still remained in that channel, whom Christ commanded John in no wise to measure, Rev. xi. they had never so shamefully blasphemed, like as Bede also toucheth in his former prophecy.

Prompt was Blandina, and of most strong courage, in rendering her life for the liberty of her faith; no less lively and quick was Anne Askew in all her imprisonings and torments. Great was the love Blandina had to Christ; no less was the love of Anne Askew. Blandina never fainted in torment; no more did Anne Askew in spirit, when she was so terribly racked of Wriothesly the chancellor, and Rich, that the strings of her arms and eyes were perished. Blandina derided the cruelty of the tyrants; so did Anne Askew the madness of the bishops and their speechmen. Red burning plates of iron and of brass had Blandina put to her sides; so had Anne Askew the flaming brands of fire. Full of God and his verity was Blandina; so was Anne Askew to the very end. Christ wonderfully triumphed in Blandina; so did he in Anne Askew, when she made no noise on the rack, and so earnestly afterward rejoiced in him. Blandina was given forth to wild beasts to be devoured; so was Anne Askew to cruel bishops and priests, whom Christ calleth ravening wolves, devourers, and thieves, Matt. vii. John x. Blandina upon the scaffold boldly reprehended the pagan priests for their error; so did Anne Askew, when she was fast tied to the stake, with courage rebuke that blasphemous apostate Shaxton, with the bishops' and priests' generation, for their manifest maintenance of idolatry.

Blandina, at the stake, showed a visage unterrified; so did Anne Askew, a countenance stout, mighty, and earnest. Indefatigable was the spirit of Blandina; so was the spirit of Anne Askew. The love of Jesus Christ, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and hope of the crown of martyrdom, greatly mitigated the pain in Blandina; so did those three worthy graces the terror of all torments in Anne Askew. The strong spirit of Christ gave courage to Blandina; the same mighty Spirit, and not the pope's desperate spirit, made Anne Askew both to rejoice and to sing in the prison. So bold was Blandina, saith Eusebius, that she communed with Christ unseen. I suppose Anne Askew's latter exaGentle was

mination will show her not to be much less.

Blandina to the christian believers, and terrible to their adversaries; so was Anne Askew, very lowly to true teachers,

but scornful and high stomached to the enemies of truth. Many were converted by the sufferings of Blandina; a far greater number by the burning of Anne Askew. Though Blandina were young, yet was she called the mother of martyrs; many men have supposed Anne Askew, for her christian constancy, to be no less. Blandina prayed for her persecutors; so did Anne Askew most fervently. The ashes of Blandina, and of other martyrs, were thrown into the flood of the Rhone; what was done with the ashes of Anne Askew and her companions, I cannot yet tell.

All these former reports of Blandina, and many more besides, hath Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History, and others also have the same. And, as touching Anne Askew, these two examinations, with her other known handlings in England, are sufficient witnesses for her. Thus the fire hath not taken Anne Askew wholly from the world, but left her here unto it, more pure, perfect, and precious than before. So that concerning her it may well be said, as Paul verifies, 2 Cor. xii. The strength of God is here made perfect by weakness. When she seemed most feeble, then was she most strong; and gladly she rejoiced in that weakness, that Christ's power might strongly dwell in her. Thus the Lord chooseth the foolish of this world to confound the wise, and the weak to deface the mighty; yea, things despised, and thought very vile, to bring things to nought which the world hath in most high reputation. I think if this martyr were rightly conferred* with those canonized martyrs which have had, and yet still have censings and singings, massings and ringings in the pope's English church, cause with cause, and reason with reason, as haply hereafter they shall be, she should be a great blemish unto them. An example of strong sufferance might this holy martyr be unto all them that the Lord shall after like manner put forward in this horrible fury of antichrist, to the glory of his persecuted church. Amen.

* Compared.

OF

MISTRESS ANNE ASKEW,

BEFORE THE INQUISITORS, 1545. WRITTEN BY HERSELF.

To satisfy your expectation, good people, this was my first examination in the year of our Lord, 1545, and in the month of March.

First, Christopher Dare examined me at Sadler's hall, being one of the quest,* and asked if I did not believe that the sacrament hanging over the altar, was the very body of Christ really. Then I demanded this question of him, Wherefore St. Stephen was stoned to death? and he said he could not tell. Then I answered, that no more would I assoilt his vain question.

Secondly, he said that there was a woman which did testify that I should read, how God was not in temples made with hands. Then I showed him the seventh and seventeenth chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, what Stephen and Paul had said therein. Whereupon he asked me how I took those sentences? I answered, that I would not throw pearls among swine, for acorns were good enough.

Thirdly, he asked me, wherefore I said that I had rather read five lines in the bible, than hear five masses in the temple? I confessed that I said no less, not for the dispraise of either the epistle or gospel, but because the one did greatly edify me, and the other nothing at all. As St. Paul doth witness in the fourteenth chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians, where he saith, If the trumpet giveth an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself to the battle?

