The confession of me Anne Askew, for the tyme I was in Newgate, concerning my beliefe.
I Finde in the Scriptures (sayd she) that Christ tooke the bread and gaue it to his disciples▪* 1.1 saying▪ Take, eate, this is my body which shall be broken for you, meaning in substāce, his owne very body, the bread being thereof an only signe or Sacrament. For after lyke maner of speaking, he sayde, he would breake down the temple, and in three days build it vp agayne, signifieng his owne body by the temple, as S. Iohn declareth it, Iohn. 2. and not the stony temple it selfe. So that the bread is but a remembrance of his death, or a Sacrament of thanks geuing for it,* 1.2 whereby we are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnto him by a communiō of christian loue. Although there be many that cannot perceiue the true meaning ther∣of, for the veile that Moises put ouer his face before ye chil∣dren of Israel, that they should not see the clearenes there∣of, Exod. 24. and 2. Cor. 3. I perceyue the same veyle re∣mayneth to this day. But when God shall take it away, then shall these blynd men see. For it is plainly expressed in the history of Bell in the Bible, that God dwelleth in no thyng materiall.* 1.3 O kyng (sayth Daniel) be not deceiued, for God will be in nothing that is made with hands of men. Dani∣el, 14. Oh, what stifnecked people are these, that will al∣wayes resist the holy Ghost?* 1.4 But as their fathers haue done, so do they, because they haue stony hartes.
Written by me Anne Askew, that ney∣ther wisheth death, nor yet feareth his might, and as mery as one that is bound towards heauen.
Truth is layd in prison, Luke. 21. The law is turned to wormewood, Amos. 6. And there can no right iudgement go forth,* 1.5 Esay. 59.
Oh forgeue vs all our sinnes, and receiue vs graciously. As for the workes of our hands, we will no more call vppon them. For it is thou Lord that art our God. Thou shewest euer mercye vnto the fatherlesse.
Oh, if they would do this (sayth the Lord) I shoulde heale their sores, yea with all my hart would I loue them.
O Ephraim, what haue I to do with Idols any more? who so is wyse, shall vnderstand this. And he that is rightly instructed, will regard it, for the wayes of the Lord are righteous. Such as are godly,* 1.6 will walke in them, and as for the wicked, they will stumble at them. Ose. 14.
Salomon (sayth S. Steuen) builded an house for the God of Iacob. Howbeit, the highest of all dwelleth not in Temples made with hands,* 1.7 as sayth the Prophet: Heauen is my seat, & the earth is my footstoole. What house will ye build for me, saith the Lord? or what place is it that I shall rest in? Hath not my handes made all things?* 1.8 Act. 7.
Woman beleeue me (sayth Christ to the Samaritane) the tyme is at hand, that ye shall neyther in this mountayne, nor yet at Ierusalem worship the father. Ye worshippe ye wotte not what, but we knowe what we worshippe. For saluation commeth of the Iewes. But the houre commeth, and is nowe when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirite and veritie. Iohn. 3.* 1.9
Labour not (sayth Christ) for the meate that perisheth, but for that that endureth into the lyfe euerlastyng, which the sonne of man shall geue you: For hym GOD the Father hath sea∣led, Iohn. 6.