THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JANUARY, 1764.

The Life of Dr. Nicholas Ridley, concluded.

IN our last Review we brought down our account of this eminent Martyr to the year 1549. We shall now communicate to our Readers some of the principal transactions of the remaining part of his life : these are comprehended in the compass of about fix years ; a period comparatively but short; and yet as it was the active, especially as it was the suffering, part of his life, it is on these accounts the most interesting.

4 Sometime in the month of May, of this year, the Brmop of Rochester*, with others appointed in commission with him, repaired to Cambridge, to hold (as he then understood it) a visitation, for the abolishing statutes and ordinances which maintained popery and superstition •, not knowing the further end proposed, which was the suppression of Clare-Hall. He desired to see the instructions: but was put off by his associates, who seemed afraid of shewing them to him, until they had engaged him in this action, by opening it with a sermon, and proceeding two days in the business of it. Upon making the discovery, he thought it best to concur with the other Commissioners in persuading the Master/ and Fellows, voluntarily to surrender Ql their college into the King's hands. ■ This being without effect, and the Commissioners seeming detcrmine.l to proceed in the affair with a high hand, the Bishop modestly opposed' their measures, and with great calmness dissented. This put a stop to their proceedings for the present. The Commissioners complained to the Protector : the Protector wrote a chiding letter to the Bishop, and several letters passed between them upon the

• Dr. Ridley then held the See of Rochester: see Review for last month, page 446.

Vol. XXX, B subject.

subject. But notwithstanding all the persuasions and menace* that were used, the Bishop ultimately refused to give his countenance and concurrence to, what he thought, unjust measures: he was steady, and the affair dropt.'

The Visitors, especially the Bishop of Rochester, had another commission to execute, which was to preside at a public disputation, appointed to be held at Cambridge, relating to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The two positions-appointed^ were :

ist. Transubstantiatioh cannot be proved by the plain and. manifest words of Scripture, nor can thereof be necessarily collected, nor yet be confirmed by the consents of the ancient Fathers, for these one thousand years past.

2d. In the Lord's Supper is none other oblation or sacrifice, than one only remembrance of Christ's death, and of thanksgiving

After the disputations were ended, the Bishop very solidly determined against Transubstantiation; and the oblation of Christ in the supper.—This was more than a mere scholastic exercise : for the Papists had been worsted in a public disputation ;it Oxford ; and it was thought proper to appoint the fame at Cambridge,, thar the Papists there might likewise have an opportunity of defending their opinions, if they could. Truth has ever the advantage by being fairly Examined Into. Langdale, one of the Disputants, and for his zeal made Archdeacon of Chichester by Queen Mary, drew up a pretended refutation of Dr. Ridley's determination : but with this suspicion of unfairness in his account of managing the dispute, that tho' he had the King's licence for printing it in Paris, 1553, yet it was not printed'till three years after, when Langdale was very secure that Ridley could make no reply. However, Pilkington, another of the Disputants, and afterwards Bishop of Durham, says, that the Bishop made all things so clear in his determination, and the auditors were so convinced, that some of them would have turned Archbishop Cranmer's book on that subject into Latin.

The time was now drawing near, when' the new reformed book of Comrfion-Prayer, which had received the authority of the Council and Parliament, was appointed to be used : the Princess Mary absolutely refused it, and, indeed, all obedience to King Edward's laws. Encouraged by her example, and the connivance of some cf the Bishops, and misled by papistical Priests, there were many places where this book, so strictly enjoined, was either not known at all, or not used, or at least very seldom and irreverently. Whereupon the King sent letters to

the she Bishops, reprimanding their negligence, and charging them, on their allegiance, to do their duty herein. On the nth of August, Boner, the Bishop of London, was summoned before the Council on this account: his remisness was complained of; and he was ordered to preach at St. Paul's Cross on the ist of September, and once every quarter for the future: the points he was to handle were given him, viz. the heinoufness of rebellion ; that true religion consisted not in ceremonies; that yet men were to obey the Magistrate in the use of them, and principally, that the King was no less a King on account of his minority, and the people equally bound to obey him.—The Bishop did touch upon all the points enjoined him, excepting that of the King's age, of which he said not one word : instead thereof, he diverted his discourse to another subject, the manner of Christ's presence in the sacrament, asserting the gross corporeal presence; which he did with many sharp reflections on those who were of another mind. Information was soon made against him, by Latimer, Hoper, and others, that as he had wholly omitted to speak about the King's age, so he had but touched the other points slightly; and advanced many things which tended to stir up disorder and dissention. Upon this information, a commission issued to the Archbishop, the Bishop of Rochester, and others, to impower any four, three, or two of them, to call Boner before them, and with due examination and process according to law and justice, to hear the said matters summarily, and give determinate sentence therein. Seven sessions were held upon this commission ; Boner behaved with great insolence, abusing the witnesses and the audience, endeavouring to divert them to a disputation on the Corporeal Presence; and at last appealed from them to the King. His indecent behaviour was extraordinary, swearing ac Sir Thomas Smith, giving him the lie, and defying him; and his outrageous contempt of the King's Commissioners, occasioned his being committed prisoner to the Marshalsea. His continued contumacy, and refusing to make them farther answer, or submit to their jurisdiction, made them proceed to sentence of deprivation. He appealed to the King, as a shift, if possible, to elude the sentence ; on which occasion the Bishop of Rochester quoted a text of St. John : He that doeth evil haUth the light. The dangerous rebellious temper he manifested, occahoned his being sent back to the Marshalsea.

