MarginaliaAn. 1555. October.haue written, and then if we shall thinke it good to be red, you shall haue it published: but except you will deliuer it first, we will take none at all of you.

With that M. Ridley seyng no remedy, deliuered it to an Officer, which immediatly deliuered it to the Byshop of Lincolne, who after he had secretly communicated it to the other ij. Byshops, declared the sense, but would not read it as it was writtē, saying, that it cōteined wordes of blasphemie: MarginaliaThe deputies durst not read out the writing of Bishop Ridley.therfore he would not fill þ^e eares of þ^e audience therwithall and so abuse theyr pacience: notwithstanding M. Ridley desired very instātly to haue it published, saying that except a line or two, there was nothyng cōteined but the auncient Doctors sayinges for the confirmation of his assertions.

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After the said Bishops had secretly vewed þ^e whole, then the Byshop of Lyncolne sayd: In the first part M. Ridley, is nothyng conteined but your protestation, that you would not haue these your aunsweres so to be taken, as though you seemed thereby to consent to the authoritie or iurisdiction of the Popes holynes.

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Ryd. No my Lord, I pray you read it out that the audience may heare it: but the Byshop of Lyncolne would in no wise, because (he said) there were cōteined wordes of blasphemy.

MarginaliaTo the first Article.Then the Byshop of Lyncolne recited the first Article, and required M. Ridleys aunswere to it. Then M. Ridley said, that his aūswere was there in writyng, and desired that it might be published: but the Byshop would not read the whole, but here and there a peece of it. So the Notaries tooke his aunswere, that he referred him to his aunswere in writing exhibited now, and also before at the tyme of disputatiō. M. Doct. Weston beyng Prolocutor.

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MarginaliaTo the second Article.In lykewise the Byshop of Lyncolne recited the second Article, and required an aunswere, and M. Ridley referred hym to his aunswere in writyng, exhibited now and also before at the tyme of disputation: and lyke aunsweres were taken to all the residue of the Articles.

These aunsweres in maner rehearsed, taken, and penned of the Notaries, the Byshop of Glocester begā an exhortation to moue M. Ridley to turne.

MarginaliaThe words of exhortation of Brookes Bishop of Glocester to B. Ridley.Glo. If you would once empty your stomacke, captiuate your senses, subdue your reason, and together with vs consider what a feble ground of your Religion you haue, I do not doubt but you might easely be perduced to acknowledge one Church with vs, to confesse one fayth with vs, and to beleue one Religion with vs. For what a weake and feble stay  

in Religion is this I pray you? Latymer leaneth to Cranmer, Cranmer to Ridley, and Ridley to the singularity of hys own wyt: so that if you ouerthrew the singularitie of Ridleyes wyt, then must needes the Religiō of Cranmer and Latymer fall also. You remember wel M. Ridley, that the Prophet speaketh most truly, saying, væ, væ wo, wo be to them which are singular and wyse in theyr owne conceytes.

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But you will say, here it is true that the Prophet sayth: but how know you that I am wise in myne own conceyt? Yes M. Ridley, you refuse the determination of the catholicke Church: you must needes bee singular and wyse in your owne conceite, for you bryng scripture for the probation of your assertions, and wee also bryng scriptures: you vnderstande them in one sense, and we in an other. How wyll you knowe the truth herein? If you stand to your own interpretation, then are you singular in your own conceit: but if you say ye will follow the myndes of the Doctors and auncient fathers, semblably you vnderstande them in one meanyng, and we take them in an other: how wyll ye knowe the truth herein? MarginaliaB. Ridley vntruely charged with singularitie.If you stande to your owne iudgement, then are you singular in your own conceit, then can not you auoyde the væ and wo which the Prophet speaketh of.

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Wherefore, if you haue no stay but the catholycke

church in matters of controuersie, except you wyll rest vpō þ^e singularitie & wisdome of your owne brain, if the Prophet most truly sayth Væ, væ wo, wo be to thē that are wyse in their owne conceite: then for Gods loue M. Ridley stand not singular, be not you wyse in your own conceite, please not your selfe ouermuch. Howe were the Arrians, the Manicheis, the Eutichians,  

with other diuers heretickes which haue beene in the church, how I pray you were they suppressed and conuinced? by reasoning in disputations? No truely, the Arrians had mo places of scriptures for the confirmation of their heresie, then the Catholickes for the defence of the truth. How then were they conuinced? MarginaliaThe determination of the church is only that, wherupon our catholicke men doe ground their faith.onely by the determination of the Church. And in deede except we do constitute the church our foundation, stay, and Iudge, we can haue no end of controuersies, no end of disputations. For in that wee all bryng scriptures and Doctors for the probation of our assersions, who should be iudge of this our controuersie? If we our selues, then be we singular & wyse in our own conceites, then can not we auoyde the wo that the prophet speaketh of.

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It remaineth therefore that wee submit our selues to the determination and arbitrement  

of the Church, wyth whom God promised to remayne to the worldes end, to whom he promised to sēd the holy Ghost which should teach it the truth. Wherefore M. Ridley, if you wyll auoyd the wo that the Prophet speaketh of, be not you wyse in your iudgement: if you wyll not be wyse and singular in your owne iudgement, captiuate your own vnderstanding, subdue your reason, and submyt your selfe to the determination of the Church.

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This is briefly the summe of the Oration of the byshop of Glocester, by the which he endeuored in many mo wordes, amplifying and enlarging the matter eloquētly wyth sundry pointes of Rethoricke, to moue affections, to perswade master Ridley to recant and forsake hys religion.

To whō M. Ridley aunswered in few wordes, MarginaliaA briefe answere of B. Ridley to Bishop Brookes tale.that he said most truly wyth þ^e Prophet, wo be to him which is wyse in his owne conceit, but that he acknowledged no such singularity in hym, ne knew any cause why he should attribute so much to him self. And where as he sayd that M. Cranmer leaned to hym, that was most vntrue, in that he was but a yong scholer in comparisō of M. Cranmer. For at what time he was a yong scholer, then was M. Cranmer a Doctor: so that he confessed that M. Cranmer might haue ben his scholemaster these many yeres. It seemed that he would haue spokē more, but the Byshop of Glocester interrupted him, saying:

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Gloc. Why M. Ridley, it is your own confession, for M. Latimer at the tyme of disputations confessed hys learning to lye in M. Cranmers bookes, and master Cranmer also sayd that it was your doyng.

Linc. Likewyse the bishop of Lincolne wyth many wordes & gētle, holdyng his cap in hand, desired him to turne. But M. Ridley made an absolute aunswer, MarginaliaB. Ridley could not for his conscience yeld to the Popes doctrine.that he was fully perswaded þ^e religion which he defended to be grounded vpon Gods word, and therefore wythout great offence towardes God, great peryll and damage of hys soule, he could not forsake hys master and Lorde God, but desired the Bishop to performe hys graunt in that hys Lordship sayd the day before, that he should haue licence to shew the causes why he could not with a safe conscience admit the authoritye of the Pope: but the bishop of Lincolne sayd, that where as then he had demaūded licence to speake three wordes, he was contented then that he shoulde speake. xl. & that graunt he would performe.

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MarginaliaD. Weston shooteth his bolt.Then stepped forth D. Weston, which sat by & said: why my Lord, he hath spoken. iiij. hundred already.

M. Ridley confessed he had, but they were not of his prescribed number, neyther of that matter. The bishop of Lincolne bad hym take hys licence: but hee shoulde