The Examinations of Anne Askew

主題 Topic	女性與宗教
書刊名 Title	The Examinations of Anne Askew
作者 Author	Anne Askew; Elaine V. Beilin, ed.
出版社 Publisher	Oxford
出版年 Year	1996
語言 Language	英文
裝訂 Binding	■平裝 Paperback　　　　□ 精裝 Hardcover
頁數 Pages	198
ISBN (10 / 13)	ISBN0-19-510849-3
Bibliography Reference	(STC, Duff, GW . . .)
來源網址 Web Link
劇本簡介撰稿者	余慧珠
撰寫日期 Date	2015/5/31

A.   簡介 Introduction (within 100 words, Chinese or English)

安‧雅斯邱(Anne Askew 1521-1546)出身林肯郡的望族，一心追求宗教改革，不惜與信奉天主教的丈夫離異，前往倫敦加入新教徒的陣營，為自己的宗教立場發聲。雖然亨利八世主導政教分離，積極讓英國脫離羅馬教廷的管轄，但是當時的社會風氣仍然相當保守，並不允許女人參與宗教議題的辯論，因此安‧雅斯邱為此獲罪入獄，最後被視為異端判處死刑。本書所收錄的正是安‧雅斯邱在審訊期間為自己的辯護，勇敢為自己爭取閱讀並解釋聖經的權利，要求讓女性參與宗教議題辯論，甚至擁有檢視教義的權利。本書紀錄安‧雅斯邱與約翰‧貝爾(John Bale)之間的答辯，不但道出十六世紀女性在宗教信仰方面的困境，也呈現了安‧雅斯邱為爭取宗教自由所展現的殉道精神。

B.   文本摘錄 Extracts (4-6 Pages)

P5~p6
If they be only (as was Johan Baptyst) great afroe the lorde by the holye scriptures allowaunce, whych are strongelye adourned with the graces of hys sprete, as faythe, force, understandynge, wysdome, pacyence, love, longe sufferaunce and soche lyke. I dare boldelye affere these 4. Myghtye witnesses also to be the same, so well as the martyrs of the prymatyve or Apostles churche. For so strongelye had these those vertues as they, and so boldelye objected their bodyes to the deathe for the undefiled Christen believe, agaynst, the malygnaunt Synagoge of Sathan, as ever ded they, for no tyrannye admyttynge anye create or corruptible substaunce for their eternall lyvynge god. If their blynde babyes to prove them unlyke, do object agaynst me, the myracles shewed at their deathes more than at these, as that unfaythfull generacyon is ever desyerouse of wonders Math. 12
 
P11
Prompt was Blandina, and of most lustye corage, in renderynge her lyfe for the lyberte of her faythe, No less lyvelye and quyck was Anne Askewe in all her enprysonynges and tormentes. Great was the love, Blandina had to Christ. No lesse was the love of Anne Askewe. Blandina never faynted in torment. No more ded Anne Askewe in sprete, whan she was so terribly racked of Wrysleye the chaunceller and Ryche, that the strynges of her ares and eyes were perished. Blandina derided the cruelte of the tyrauntes. So ded Anne Askewe the madnesse of the Byshoppes and their speche men. Reade burnynge plates of yron and of brasse had Blandina put to her sydes.
 
P20-26
Anne Askewe
Secondly he sayd, that there was a woman, whych ded testyfye, that I shuld reade, how God was not in temples made with handes. Then I shewed hym the vii. And the xvii. Chapter of the Apostles actes, what Steven and Paule had sayd therin. Wherupon he asked me, how I toke those sentences? I answered, that I wolde not throwe perles amonge swine, for acorns were good ynough.
 
Johan Bale
An ignoraunt woman, yea a beast with out faythe, ys herin allowed to judge the holye scriptures heresye, and agaynst all good laws admitted to accuse thys godlye woman the servaunt of Christ, for an haynouse heretyke, for the onlye readinge of them. As perverse and blasphemouse was thys qwestmonger as she, and as beastlye ignoraunt in the doctrine of helthem, yet is neyther of them judged yll of the worlde, but the one permitted to accuse thys true member of Christ, and the other to condempne her. Wherfor her answere out of the vii. Chapter of Matthew, was most fytt for them. For they are no better than swyne, that so contempne the precyouse treasure of the Gospell, for the myre of mennys tradycyons.
 
