The first examinacio[n] of Anne Askewe latelye martired in Smythfelde, by the Romyshe popes vpholders, wyth the elucydacyon of Iohan Bale.

Iohan Bale.

Se what an horryble synne here was. She alleged the scripture for her bele∣ue, whyche is a sore and a daungerouse matter For it is agaynste the popes ca∣non lawes, and agaynst the olde custo∣mes of holie churche. Sens kynge Hen∣ryes dayes the fourth, hath it ben a bur¦nynge matter, onlye to reade it in the Englyshe tunge, and was called wy∣cleues lernyng, tyll now of late years. And it wyll not be wele with holye churche, tyll it be brought to that point agayne. For it maketh manye herety∣kes agaynst holye churche. O insipy∣ent papystes. These are your corrup∣ted, practyses and abhomynable stu∣dyes, to dryue the symple from God, and yet ye thynke, he seyth yow not, Psalme. xiii. S. Paule sayth (Roma. xv.) what so euer thynges are wrytten in the scriptures, are written for our ler¦nynge, that we through pacyence and cō¦fort

in them, myght haue hope, and ye wyll robbe vs therof. Christ commaun∣ded all peoples, both men and women (Iohan. v.) to serche the scryptures, yf they thynke to haue euerlastynge lyfe, for that lyfe is no where but in thē. Yet wyll yow in payne of deathe kepe them kyll from them.

For ye take vpon ye to sytte in Gods stede, and thynke by that vsurped offy¦ce, that ye maye turne ouer all. ii. Thes. ii. But Christ bad vs to be ware both of yow and your chaplaines, whā he said. There shall aryse false Christes and fal¦se prophetes, workynge many great wō¦ders, and saynge. Lo, here is Christ, and there is Christ. Beleue them not. Matt. xxiiii. And therfore alleged this womā vnto your qwestmongers (the dogges y^t Christ warned vs of, Mathei. vii.) and now vnto yow that saing of S. Paule. Acto. xvii. That God dwelleth not in tē¦ples made with handes which also we¦re the wordes both of Salomon longe afore. iii. Reg. viii. & of Steuen. Act vii. in his tyme. That scripture somoch of∣fēded yow, that ye wolde nedes knowe therof the vnderstādynge. For soche tex¦tes as agre not with the cloynynges of youre cōiurers, and the conueiaunces of your sorcerers, must nedes be seasoned

with Aristotles Phisickes, and fawced with Iohan Donses subtyltees. Here make ye a wonderfull turmoylynge to wrynge out of this Womānes beliue in that matter, that she might eyther beco¦me a creature of your olde God the pope or els be burned, yet haue she not ones re¦moued her fote from the harde founda∣cyon or sauynge rocke Ihesus Chryst. i. Corinth. xi. Blessed be hys holye name for it.

Notes

• scripture.
• practyses.
• Christ.
• In Gods stede.
• Temples.
• Arystotle. Dons.