MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Anne Askew, Iohn Lacelles, Iohn Adams, Nicholas Belenian.THere was at the same tyme also burnt together with her, one Nicolas Belenian Priest of Shropshiere, Iohn Adams a Taylor, and Iohn LacelsGentleman of the Court and houshold of king Henry.

It happened well for them, that they dyed together with Anne Askew. For al be it that of them selues they were strong and stout men, yet throughe the example & exhortation of her, they being þ^e more boldned, receiued occasion of greater comfort in that so painfull & doleful kinde of death: who beholding her inuincible constancie, and also styrred vp through her perswasions, did set apart all kynde of feare.

Thus they confirming one an other with mutuall exhortations, taried looking for the tormentor and fire, which at the last flaming round about them, consumed their blessed bodies in happy martyrdome, in the yeare of our saluation. 1546. about the moneth of Iune.

There is also a certayne letter extant, which the said Iohn Lacels briefly wrote being in prison, touching the Sacrament of Christes bodye and bloud: wherein he doth both confute the errour of them, which, not being contented with the spiritual receiuing of the sacramēt, wyll leaue no substaunce of bread therein, and also confuteth the sinister interpretation of manye thereupon. The tenor of which letter is as here vnder followeth.

¶ The copy of the letter of Iohn Lacels written out of prison  

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John Lascelles's letter is not included in the Bale editions of the Examinations.

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MarginaliaThe letter of Maister Iohn Lacelles, writtē out of prison.SAint Paule, because of sectes and dissension among the Corinthians, wrote his Epistle vnto them: and in lyke case pertaining to my conscience, I doo protest my whole hart in the blessed supper of the Lord, wherin I trust in God to bring nothing for me, but I shall be able with Gods holy worde to declare and manifest the same. And herein I take occasion to recite the saying of Saint Paule in the sayd Epistle the. xj. chapter. That which I delyuered vnto you, I receyued of the Lorde. For the Lord Iesus, the same nyght in whych he was betrayed, tooke breade, gaue thankes and brake it, and sayd: take ye, eate ye, thys is my body, whych is broken for you.Marginalia1. Cor. 11.

Here me semeth, S. Paul durst not take vppon hym his Lord & maisters authoritie. Wherfore, as at Gods hand the breakyng of the most innocent & immaculate bodye and bloude of Christ, is the quietnes of all mens consciences, the onely remedye of our sinnes, and the redemption of mankynde which is called in the Scripture the dayly offryng: MarginaliaThe blasphemie and wickednes of the Masse.so the Masse whiche is the inuētion of man (whose author is the Pope of Rome, as it doth appeare in Polidore Virgill and many others) is the vnquietnes of all Christendome, a blasphemy vnto Christes bloud, and (as Daniell calleth it) MarginaliaA Prophesie.the abominable desolation, as the Scripture shall hereafter more manifest it. MarginaliaS. Paule dyd not take vpon hym in the person of Christ, to say: Hoc est corpus meū, as our priestes do.S. Paul was belyke, to learne of the Romaines Church, þ^e maner of the consecration (as they call it) with the breathyng ouer the hoste and other ceremonies besides, that hee durst not take vpon hym, to say: Hoc est corpus meum. But this I will admit: it was the Lord Iesus that made the supper, whiche also did finishe it, and made an ende of the onely acte of our saluation, not only here in this world, but with his father in heauen, as he declareth hym self: that he will drinke no more of this bitter cup, til he drinke it new in his fathers kingdome, where all bitternes shall be takē awaye.

Now if any man be able to finishe the acte of our Sauiour, in breaking of his body and sheeding of his bloud here, and also to finishe it with the father in heauen, thē let him say it. But I thinke that if men will looke vpon S. Paules wordes well, they shalbe forced to say, as S. Paul sayth: MarginaliaNone but Christ can say: Hoc est corpus meū: And he said it once for all.the Lord Iesus sayd it, and once for all, whiche onely was the fulfiller of it. For these wordes: Hoc est corpus meū, were spoken of his naturall pre-sence (whiche no man is able to deny) because the acte was finished on the crosse, as the story doth playnly manifest it to them that haue eyes. Now this bloudy sacrifice is made an end of, the supper is finished, for asmuch as Christ hath once suffered for sinnes, the iust for the vniust, to bryng vs to God, and was killed as pertaynyng to the fleshe: Marginalia1. Pet. 3.and hath entred in by his owne bloud once for all, into the holy place, and founde eternall redemption.MarginaliaHeb. 9.

