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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1898)
P orch VOL. 2. R eason . of 8H .V EBT0K , OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1898. Christian Persecutions. NO. 49. replied: “ I say th at the mouse is do so. Then Wriothesly and Rich they were marked men and entreat- damned!” “Alack, poor mouse.” threw off their gowns, and threat ed to withdraw NE of the woist features of was her quiet reply; and so at once ening the lieutenant that they Christianit/ is the fact that all his divinity was discomfited. As we now stand in the area of would complain of his disobedience the different schools of She herself, in the most artless Smithfield we can picture to our king, “they worked the rack sej on that memorable fanatics have not only persecuted language, gives the account of her themselves till her bones and joints selves • , , the !,,, scene Cfcnf on ere it was under Sfc. Bar those who believe in freedom of various examinations. In her in- were almost plucked asunder.” ° lg ‘ ' tholomew’s church. There sat ben the lieutenant caused her to thought, hut have, and still do, terview with a priest she likewise W rtotheslv, lord chancellor of Eng persecute each other to the extent called upon him to answer his own he ,oose<l down from the rack she land, the old Duke of Norfolk, the question, on which he told her I inn,,etl’ately swooned. “Then,” of their power. I he following ac that it was against the order o fi8‘^e writes, “they recovered me old Earl of Bedford, the lord may count, taken from an old English the schools that he who asked the again ” After that, “I sate two or, with divers others. book, shows how cruel those who question At the written an-,1 lord . . . . . should r u u u i u he i/c required i r q m r e u to to a n- ” hours reasoning with w i» u my m y io r< i ----- very — j last, » a m i n c u p par- a r- claimed to be true Christians were to swer it”; she at once tells him that chancellor on the bare floor, where (,on from the king was offered to with many flattering words per- Anne Askew, upon condition that those who had advanced far enough “she is but a woman and knows not to see some of the absurdities of the course of schools.” She then re- suaded me to leave my opinion; 8he would recant. The fearless lady eyes and J would not counts her conference with his arch- but ”'-v Loril (i°d 0 thank His ev- turned away 1 her --------- Christianity as it was then: deacon, when sent for by Bonner,1 ctlasting goodness) gave me grace look upon it. She them told that Surely, few women have so dear and afterward with Burner h im -p e rs e v e re , and will do, I hope, to she came not thither to deny her ly and truly won the title of hero self, when he endeavored to gain very end.” And she concludes Lord and Master. The fire was or u; ine, in the highest sense of the her confidence by a pretended in t.iis account to her friend bv say dered to he put under her, “and word, as the poor persecuted mar terest in her welfare, and so to put ing: “ Rarewell, dear friend, aud thus,” to use the words of John Foxe, “the good Anne Askew, with tyr, Anne Askew. Few have pos her off her guard, “He brought pray, pray, pray.” sessed a presence of mind so unsup forth his unsavory similitude,” she She gives her confession of faith these blessed martyrs, having pass ported by human strength, or so said, “that if atrnan had a wound, and concludes it with this beauti ed through so many torments, hav uncountenanced by human friends, no wise surgeon could minister help ful prayer: “O Lord! I have more ing now ended ttie long course of as this young and delicate lady. unto it before he had seen it un enemies now than there be hairs on her agonies, being compassed in 1 he wisdom and discreetness which covered; in like case,” said he, “can ' my head! vet; Lord, let them never with flames of fire as a bles3ed sac she exhibited in answering the in I give you no good counsel unless overcome me with vain words, bu- rifice unto God, she slept in the sidious questions, and baffling the I know wherewith your heart is fight thou, Lord, in my stead; for Lord, A. D. 1546, leaving behind crafty designs of her enemies, were burdened.” “ I answered,” said Ar- on Thee cast J my care! With all her a singular example of Christian no less remarkable than her clear ne Askew, -that tny conscience was the spite they can imagine they fall constancy for all men to follow t t and accurate knowledge of the clear and that to lay a plaster upon upon me, who am Thy poor crea- Her crime was the denial of the Mass. “ L o , this,” she wrote, “is word of God and her resolute spirit a whole skin was much folly.” ture. Yet, sweet Lord, let me not the heresy that I hold, and for it in cleaving to that word. And thus But we pass over these examina ■*et by them that are against me; she met and surmounted all the tions, in which the patience of those for in Thee is my whoie delight. must suffer death.” She kept the difficulties to which she was ex adversaries who could not overcome And, Lord, I heartily desire of Thee faith to her God, she kept the faith posed in one conference after an her patience, was at length ex- that 1 hou wilt of Thy most merci to her friends, for she betrayed no other with the most skilfull and hausted. These bold and crafty ful goodness forgive them that vio one, enduring shame and agony subtle of the Popish party, and men were determined to spare ------ --- - ........ .................. lence which they do and have done with meek unshaken constancy. everyone who encountered with her neither threat nor violence bv lln,° meJ °l’en also Thou their O, none but Christ, none hut Christ was completely foiled by her truth, which they might extort from her blind hearts that they may here- could have made the weakness of a her simplicity of wisdom, her pa- some word or other as a ground of afler (,° that thing in Thy sight delicate woman so strong, the fee ttence and her calm trust in God. accusation against the Lady Her- ’which is only acceptable before bleness of a mortal creature so tri Her piteous story is enough to melt bert, who was the queen’s sister, or bee, and to set forth Thy verity umphant! the sternest man to tears, were it the Duchess of Suffolk, and so at aright without all vain fantasies of , v j the Catho- nut that the heart must throb and ; |a„, Que(,n Katherine herself. As sinful men. So be if. O Lord, so " 8 do not lies, whose victims number legions; the cheek bur., at the disgraceful yet they had discovered nothing, he it.” consciousness that Englishmen and Rich alld another of the council we do not condemn the Protest English prelates could be found bad came to her in tl T vvu“““ I Unable to walk or stand from the fi i at a 1 the Tower, where tortures she had suffered, poor An ants, who were fully as bad when- O and base . nough to make th at gen- , he „ „ then confitled) n(j ------------III , eTer lhey had the power; nor do we VIKXll LU ' I ' '-7 .... " tie lady the victim of their diabol rnanded that she should make the Smithfield, and when brought to condemn the Protestant writer of ical malice. , disclosures " hid, they required the stake, was fastened to it by a the above for saying, “Oh none but We read that she was examined concern.ng her party and her chain which held up her body and P h .t., , . . . Christ, none but Christ could have and questioned concerning her opin friends. She told them nothing. one who beheld her there, describes j ions bv Christopher Dare and Sir “ Then they did put me on the rack,” her as “having an angel’s counte- ‘he weakne" of * ^ '¡c a te ----®he relates, “because I confessed no nance and a smiling&face.” She wornan 80 strong, the feebleness of Martin Bowes, the lord mayor and their brother commissioners. With ladies nor gentlemen to he of my had three companions in her last a m,,rtal creature so triumphant.” what inimitable simplicity did she opinion; and thereon lhey kept me agonies, fellow martyrs with her- Ignorance was the cause of it all reply in that conversation, which is for a long time, and because I lay self. John Lscels, a gentleman of They knew no latter. But we now recorded to have taken place be- still and did not cry,.nv lord chan- the court and household of Kine b„„„ . tween the lord mayor and heself: cellor and Mr. Rich look pains to Henry; John Adams a tavlor and 'H |,8'’ple l,f ma"y dlfferent ................................................................. “ ................ What if a mouse eat the sacra- rac^ me with their own bands till Nicholas Belenian, ’ a priest' of " " “I0”’ HaVe 6Ud8red f° r their mental bread after it is consecrat- 1 was nigh dead.” These two . Shropshire. The apostate Sl.axton, opinions, that Christ ---------- has no -------- more - ed,” was the absurd question, “what wretches, it is recorded, provoked preached the sermon. The three to do with character and the ability shall become of the mouse; what t»y her saint like endurance, ---------, — --------- ------- Ult5 nc3r the KInKinen order- Throckmortons, near kinsmen to “keep one’s faith” than Chrish- sayest thou, thou foolish woman9” ed the lieutenant of the Tower to of the queen and members of her ria, Buddha or .Mohammed did,and “ Nay, what say you, my lord, will rack her again. He, Sir Anthony household, had drawn near to corn- become of it?” she answered. Thus Enevett, “ tendered the weakness of fort Anne Askew and her three that even the much-despised Infi dels have always had their share of urged, the blundering lord mayor the woman,” positively refused to companions, but were warned that the Bruno spirit of faithfulness.