(he Mass or not; which, tho' said by Fox, it is probable he never was.—Ridley was now desirous of a conference with his fellow prisoners, to sift his own opinions, and correct or strengthen them from the expciience of those Veterans. He knew his life was at stake, and he verily believed the truth of Christ was so likewise : he would not willingly rush on death thro' tortures, for a mistaken question, or a point of little importance ; nor weakly betray the cause of truth, either over-reached by their sophistry, or terrified by their cruelties. He therefore desired the sincere advice of these true friends, either to point out his errors, or confirm his resolution. For which purpose they had several conferences, exchanging papers and letters on these subjects : a very particular account of which our Historian hath given us, full of great entertainment.

Thus did the good Bishop employ himself in his prison ; examining himself, and trying his own spirit carefully, lest either ignorance or prejudice should mislead him ; seeking the advice of the elder and more experienced ; proposing his reasons, and submitting them to the censure of others. In short, all thro' his life, he applied with great industry to acquaint himself with the truth, and when assured, no man shewed more resolution in maintaining it.

In 1554, a public disputation was appointed at Oxford, in which these three principal Professors were appointed, like Criminals in the amphitheatre, to be first baited, then sacrificed. They were conveyed to Oxford from the Tower, a little before faster, which fell on the 25th of March. The questions to be debated on were these three, viz. 1. Whether the natural body of Christ was really in the Sacrament? 2. Whether any other substance did remain after the words of consecration, than the body and blood of Christ ? 3. Whether in the Mass there was a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the dead and living ?— Our Author is very particular in the preparations made for this disputation, and in the behaviour of Cranmer and Latimer: we confine ourselves to Ridley; who was brought before the assembly immediately after the Archbishop. Upon hearing the articles read over, he answered without any musing or dehy, they were all false; and that they sprung out of a bitter and sour root. The Commissioners charged him with preaching a sermon, while he was Bishop of Rochester, in maintenance of Transubstantiation. This he denied, defying them to produce one Witness who heard him ; which they could not do. They next asked him, whether he did not, about the same time, desire the present Lord Chancellor to stick to the Mass ? He answered, that the Lord Chancellor would say no such thjngs or words of him; for if he did, he reported not the truth. It was then

demanded

demanded of hint, whether he would dispute or no > He answered, that as long as God gave him life, he should not only have his heart, but also his mouth and pen to defend his truth : but that he required time and books. They said he should dispute on Tuesday, and till that time he should have books, and time to look for his disputations. Then giving him a copy of the articles, they required him to write his mind concerning them that night; and delivered him to the Mayor.

Fox fays, that in the disputation, Ridley's answers were Jharp, witty, and very learned. Others are of opinion, and we apprehend with some justice, that Cranmer and Ridley, by not refusing the authority of the Fathers, which their Opponents Tested upon, did injury to their cause.—Dr. Ridley's disputation which was had on the 17th of April, is preserved by Fox, and published by Dr. Gilbert Ironside, to which we refer: or to our Author, who hath transcribed the whole at length. On Friday the 20th, all three of them were brought to St. Mary'sj before the Commissioners, and required, without disputing on two of the questions, directly and peremptorily to fay, whether they would subscribe or not to all the three. Upon their refusing so to do, sentence was pronounced, that they were no more Members of the Church. While this sentence was reading, they were asked-whether they would turn or no ? but they bad them read on in the name of God, for they were not minded to turn. After sentence of condemnation was passed, Ridley answered, " Although I be not of your company, yet I doubt not *' but my name is written in another place, whither this scn" tence will send us sooner than we should by the course of na" tore have come." They were then carried separately away, the Archbishop to Bocardo, a prison in Oxford ; Dr. Ridley to the Sheriff's house, and Dr. Latimer to the Bailiff's.

In this interim, while these three Fathers lay under condemnation without authority, and without law, they were restrained fey a most rigorous confinement; their greatest indulgence was, to dine and sup together: our Author hath therefore been obliged to sill up his seventh book, with an epistolary correspondence betwixt Ridley and others, confined in prison on the same account. As all these letters are already published, and are in many hands, we shall content ourselves with an extract or two to shew the noble spirit of our Martyr.

In a letter of his to the Archbishop he writes, " I trust the day of our delivery out of all our miseries, and of our entrance into perpetual rest, and into perpetual joy and felicity, drawetrt nigh : the Lord strengthen us with his mighty spirit of grace." —In another letter to Cranmer and Latimer, " The cause why I do dissent from the Romish religion, is not any study of vain glory, or of singularity, but of conscience, of my bounden duty toward God and toward Christ's Church, and the salvation of my own soul j for the which by God's grace, I will willingly jeopard here to lose life, lands, and goods, name and feme, and what else is or can be unto me pleasant in this world." To Hoper, the Bishop of Gloucester, with whom he had the warm controversy about vestments, but now in prison, he writes,—" But now, most dear brother, forasmuch as 1 underhand by your tracts, that we thoroughly agree, and wholly consent together in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our religion, howsoever in time past, in smaller matters and appendages to religion, your wisdom, and my plainness (I confess) have in some points varied, each following his1 several opinion; know that even with my whole heart, God is my witness, in the bowels of Christ I love you, in truth, and for the truth's fake, which abideth in us, and as I am persuaded shall, by the grace of God, abide in us for ever. And forasmuch as I perceive, brother, the world ceases not to defend its cause, and conspires against Christ our Saviour, with all possible force and strength, let us join hands together in Christ, and if we cannot overthrow, yet let us do our best to shake those powers, not with carnal, but with spiritual weapons." It is not improbable, that the good Doctor might now see his difference with his brother Hoper, in an opposite light from what it formerly appeared in. The prospect he had before him, seems to have softened his temper.—As it is impossible for us to transcribe more of those excellent letters, which are a fund of most agreeable entertainment, we must refer the Reader to our Author himself, or to an old collection of them, published by Mile9 Coverdale, 1564. We hasten to the last affecting, but glorious scene of Dr. Ridley's life.

