II. THE ORDER AND MANNER OF THE EXAMINATION OF DR RIDLEY, HAD THE THIRTIETH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1555, BEFORE THE QUEEN'S COMMISSIONERS, THE ORDER AND MANNER OF THE EXAMINATION OF DR RIDLEY, HAD THE THIRTIETH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1555, BEFORE THE QUEEN'S COMMISSIONERS. FOX'S PREFACE. the cardi mission sent ford. FIRST, after the appearing of Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, before the pope's delegate and the queen's commissioners, in St Mary's Church at Oxford, about the 12th day of September, whereof more shall be said (by the Lord's grace) when we come to the death of the said archbishop; shortly after, upon the 28th of the said month of September, was sent down to Oxford another commission from Cardinal Pole, legate à latere, to John White bishop The effect of of Lincoln, to Dr Brooks bishop of Gloucester, and to Dr nal's comHolyman bishop of Bristol. The contents and virtue of which down to Oxcommission were, that the said John of Lincoln, James of Gloucester, and John of Bristol, they, or two of them, should have full power and authority, to ascite, examine, and judge Master Hugh Latimer, and Master Dr Ridley, pretensed bishops of Worcester and London, for divers and sundry erroneous opinions, which the said Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley did hold and maintain in open disputations had in Oxford, in the months of May, June, and July, in the year of our Lord 1554, as long before, in the time of perdition', and since. The which opinions if the named persons would [The Commissioners doubtless meant by this expression, the reign of Edward VI, and the latter part of that of Henry VIII. ED.] Ridley and pear. now recant, giving and yielding themselves to the determination of the universal and catholic church, planted by Peter in the blessed see of Rome, that then they the deputed judges, by the said authority of their commission, should have power to receive the said penitent persons, and forthwith minister unto them the reconciliation of the holy father the pope. But if the said Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley would stoutly and stubbornly defend and maintain these their erroneous opinions and assertions; that then the said lords by their commission. should proceed in form of judgment, according to the law of heretics, that is, degrading them from their promotion and dignity of bishops, priests, and all other ecclesiastical orders, should pronounce them as heretics; and therefore clean cut them off from the church, and so yield them to receive punishment due to all such heresy and schism. Wherefore, the last of September', the said two persons, cited to ap- Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, were ascited to appear before the said lords, in the divinity school at Oxford, at eight of the clock. At what time thither repaired the lords, placing themselves in the high seat, made for public lectures and disputations, according to the usage of that school, being then fair set, and trimmed with cloth of tissue and cushions of velvet. And after the said lords were placed and set, the said Latimer and Ridley were sent for; and first appeared Master Dr Ridley, and anon Master Latimer. But because it seemed good severally to examine them, Master Latimer was kept back until Dr Ridley was throughly examined. Therefore, soon after the coming of Dr Ridley into the school, the commission was published by an appointed notary, and openly read. But Dr Ridley, standing bareheaded, humbly expecting the cause of that his appearance, eftsoons as he had heard the cardinal named, and the pope's holiness, put on his Wherefore, after the commission was published in form and sense above specified, the bishop of Lincoln spake in sense following: The words of the bishop of Lincoln to cap. Lincoln:-"Master Ridley, although neither I, neither my lords here, in respect of our own persons do look for cap him, for not or knee, yet because we bear and represent such persons as [Monday, Sept. 30, 1555. See Nicolas' tables. En.] putting off his cap. we do, that is my lord cardinal's grace, legate à latere to the pope's holiness, as well in that he is of a noble parentage [and therewith Master Ridley moved his cap with lowly obeisance] descending from the regal blood, as in that he is a man worthy to be reverenced with all humility for his great knowledge and learning, noble virtues, and godly life, and especially in that he is here in England deputy to the pope's holiness, it should have become you at this name to have uncovered your head. Wherefore, except you will of your ownself take the pains to put your hand to your head, and at the nomination, as well of the said cardinal, as of the pope's holiness, uncover the same, lest that this your contumacy, exhibited now before us, should be prejudicial to the said most reverend persons (which thing we may in no case suffer), you shall cause us to take the pain to cause some man to pluck off your cap from you." To whom Master Ridley making his petition for licence, answered: Ridley to verenceth that the person man nal, but not of the cardi his legacy. Ridley:-"As touching that you said, my lord, that you Answer of of your own persons desire no cap nor knee, but only require him. the same in consideration that you represent the cardinal grace's person, I do you to wit, and thereupon make my protestation, that I did put on my cap at the naming of the cardinal's grace, neither for any contumacy that I bear towards your own persons, neither for any derogation of honour to the lord cardinal's grace: for I know him to be Ridley rea man worthy of all humility, reverence, and honour, in he came of the most regal blood, and in that he is a endued with manifold graces of learning and virtue. as touching these virtues and points, I, with all humility [therewith he put off his cap, and bowed his knee] and obeisance that I may, will reverence and honour his grace: but, in that he is legate to the bishop of Rome, [and therewith put on his cap,] whose usurped supremacy and abused authority I utterly refuse and renounce, I may in no wise give any obeisance or honour unto him, lest that my so doing and behaviour might be prejudicial to mine oath, and a derogation to the verity of God's word. And therefore, Ridley doeth that I might not only by confession profess the verity in rence to the 17 And not reve pope. [RIDLEY.] |