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

Iohan Bale.

Moche ado is here made, and manye subtyl wayes are sought out, to brynge thys woman into their corrupted, and false beleue, that the corruptyble creatu¦re made with handes, myghte stande in place of the eternall creatore or maker God and man for the prestes aduaunta∣ge. But all is in vayne. In no case wol∣de he so accept it. Nothing lesse mynded Chryst, than to dwell in the breade, or to become a feadinge for the bodye, whan he sayd. Take, eate. Thys is my bodye. For a contrarye doctryne he taughte hys dyscyples the yeare afore hys last supper, as we haue in the vi. chaptre of Iohan Where as he declareth hys flesh to be a spirtiuall meare, hys bloude a spi¦rituall drynke, and both thē to be recey∣ued

in faythe, the breade and the wyne remaynynge as sygnes of his euerlastin¦ge couenaunt. Reason is it that he ra∣ther be iudged the receyuer whyche ly∣ueth in that refeccyon than he which ly¦ueth not therby. Whyche is the sowle & not the bodye. What neaded Christe to haue geuen to those bodies a newe body lye feadynge, whiche were suffycyently fed afore with the passe ouer lambe? If he had not ment therin some other ma∣ner of thynge?

But he sufficiētlye ynough declareth hys owne meanynge, Luce xxii. Where he cōmaundeth vs to do it in his remē∣braunce, and not to make hym agayne by blowynge vpon the breade. Thys sa∣cramentall eatynge and drynkynge in his remēbraunce, S. Paule more large∣ly declareth, i. Cor. xi. So oft (saith he) as ye shall eate of that breade and dryn¦ke of that cuppe, ye shall shewe the lor∣des deathe tyll he come. If ye ernestlie marke that lattre clause (tyll he cōe) ye shall wele perceiue that hys bodilye pre¦sēce in the breade, is vtterly denyed the¦re. More ouer in the afore said xxii. chap¦tre of Luke, bycause we shuld not be to scrupulose, Christe sheweth what that wyne & breade of hys supper were, yea, as he left thē there, euē ī these wordes. I

saie vnto yow (saith he) that hens forth I shall not drynke of thys frute of the vyne (or eate of thys frute of wheate) tyll the kyngdome of God be come, or tyll I drynke it new with yow in my fa¦thers kingedome, Math. xxvi. Marci. xiiii. Here calleth it he y^e iuse of y^e grape or frute of the vyne, and not the bloude yssuynge from hys bodye. Yet is that cuppe (as S. Paule sayth) the parta∣kynge of Christes bloude, and the bread that we breake there, the partakynge of Chrystes bodye, i. Corint xi. But that is in faythe and sprete, as afore in Iohan.

Notes

• Idola∣trye.
• Not in breade,
• The eater
• Remem∣braunce.
• Tyll he come.
• Frute of the vyne.
• Parta∣kynge.