Fourthly, he laid unto my charge that I should say, if an ill priest ministered, it was the devil and not God.

My answer was, that I never spake such thing. But this was my saying-that whosoever he were that ministered unto me, his ill conditions could not hurt my faith, but in spirit I received, nevertheless, the body and blood of Christ.

* Or inquisitors appointed to enforce the act of six articles. See the life of Cranmer, page 28.

+ Explain, reply to.

Fifth, he asked me what I said concerning confession? I answered him my meaning, which was as St. James saith, that every man ought to acknowledge his faults to other; and the one to pray for the other.

Sixthly, he asked me what I said to the king's book?* And I answered him, that I could say nothing to it, because I never saw it.

Seventhly, he asked me if I had the Spirit of God in me? I answered, If I had not, I was but a reprobate or cast away. Then he said he had sent for a priest to examine me, who was there at hand. The priest asked me what I said to the sacrament of the altar, and required much to know therein my meaning. But I desired him again to hold me excused concerning that matter. None other answer would I make him, because I perceived him to be a papist.

Eighthly, he asked me, if I did not think, that private masses did help souls departed. I said, it was great idolatry to believe more in them, than in the death which Christ died for us.

Then they had me thence unto my lord mayor, and he examined me, as they had before, and I answered him directly in all things as I answered the quest before. Besides this, my lord mayor laid one thing to my charge, which was never spoken of me, but of them; and that was, whether a mouse eating the host, received God or no. This question did I never ask, but indeed they asked it of me, whereunto I made them no answer, but smiled.†

Then the bishop's chancellor rebuked me and said, that * See Cranmer, p. 33. 86.

My

+ Strype on Loud's authority, relates this more particularly. lord mayor, sir Martin Bowes, sitting with the council, as most meet for his wisdom, and seeing her standing upon life and death, said, 'I pray you, my lords, give me leave to talk with this woman;' leave was granted. L.M. Thou foolish woman, sayest thou that the priests cannot make the body of Christ? A. A. I say so, my lord; for I have read that God made man; but that man can make God I never yet read, nor ever shall read it, as I suppose. L. M. No! Thou foolish woman, after the words of consecration, is it not the Lord's body? A. A. No; it is but consecrated bread, or sacramental bread. L. M. What if a mouse eat it after the consecration? What shall become of the mouse? What sayest thou, thou foolish woman? A. A. What shall become of her, say you, my lord? L. M. I say, that mouse is damned. A. A. Alack poor mouse!-By this time my lords heard enough of my lord mayor's divinity; and perceiving that some could not keep in their laughing, proceeded to the butchery and slaughter they intended before they came thither."

I was much to blame for uttering the scriptures. For St. Paul, he said, forbade women to speak, or to talk of the word of God. I answered him, that I knew Paul's meaning as well as he, which is 1 Cor. xiv. that a woman ought not to speak in the congregation by the way of teaching. And then I asked him, how many women he had seen go into the pulpit and preach? He said he never saw any. Then I said, he ought to find no fault in poor women, except they had offended against the law.

Then the lord mayor commanded me to ward. I asked him if sureties would not serve me, and he made me short answer, that he would take none. Then was I had to the compter, and there remained twelve days, no friend being admitted to speak with me. But in the mean time there was a priest sent unto me, who said that he was commanded of the bishop to examine me, and to give me good counsel, which he did not. But first he asked me for what cause I was put in the compter, and I told him, I could not tell. Then he said, it was great pity that I should be there without cause, and concluded that he was very sorry for me. Secondly he said, it was told him that I should deny the sacrament of the altar. And I answered again, that what I had said, I had said. Thirdly, he asked me if I were shriven. I told him No. Then he said he would bring one to me to shrive me. And I told him so that I might have one of these, that is to say, Dr. Crome,* sir William, Whitehead, or Huntington, I was contented, because I knew them to be men of wisdom; as for you, or any other, said I, I will not dispraise, because I know you Then he said, I would not have you think but that I, or any other that shall be brought you, shall be as honest as they, for if we were not, you may be sure the king would not suffer us to preach. Then I answered by the saying of Solomon; By communing with the wise, I may learn wisdom, but by talking with a fool, I shall take scathe,†

not.

* Dr. Crome was a person of some eminence among the reformers. He was troubled under the act of six articles, and afterwards in queen Mary's reign; he escaped by making some explanations and retractations, but was always suspected by the Romanists. At this time, 1546, he was called to account by Bonner for a sermon preached at Mercers' chapel, wherein he had urged that Christ was the only sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and that he had offered himself once for all. Crome thereby condemned the popish doctrine respecting

the mass.

+ Harm, injury.