Here now foloweth the administratiō of the supper of the Lord, whiche I will take at Christes handes after the resurrection, although other men will not bee ashamed to bryng the wicked Councels of foolishe inuentions for them. And it came to paße as Christ sat at meate with them, he tooke bread, bleßed and brake it, and gaue it to them, and theyr eyes were opened and knew hym, and hee vanished out of theyr sight. MarginaliaLuke. 24.And the Apostles did know hym in breakyng of bread.

MarginaliaThe right vse of the Supper in the Apostles tyme.Here also it semeth to me the Apostles to folow their Maister Christ, and to take the right vse of the Sacrament, and also to teach it to those that were conuerted to Christ, as mention is made in the Actes of the Apostles: where as is sayd: They continued in the Apostles doctrine and felowshyp, in breaking of bread and praier, and they continued daylye wyth one accord in the temple, and brake bread in euery house, and dyd eate there with gladnes and singlenes of hart, praysing God, and had fauour with all the people. MarginaliaActes. 2.And S. Paule following the same doctrine, doth playnly shew the dutie of the Minister, and also of them that shall receiue it: As oft as you shall eate thys bread, and drinke this cup, ye shall shewe the Lordes death vntyll he come. Marginalia1. Cor. 11.
How farre the power of the minister extendeth in consecrating the Supper.Here I do gather that the Minister hath no farther power and authoritie, then to preach & pronounce the Lordes death, or els to say the Lord Iesus sayd it, which did fulfill it on the crosse.

MarginaliaHow the fleshe of Christ is eaten in the Supper.Furthermore I do stedfastly beleue, that where the bread is broken according to the ordinaunce of Christ, the blessed and immaculate Lambe is present to the eyes of our fayth, and so we eate his flesh, and drynke his blood, which is to dwell with God, and God wyth vs. And in this we are sure wee dwell with God, in that he geueth vs his holye spirite, euen as the forefathers that were before Christes comming, did presentlye see the Lordes death, and did eate his bodye and drinke hys bloud.

MarginaliaPopish Priestes take vpon them to doe more then euer Christ dyd.In this doo I differ from the Popes Churche, that the Priestes haue authoritie to make Christes natural presence in the breade, for so doth hee more then our Lord and Sauiour did: As the example is manifest in Iudas, which at Christes handes receiued the same wyne and breade, as the other Apostles did. But the Pope and his adherents, are euen they whom Daniel speaketh of, saying: MarginaliaDan. 11.He shall set men to vnhalow the sanctuary, and to put downe the dayly offeryng, and to set vp the abominable desolation. Yea, he (of Rome) shall speake marueylous thinges agaynst the God of heauen, and God of all Gods, wherein he shall prosper so long, tyll the wrath bee fulfilled, for the conclusion is deuised already. He shall not regard the God of heauen, nor the God of his fathers, yea in his place shall he worshippe the myghtye Idoll, and the God whom hys fathers knew not, which is the God Maozim.MarginaliaMaozim signifieth in Hebrue, as much as God of diuers temples.
The God Maozim in Daniell, alludeth much heare to Mazon, which signifieth bread.

For lacke of tyme I leaue the commemoration of the blessed supper of the Lord, and the abominable Idoll the Masse, which is it that Daniell meaneth by the God Maozim. Read the second and last chap. of Daniell, the ij. to the Thessal. the second Epistle, MarginaliaMath. 24.
Mark. 13.
Luke. 21.
2. Theß. 2.where as they recite the abomination of desolation which Mathew sayth, standeth in the holy place, which is the consciences of men. Marke sayth, where it ought not to stand, which is a playne deniall of all the inuentions of men. Further Luke sayth, the tyme is at hād. Paule sayth, the misterye of iniquitie woorketh already, yea, and shall continue till the appearaunce of Christ, whiche in my iudgement, is at hand.

Now for the supper of the Lord, I doo protest to take it as reuerētly as Christ left it, and as his Apostles