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.