Upon the confirmation of the sentence against Boner, the Council were not unprovided with a proper person to fill the important see of London. Ridley, being esteemed both the most learned and most thoroughly zealous for the Reformation, was pitched upon to be the man. It was also thought needless to have two Bifhopricks so near one another as London aradf Westminster; the latter therefore was now suppressed, and united to the fee of London.

It has been objected to Dr. Ridley, that he flattered the Protector, and that he had a view to the Bishoprick of London for himself, in the deprivation of Boner : but these things are spoken without proof, and contrary to probability. For when he was put into commission to examine Boner, he had so very lately offended the Protector, that it was not likely he should desire tobe employed again: and if employed, and Boner should be found worthy of deprivation, he could not imagine his interest Was so great with the Protector, as to succeed him in the see of London. And that he got this Bishoprick for his reward, as if in consequence of his views and schemes, is most improbable, because betwixt his appointment to examine Boner, and his promotion to the vacant fee, there happened so great a revolution at Court, that it was not likely that Ridley should be promoted by the Earl of Warwick, in consequence of a scheme concerted between Ridley and the late Protector.

It appears that Ridley's patent to the Bishoprick of London

was during lift ; the terms of the patent are these " For

" the singular learning in the sacred Scriptures, and most ap*' proved manners with which, the said Nicholas, late Bishop of " Rochester, is endued; and because according to the com«' mendation of our Saviour, we judge him above all others •« worthy to be put over many tilings, who hath been found *' faithful over few, we of our grace and mere motion, " have granted to him the Bishoprick of London, to have, to

" hold, and occupy the same, durantevita sua naturali." We

should like to know whether the same form be retained in the patents of our Bishops in these times : it is so excellent that we hope it is not disused.

In this high station his behaviour was with great dignity ; for it was benevolent, useful, and exemplary. With respect to his predecessor, he was very careful to do him no injury in hw goods, taking not one pennyworth of his moveables, which he found in the palace, and gave him leave to move whatever was his ; and what he knew to be his, tho' not taken away according to this leave, he carefully preserved for Boncr*s use. Boner had bought a quantity of lead for the repairs of his house and church, which Ridley employed to the uses designed, but paid Boner for it. And that none might suffer innocently by his promotion, he paid fifty three or fifty-five pounds to Boner's own servant*, which sum was due to them siom their Master, for liveries and wages. Nor did his predecessor's mother, or Sster, who lived Hear the episcopal palace at Fulham, miss the

honour lonour or the benefit of the Bishop of London's board. He always sent for them to dinner and supper, and placed Mrs. Boner at the upper end of his table, never displacing her, though even any of the King's Council dined with him, as they often did : not frowning upon her misfortunes, but courteously alleviating them, with all the honour and tenderness he could shew to her, saying, " By your Lordship's favour, this place of right and .custom is for my mother Boner •" as if he had succeeded to the relation, as well as to the office of her son.

With respect to himself, he was mortified, and given to prayer and contemplation: with respect to his family, careful and instructive. His mode of life was, as soon as he rose and dressed himself, to continue in private prayer half an hour; then, unless other business interrupted him, he retired to his study, where he continued till ten of the clock, at which hour he came to common prayer with the family, and there daily read a lecture to them, beginning at the Acts of the Apostles, and so going regularly through St. Paul's Epistles, giving to every one who could read, a new Testament, arid hiring them to learn by heart some chosen chapters —After prayers he went to dinner, where he was not very forward to begin discourse, but when occasion was administered, he entered into it with great wisdom and discretion, and sometimes, if the case required, merrily. This conversation he would indulge for an hour after dinner, or else in playing at chess. The hour for unbending being spent, he returned to his study, where he continued till five, except Suiters, or business abroad, required otherwise. Then he went to common prayer as in the morning, after which he supped : then diverting himself for another hour after supper, as he did after dinner, he went back to his study, and continued there till eleven at night, when he retired to private prayer, and then went to bed.

The first affair of consequence in which we find the Bishop of London engaged, was in a commission with the Archbishop, and several others, to receive the Bishop of Winchester's submission to the King, or to deprive him. The Court were inclined to treat him with tenderness, and to release him from hi* long imprisonment; and would have done it, upon his submission to the King, and acknowlegement of his errors; but this he continued to the last to refuse, aud with so much obstinacy and rudeness, that he was at length deprived. Winchester appealed to the King ; but the Council confirmed the sentence of the Commissioners, and came to this resolution, " That forasmuch as it appeared, he had at all times, before the Judges of his cause, used himself unreverently to the King's Majesty, and slandersully to his Council, and especially yesterday, being the

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