of Elias, by the forerunners of his latter appearance, this is one very special to be noted, They shall turn the hearts of their ancient elders unto the children, Mal. iv., and the unbelievers of their time to the wisdom of those righteous fathers, as did John Baptist before his first coming, Luke i. That is, saith Bede, "The faith and fervent zeal of the prophets and apostles shall they plant in their hearts, which shall in those days live, and be among men conversant, and then will break forth (saith he, as a very true prophet) such horrible persecution, as will first of all take from the world those mighty Elias's, by triumphant martyrdom, to the terrifying of others in the same faith, of whom some shall become, through that occasion, most glorious martyrs unto Christ also; and some very wicked apostates, forsaking his lively doctrine." For, by the said Bede's testimony in the beginning of the same chapter, two most certain signs shall we then have that the latter judgment day is at hand; the return of Israel's remnant unto their Lord God, and the horrible persecutions of antichrist. Confer with this treated Scripture and former prophecy of that virtuous man Bede, the world's alteration now, with the terrible turmoilings of our time; and, as in a most clear mirror, ye shall well perceive them at this present to be in most quick working. And as concerning the Israelites or Jews, I have both seen and known of them in Germany, most faithful Christian believers. Neither is it in the prophecy, Hos. iii., that they should at that day be all converted, any more than they were at John Baptist's preaching, Luke i. For as Isaiah reporteth, Though the posterity of Jacob be as the sea sand, innumerable, yet shall but a remnant of them convert them unto their Lord God, Isa. x. And though the Lord hath sifted that house of Israel, as bruised corn in a sieve, among all other nations, Amos ix., yet shall not that remnant of theirs perish, but at that day be saved, through the only election of grace, Rom. xi. Now concerning the aforesaid forerunners, in this most wonderful change of the world before the latter end thereof, I think within this realm of England, besides other nations abroad, the spirit of Elias was not all asleep in good William Tindal, Robert Barnes, and such others more, whom antichrist's violence hath sent hence in fire to heaven, as Elias went before in the fiery chariot, 2 Kings ii. These turned the hearts of the fathers unto the children, such time as they took from a great number of our nation, by their godly preachings and writings, the corrupted belief of the pope and his master workers, which were no fathers but cruel robbers and destroyers, John x., reducing them again to the true faith of Abraham and Peter, Gen. xv., and Matt. xvi. The pure belief in Christ's birth and passion, which Adam and Noah sucked out of the first promise of God, Jacob and Moses out of the second, David and the prophets out of the third, and so forth, the apostles and fathers out of the other Scriptures, so firmly planted they in the consciences of many, that no cruel kind of death could avert them from it. As we have for example their constant disciples, and now strong witnesses of Jesus Christ, John Lascels and ANNE ASKEW, with their other two companions, very glorious martyrs before God, though they are not so before the wrong judging eyes of the world, whom the bloody remnant of antichrist put unto most cruel death in Smithfield at London, in the year of our Lord 1546, in July. If they only, as was John Baptist, are great before the Lord, by the Holy Scriptures' allowance, who are strongly adorned with the graces of his Spirit, as faith, force, understanding, wisdom, patience, love, long sufferance and such like; I dare boldly affirm these four mighty witnesses also to be the same, so well as the martyrs of the primitive or apostles' church. For these had those virtues as strongly as they, and as boldly objected their bodies to the death, for the undefiled Christian belief, against the malignant synagogue of Satan as ever did they, for no tyranny admitting any created or corruptible substance for their eternal living God.* If the blind babes, to prove them unlike, do object against me the miracles showed at their deaths more than at these, as that unfaithful generation is ever desirous of wonders, Matt. xii., I would but know of them what miracles were showed when John Baptist's head was cut off in * Not believing the sacramental bread to be the real body of Christ. the prison? Mark vi., and when James the apostle was be headed at Jerusalem? Acts xii. These two were excellent before God, though they were but miserable wretches, light fellows, seditious heretics, busy knaves, and vile beggars, in the sight of noble king Herod and his honourable council of prelates. If to maintain their purpose, they allege of Stephen, that he at his death beheld heaven open; I ask them again, what they were who saw it more than his own person? Sure I am, that their wicked predecessors there present saw it not. For they stopped their ears when he told them thereof, Acts vii. If they yet bring forth the other histories of apostles and martyrs, I answer them, that all they are of no such authority as these before spoken of. The pope's martyrs, indeed, were much fuller of miracles than ever were Christ's, as himself told us they should be so, Matt. xxiv. Yet friar Forest, John Fisher, and Thomas More wrought no miracles, though many are now registered in their lives and legends by the friars of France, Italy, Spain, and others. And as for the holy maid of Kent with doctor Bocking, though they wrought great wonders by their life, yet none appeared at their deaths. Of his own chosen martyrs Christ looketh for none other miracle, but that only they persevere faithful to the end, Matt. x., and never deny his verity before men, Luke xii. For that worthy victory of the sinful world, standeth in the invincibleness of faith, and not in miracles and wonders, as those wavering understandings suppose, 1 John v. Right wonderfully will this appear in the two mighty conflicts hereafter following, which the faithful servant of Jesus, ANNE ASKEW, a gentlewoman, very young, dainty, [delicate,] and tender, had with that outraging synagogue in her two examinations, about the twenty-fifth year of her age, which she sent abroad by her own hand-writing. The handlings of her other three companions shall be showed in other several treatises at leisure. For the glory and great power of the Lord, so manifestly appearing in his elect vessels, may not now perish at all hands, and be unthankfully neglected, but be spread the world over, as well in Latin as English, to the perpetual infamy of such wilfully cruel and spiteful tyrants. Nothing at all shall it terrify us, nor yet in any point hinder us of our purpose, that our books are now in England condemned and burned by the bishops and priests, with their frantic affinity, the 241 ANNE ASKEW. 22 |