After another examination by the Bishop of Lincoln, in consequence of a commission issued for that purpose; and after many fruitless attempts, in the way of argument, and the allurements of safety, greatness, and honour, Dr. Ridley, continuing resolute and superior to all these, had the sentence of the greater excommunication passed upon him, and was delivered over to the secular arm. He then prepared himself with perfect composure, for his approaching death; which a sound judgment, and a good conscience, made him look upon as matter of joy and triumph. He called it his marriage. His brother offered to watch with him the night preceding his suffering ; but he declined it, saying, " That he minded, God willing, to go to bed, and to sleep as quietly that night as ever he did in his life."

And now tha day of execution being come, Bishop Ridley first appeared, dressed in a handsome black gown, furred, faced with points, such as he used to wear in his episcopal character. As he passed toward Bocardo, he looked up to the chamber where the Archbishop lay, in hope of seeing him at the win-' dow, and speaking to him : but Cranmer was engaged in debate with a Frier. Ridley then looked back, to fee if his brother Latimer were coming.; whom he spied hasting after him ir» a Bristol frieze frock, all worn, with his cap buttoned, an handkerchief on his head, and a new long shrowd hanging down to his feet, all ready for the fire. O, be you there, said Ridley ? Yes, returns Latimer, have after, as fast as I can follow. Ridley arriving first at the stake, earnestly lifted up his hands and eyes to heaven, till he saw shortly after, Latimer arrive at the spot; upon which, with a most chearful countenance, he ran to him, embraced, and kissed him, and comforted him, saying, " Be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flames, or else strengthen us to abide it." Then moving to the stake, and kissing it, prayed earnestly, as did Latimer likewise. They afterward conferred together a little while.—Dr. Smith was appointed to preach before them; and when the sermon was finished, Rhiley requested of the principal persons present, that he might be permitted to speak two or three words : but he was rudely refused, and told, that he must not have liberty to speak, unless he would revoke his erroneous opinions. Not otherwise, said he? No, returned Dr. Marshal ; therefore if you will not do so, then there is no remedy, but you must suffer for your deserts. " Well, replied the noble Martyr, so long as the breath is in my body, I will never deny my Lord Christ, and his known truth. God's will be done in me." Immediately they were commanded to make them ready ; which they with all meekness obeyed. The Doctor being stript to his shirt and truss, and standing at the stake, listing up his hands, prayed thus; " O heavenly Father, I give unto thee most hearty thanks, for that thou hast called me to be a Professor of thee, even unto death; I beseech thee, Lord God, take mercy upon the realm of England, and deliver the same

from all her enemies." The smith took an iron chain, and

brought it round the middle of both the Martyrs, and as he was driving in the staple, Dr. Ridley shook the chain, and said to the smith, Good fellow, knock it in hard, for the flesh will have its course. And now his brother brought him some gunpowder in a bag, and would have tied it about his neck. The Bishop r.stced what it was ; and being informed, said, " I take it to be sent of God, and therefore I will receive it as sent of him : and have you any for my brother Latimer ?" And being answered in the affirmative, he bade him give it to him betime, lest it should be too late ; which was done accordingly.

Then

Then Dr. Ridley said to the Lord Williams, " My Lord, I " must be a suitor to your Lordship in the behalf of divers poor " men, and especially in the cause of my poor sister: I have " made a supplication to the Queen's Majesty in their behalf. " I beseech your Lordship, for Christ's fake, to be a mean to " her Grace for them. My brother here hath the supplication, " and will resort to your Lordship to certify you hereof. There " is nothing in all the world that troubleth my conscience, I " praise God, this only excepted. Whilst I was in the fee of " London, divers poor men took leases of me, and agreed with *' me for them. Now I hear fay, the Bishop, who now occu" pieth the same room, will not allow my grants unto them ♦' made, but, contrary to all law and conscience, hath taken " from them my livings, and will not suffer them to enjoy the " same. I beseech you, my Lord, be a mean for them. You *' shall do a good deed, and God will reward you."

We shall seldom, says our.Author very pertinently, meet with an instance, except in the great Exemplar, whose steps our blessed Martyr followed, of one, who in the very article of death, was so regardless of his own sufferings, and so recollected and-, solicitous forthe good and happiness of others.

Then they brought a fagot ready kindled, and laid it at Dr. Ridley's feet: to whom Latimer said, " Be of good comfort Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put our."—The fire being given to them, when Ridley sow it flaming up toward him, he cried out with an exceeding loud voice, " Into thy hands, O God, I commend my spirit; O Lord receive my spirit." Latimer, on the orher side, as earnestly pra^Sng, " O Father of heaven, receive my soul:" and he received the flame as it were embracing it. After he had stroked his face with his hand, he soon died, to all appearance, with little or no pain. But on the othex side, the fire

was so ill managed, by piling too great a quantity of fagots over the furze, that the fire first burned beneath, being kept down by the wood : which when Dr. Ridley felt, he desired them, for Christ's fake, to let the sire come to him. His brother hearing his earnest request, but not understanding well the reason of it, with an ill-advised kindness, to rid him out of his pain, heaped more fagots upon him, quite covering him with them ; which made the sire, smouldering beneath, so intense, that it burned all his nether parts before it once touched the upper. This made him leap up and down under the fagots, and often desire them to let the fire come to him, faying, I cannot burn. Which, indeed, appeared too true; for after his Isgs were consumed, he shewed that side toward the soectato:s, clran, 8 slurt