Marginalia1554. Aprill.Doct. Smyth. This day (right learned M. Doctour) three questions are propounded, wherof no controuersie among Christians ought to be moued, to wyt:

MarginaliaThe questions.1 Whether the naturall body of Christ our Sauiour conceiued of the virgin Mary, and offered for mans redemption vpon the crosse, is verely and really in the sacrament by vertue of Gods worde spoken by the Priest. &c.

2 Whether in the Sacrament after the wordes of consecration, be any other substance. &c.

3 Whether in the Masse be a sacrifice propiciatory. &c.

Touching the which questions, although you haue publikely and apertly professed your iudgement and opinion on Saterday laste: yet being not satisfied wyth that your aunswere, I wyll assay agayne to demaunde your sentence in the first question: Whether the true body of Christ, after the wordes pronounced, be really in the Eucharist, or els onely the figure? In which matter I stand here now to heare your aunswere.

MarginaliaThe protestation of B. Ridley.I Receiued of you the other day, right worshipful Maister Prolocutor, and ye my reuerend Maisters, Commissioners from the Quenes maiesty and her honorable Coūsell, three propositions: wherunto ye commaunded me to prepare against thys day, what I thought good to aunswere concerning the same.

Now, whilest I weyed with my selfe, how great a charge of the Lords flocke was of late committed vnto me, for the which I am certaine I must once render an accompt to my Lord God (and that how soone, he knoweth): and that moreouer by the commaundement of the Apostle Peter, I ought to be ready alway to geue a reason of the hope that is in me with meekenes and reuerence, vnto euery one that shal demaund the same: besides this, considering my duty to the Church of Christ, and to your worships being Commissioners by publike authoritie: I determined with my selfe to obey your cōmaundement, & so openly to declare vnto you my minde touching the foresaid propositions. And albeit (plainly to confesse vnto you the truth) in these thinges which ye now demaunde of me, MarginaliaWhat moued Doct. Ridley to alter hys iudgement from the Church of Rome. I haue thought otherwyse in times past then I now do, yet (God I call to record vnto my soule, I lye not) I haue not altered my iudgemēt, as now it is, either by constraint of anye man, or lawes, either for the dread of any daungers of this world, either for any hope of commoditie: but onely for the loue of the truth, reueled vnto me by the grace of God (as I am vndoubtedly perswaded) in his holy worde, and in the reading of the auncient Fathers.

These thinges do I þ^e rather recite at this present, because it may happē to some of you hereafter, as in times past it hath done to me: I meane if ye thincke otherwyse of the matters propounded in these propositions, then I now do, God may open it vnto you in time to come.

But howsoeuer it shall be, I will in few wordes doe that whych I thinke ye all looke I should doe: that is, as plainly as I can, I wyll declare my iudgement herein. Howbeit of this I would ye were not ignoraunt, that I will not in deede wittingly and willingly speake in any point against Gods worde, or dissent in any one iote from the same, or from the rules of fayth and christian religion: MarginaliaB. Ridley submitteth hym self to the Church of Christ.which rules that same most sacred worde of God prescribeth to the Church of Christ, whereunto I now and for euer submit my selfe, and all my doinges. And because the matter I haue nowe taken in hande is weighty, and ye all well know how vnready I am to hādle it accordingly, aswell for lacke of time, as also lacke of bookes: therfore here I protest that I will publickly this day require of you, that it may bee lawfull for me concerning all mine aūsweres, explications, and confyrmatiōs, to adde or diminish whatsoeuer shal seeme hereafter more cōuenient and meete for the purpose, through more sound iudgement, better deliberation, and more exact triall of euery particular thing. Hauing now by the way of preface and protestatiō, spoken these few words, I will come to the aunswering of the propositions propounded vnto me, and so to the most briefe explication and confirmation of mine aunswers.

West. Reuerend maister Doctor, cōcerning the lacke of bookes, there is no cause why you should complayne.

What bookes so euer you wyll name, ye shall haue thē. MarginaliaThys promise was not kept.And as concerning the iudgement of your aunswers to bee had of your selfe wyth farther deliberation: it shal (I say) be lawful for you vntill Sonday next to adde vnto thē what you shall thinke good your self. My mind is that we should vse short argumentes, lest we shoulde make an infinite processe of the thing.

Ridley. There is an other thyng besides, which I would gladly obtaine at your handes. I perceyue that you haue writers and Notaries here present. By all likelyhood our disputations shal be published. I besech you for Gods sake, let me haue libertie to speake my mynde freely and wythout interruption, not because I haue determined to protract the tyme wyth a solemne Preface, but lest it may appeare that some bee not satisfied. God wote I am no Oratour, nor I haue not learned Rhetoricke to set colours on the matter.

MarginaliaTwo Notaries permitted to Doctour Ridley.West. Among this whole company, it shall be permitted you to take two for your part.

Rid. I would chuse two, if there were any here with whom I were acquainted.

West. Here are twoMarginaliaThese 2. Notaryes were M. Iuell, now Byshop of Salisbury, and M. Gilbert Mounson. which Mayster Cranmer had yesterday. Take them if it please you.

Rid. I am content with them: I trust they are honest men.

MarginaliaThe first proposition.In the Sacrament of the Aultar, by the vertue of Gods worde spoken of the Priest, the naturall body of Christ borne of the Virgin Mary, and his naturall bloud is really present vnder the formes of bread and wyne.

MarginaliaD. Ridleys aunswere to the first proposition.In matters appertaining vnto God, we may not speake according to the sense of man, nor of the world: Therefore this proposition or conclusion is framed after an other maner of phrase or kinde of speech, then the scripture vseth. MarginaliaThe proposition put forth in darke termes.Againe, it is very obscure & darke, by meanes of sundry wordes of doubtfull signification. And being taken in þ^e sense which the Schoolemē teach, and at this time the Church of Rome doth defend, it is false and erronious, & plaine contrary to the doctrine which is according to godlines.

How farre the diuersitie and newnes of the phrase in all this first proposition, is from the phrase of the holy scripture, & that in euery parte almost, it is so plaine and euident to any that is but meanely exercised in holy wryt, that I neede not now (especially in this company of learned men) to spend any time therein, except the same shall be required of me hereafter.

MarginaliaThe first doubt.First, there is a doubtful sense in these words [by the vertue of Gods word]. For it is doubtful what worde of God this is: whether it bee that which is read in the Euangelistes, or in Paul, or any other. And if it be that which is in the Euangelistes or in S. Paule, what that is. If it be in none of them, then how it may be knowen to be Gods worde, and of such vertue, that it should be able to worke so great a matter.

Marginalia2. doubt, in the worde Priest.Agayn, there is a doubt in these wordes [of the Priest] whether no man may be called a Priest, but he whych hath authoritie to make propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead: and how it may bee proued that thys authority was committed of God to any man, but to Christ alone.

Marginalia3. doubt, in the worde sacrificing.It is likewyse doubted, after what order the sacrifising Priest shall be, whether after the order of Aaron, or els after the order of Melchisedech. For as farre as I knowe, the holy scripture doth allow no moe.

MarginaliaD. Weston interrupteth hym in hys explication.West. Let this be sufficient.

Rid. If we lacke tyme at this present, there is tyme inough hereafter.

West. These are but euasions or starting holes. You consume the tyme in vayne.

Rid. I cā not start far from you, I am captiue & boūd.

West. Fall to it my Maisters.