England's remembrancer setting forth the beginning of papal tyrannies, bloody persecutions, plots, and inhuman butcheries, exercised on the professors of the Gospel in England dissenting from the Church of Rome : with an account of all, or most of the martyrs that were put to death by the cruel papists in this kingdom, until the Reformation in the reign of King Edw. 6 and Queen Elizabeth : also the first rise of the writ de heretico comburendo, for burning of hereticks ...

The Martyrdom and Cruel usage of Mrs. Ann Askew and 3 Gentlemen in Smithfield.

Mrs. Ann Askew had been in great tro••ble for a year before 1546, having been in several prisons, had before the Lord Mayor, the Bishop, and Coun∣cell, for her religion, chiefly for not owning the real presence in the Sacrament being also most falsly accused of several other Articles, by the malice and Instigation of the Popish Priests her inveterate Enemies; but by her prudent Answers to all their intrapping questions, and by the solicitation of her Friends, she came cut upon bail; but the year 1546. by means of her aforesaid Enemies, and especially by the power and malice of Bishop Bon∣ner then Bishop of London, and the Chancellor Writhsley she was brought again into trouble, and put into prison, being several times examined, they

hoping by her means to detect several Ladys and great persons of her acquaintance, for Here∣ticks; but all they could doe could not make her Confess any to do them injury; which so enraged them, that they took her from Newgate where she had been imprisoned, and sent her to the Tower, where they resolved to torment this Innocent Gentlewomen, but most Constant servant of Jesus Christ. Therefore to make her Confess, they cau∣sed her to be put upon the Rack, where they kept her till she swouned, and when the Lieutenant of the Tower pittying her weak Condition, refused to rack her any Longer, The Chancellor himself and o••e Mr. Rich who was with him, threatned the Lieutenant of the Tower to Complain of him to the King, for favouring Hereticks; this was Sr. Anthony Knevet; but when they saw they could not prevail with him to torment the languishing Gentlewoman any farther, the Chancellor and Rich throwing off their gowns, would needs play the Tormentors themselves, and asking her first if she were with child, she told them they should not spare her for that, but do their wills upon her, upon which they lay'd her again upon the Rack, where they most Cruelly and barbarously tormented her, till all her bones and joynts were pulled out of their places, she enduring it with most admirable patience, all the time praying to God, and when they had tyred themselves to no purpose, not being able with all their torments to make her Confess any thing, or accuse any body▪ they left her to be carried away in a chair to her lodging, not being able to stir hand or foot. She was therefore at last Condemned to be burnt, upon that Article, for denying the real pre∣fence after the words of Consecration, which she denyed, saying, that then their Creed was false, which says, he sitteth at the Right hand of God the Father Almighty, &c. This Gentlewoman was born of a good stock, and might have liv'd well and plentifully and in great prosperity, would she have gone against her Conscience, and have denied

Christ: But she gloried in her sufferings, which God en••bled her to endure, and at last sealed ne•• testimony with her blood, after she had been seve∣ral ways tormented, and leaving behind her an example of Christian fortitude for all men to follow, and by her example and exhortations, the three a∣fores••••d men, Mr. Laces••s, Belenian, and Adams, were encouraged, and received from her great comfort at their Death, being burnt with nor in Smithfield. Mrs Askew being not able to goe by reason of her racking, she was brought to the Stake in a chair, where she was fastned by the middle, with a chain, and so were the rest of the Martyrs, and all things being prepared, there being a great Concourse of people, and the Chancellor, the Duke of Northfolk, the Earl of Bedford, the Lord Mayer and others of quality being present, sitting on a Scaffold, Dr. Snaxton made a Sermon, after which the fire being ready to be put to them, the Chancel∣lor sent to Mrs. Askew the Ks. pardon, if she woul•• recant her opinion, which she utterly refused: Then the same was offer'd to the rest, but they also followed her example, being strengthened by her exhortations, upon which the Lord Mayor cryed, fiat J••stitia. and so caused fire to be put to them, which these Martyrs constantly and without shrinking, or shewing any change endured, till their bodies were consumed. This execution was about the month of June. 1546.

Th•• Reformation begun by King Ed. 6th.

The next year being 1547, King Henry dyed, and the Church of God had a respite, by the reign of the most pious King Edward the 6th, who begun the Reformation, and fully extirpated Popery out of his Land, all whose daies the Gospel flourished, and the Church of Christ was established, and he with singular constancy maintained Religion, but his reign being but short, continuing but six years and eight Months, and Queen Mary his sister a strong Papist succeeding, the blessed Reformation was thrown down, Popery again set up, and fire and

flame enkindled, in all places thorow this Kingdom, by the means of the Popish Clergy, who most cruelly handled all those who professed the Gospel of Christ; being a far greater and smarter persecution, than any that went before, which shall be, God willing, the subject of our Third, and last part of the Popish Cruelties, exercised upon the Bodys of Protestants, dissenters from them, or such as professed the true Gospel of Christ, or any ways opposed their Idolatry and Superstition.