Anne Askewe
Thirdly he asked me, wherfor I sayd, that I had rather to reade fyve lynes in the Bible, than to heare fyve masses in the temple. I confessed, that I sayd no lesse. Not for the dysprayse of eyther the Epistle or Gospell. But bycause the one ded greatlye edyfye me, and the other nothinge at all. As saynt Paule doth witnesse in the xiiii chapter of hys first Epistle to the Corinthes, whereas he doth saye. If the trumpe geveth an uncertayne sounde, who wyll prepare hymselfe to the battayle?
 
Johan Bale
A commaundement hath Christ geven us, to serche the holye scriptures, Johan. 5. for in them onlye is the lyfe eternall. Blessed is he (sayth Christ unto Johan) whych readeth and heareth the words of thys prophecye, Apo. 1. But of the latyne popysh masse, is not one worde in all the Byble, and therfor it perteyneth not to faythe. A strayght commaundement have almyghtye God geven, Deutro. 12. that nothynge be added to hys worde, nor yet taken from it. Put thu nothynge unto his words (saith Salomon, Prov. 30.) least thu be founde in so doynge, a reprobate persone and a lyar. S. Paule wylled nothynge to be uttered in a dead speche. 1. Corin. 14. ( as are your masse and mattens ) but silence alwayes to be in the congregacyons, where as is no interpretour, for fyve words (sayth he ) avayleth more to understandynge, than x. thousand words with the tonge. Thys proveth temple service of the papystes all the yeare, to be worth nothynge.
 
Anne Askewe
Fortlye he layed unto my charge, that I shuld saye, If an yll prest mynystred, it was the devyll and not God. My answere was, that I never spake soche thynge. But thys was my sayenge, That what so ever he were, whych mynystred unto me, hys yll condycyons coulde not hurte my faythe. But in sprete I received never the lesse, the bodye and bloude off Christ.
 
Johan Bale
Christ sayth, Joan. 6. Have not I chosen yow xiii. and yet one of yow is a devyll, meanynge Judas that false and undaythfull prest. No lesse saythPeter. 2. Pet. 2 of those lyenge cruates, by whome the truthe is blasphemed, and the people made merchaundyce of in their covetousnesse. If the yll frute than, be all one with the yll tree in noughtynesse, the worde of a devyll must be devylysh. God sayd unto the wyched prestes, Esa. i. Hier. 6. Amos 5. and Mala. 2. that he abhorred their sacryfyces, and also hated them, even at the verye hart, wyllynge both heaven and earthe to marke it. Into Judas entered Sathan, after the soppe was geven hym, Joan. 13. where as the other Apostles recyved the bodye and bloude of Christ. The table was all one to them both, so was the breade which their mouthes received. The inward receyvynges than in Peter and in Judas, made all the dyversyte, whych was believe and unbeleve, or faythe and unfaythefulnesse, as Christ largelye declareth in the vi. of Johan, where as he shewed afore hande, the full doctrine of that mystycall supper. Onlye he that beleveth, hath there the promes of the lyfe everlastinge, and not he that eateth the materyall breade. Of God are they taught, and not of men, whych trulye understande thys doctryne.
 
Anne Askewe
Fiftly he asked me. What I sayd concernynge confession? I answered hym my meanynge, whych was as Saynt James sayth, that everye man ought to acknowledge hys fautes to other, and the one to praye for the other.
 
Johan Bale
Thys confession onlye do, the scripture appoint us, Jac. 5. as we have offended our neyber: But yf we have offended God, we must sorowfullye acknowledge it before hym. And he (sayth Saynt Johan, 1. Johan. 1. hath faythfullye promised to forgeve us our synnes, yf we so do, and to clense us from all unryghtousnesse. If the lawe of truthe be in the prestes mouthe, he ys to be sought unto for godlye counsel, Mala. 2. But yf he be a blasphemouse hypocryte or superstycyouse fole, he ys to be shourned as a most pestilent poyson.
 
Anne Askewe
Sixtly he asked me. What I sayd to the kynges boke? And I answered hym, that I coulde saye nothynge to it, bycause I never sawe it.
 
Johan Bale
All craftye wayes possyble, sought thys quarellynge qwestmonger, or els te devyll in hym, to brynge thy poore innocent lambe to the slaughter place of Antichrist. Moche after thys sort sought the wicked Pharysees by serten of their owne faccyon or hyered satellytes with the Herodyanes, to brynge Christ in daunger of Cesar, and so to have hym slayne, Mat. 22. Mar. 12. Luce 21.
 
Anne Askewe
Seventhly he asked me, if I had the sprete of God in me? I answered if I had not, I was but a reprobate or cast awaye.
 
Johan Bale
Electe are we of God (sayth Peter) through the sanctyfyenge of the sprete. i. Petri i. In everye true Christen belever dwelleth the sprete of God. Jo. 14. Their sowles are the sanctyfyed temple of the holye Ghost. 1. Corin. 3. He that hath not the sprete of Christ (sayth Paule) is non of Christes, Roma. 8. To them is the holye Ghost geven, whych heareth the Gospell and beleveth it, and not unto them whych wyll be justyfyed by their works. Gala. 2. All these worthye scryptures confirmet her saynge.
 
Anne Askewe
Then he sayd, he had sent for a prest to examine me, whych was there at hande. The prest asked me, what I sayd to the Sacrament of the aultre? and required moche to knowe theirn my meaninge. But I desyred hym agayne, to holde me excused concernynge that matter. Non other answere wolde I make hym, because I perceived hym a papyst.
 
Johan Bale
Mockynge prestes (saythe Esaye) hath rule of the lordes people. Whose voyces are in their drunckennesse. Byd that maye be bydden, forbid that maye be forbydden. Kepe backe that maye be kept backe, here a little and there a little. Esaie xxviii. A plage shal come upon these, for why, they have changed the ordynaunces, and made the everlastinge testament of non effect, Esa. 24. They witholde (sayth S. Paule) the veryte of God in unryghtousnesse, Roma. 1. They brede cockatrice egges (saythe Esaye) and weve the spyders webbe. Who so eateth of their egges, dyeth. But if one treadeth upon them, there cometh up a serpent, Esaie 59.
 
 
Anne Askewe
Eyghtly he asked me, if I ded not thynke, that private masses ded helpe sowles departed. And I sayd, it was great Idololatrye to beleve more in them, than in the deathe whych Christ dyed for us.
 
Johan Bale
Here, ryseth the serpent of the cockatrice egges, worckemanlye to fulfill the afore alleged prophecye, if their Masses had bene of Gods creacyon, ordynaunce or commaundement, or if they had bene in anye poynt necessarye for mannys behove, they had bene regestred in the boke of lyfe, whych is the sacred Byble. But therin is, neither mencyon of Masse private nor publyque, severall nor commen, single nor double, high nor lowe, by fote not on horsebacke, or by note as they call it. If they be thynges added by nannys invencyon (as they can be non other, not beynge there named) than am I sure that the scriptures call them fylthynesse, rust, chaffe, draffe, swylle, dronckennesse, fronycacyon, mentrue, mannys dyrt, adders egges, poyson, snares, the breade of wycked lyes, and the cuppe of God curse. Their orygynall grounde shuld seme to be taken of the Druydes or pagane Prestes, whych inhabyted thys realme longe afore Christes incarnacyon, and had than practysed sacryfyces publyque and pryvate. Lock Cornelius Tacitus, Caius Julius, Plinius, Strabo, and soch other authours. That name of pryvacyon added unto their Masse, clerelye depryveth it of Christen communyon, where one man eateth up all, and dystrybuteth nothynge.
How soche ware shulde helpe the sowles departed, I can not tell. But wele I wote, that the wounded man betwixt Hierusalem and Hierico, had no helpe of them, Luce 10. The Samarytane whych was rekened but a pagane amonge them, was hys onlye comfort. In the most popysh tyme was never more horryble blasphemye, than thys is. Thys wyckednesse impugneth all the promyses of God concernynge faythe and remyssyon of synnes. It repugneth also to the whole doctryne of the Gospell. The applycacyon of Christes supper, avayleth them onlye that be alive, tacynge, eatynge, and drynkynge that is therin mynystered. Nomore can the prestes receyvynge of that sacrament profyght another man, than can hys receyvynge of Baptysme or of penaunce, as they call it. If it profyteth not the qwyck, how can it profyght the dead? No sacrifice is the Masse, nor yet good worke, but a blasphemouse prophanacyon of the Lordes holye supper, a manyfeset wyckednesse, an horryble Idololatrye, and a fowle abhomynacyon, beynge thus a ryte of worshyppynge without the worde, yea agaynst the expresse worde of God.