Marginalia1555. October.Marginalia
B. Ridley limited no more but 40. words to speake.
Note reader the extreme dealing of the Papistes.speake but. xl, and he would tell them vpon his fingers, and eftsoones M. Ridley began to speake: but before he had ended halfe a sentence, the Doctours sittyng by cryed and sayde, that hys number was out, and wyth that he was put to silence.

[Back to Top]

After this the Byshop of Lyncolne which sat in the middes, began to speake, as foloweth.

Lync. Now I perceiue M. Ridley, you will not permit ne suffer vs to stay in that point of our Commissiō which we most desired: for I ensure you, there is neuer a word in our commission more true then, dolentes & gemētes.  

For in dede I for my part, I take God to witnes, am sory for you. Wherunto M. Ridley answered:

[Back to Top]

Rid. I beleue it well my Lord, for as much as one day it wil be burdenous to your soule.

Linc. Nay not so M. Ridley, but because I am sory to see such stubbornes in you, that by no meanes you may be persuaded to acknowledge your errours, and receiue the truth: but seyng it is so, because you wil not suffer vs to persist in the first, we must of necessity procede to the other part of our Commission. Therfore I pray you harkē what I shall say, MarginaliaSentence of condemnation red agaynst D. Ridley.and forthwith did read the sentence of condemnation, which was written in a long processe: the tenour of which because it is sufficiently already expressed before pag. 1661. we thought meete in this place to omit, for asmuch as they are rather wordes of course then thynges deuised vpon deliberation. Howbeit in deede the effect was, MarginaliaThe effect of the condemnatiō: whereof read the report before pag. 1661.that for as much as the sayd Nic. Ridley did affirme, maynteyne, and stubburnely defend certayne opinions, assersions and heresies, contrary to the word of God, and the receyued fayth of the Church, as in denying the true and naturall body of CHRIST, and hys naturall bloud to be in the Sacrament of the altar: Secondarily in affirmyng the substaunce of bread and wyne to remayne after the wordes of the cōsecration: Thirdly in denying the Masse to be a liuely sacrifice of the Church for the quicke and the dead, and by no meanes would be perduced  

and brought frō these his heresies, they therfore the sayd Iohn of Lyncolne, Iames of Glocester, Iohn of Bristow, dyd iudge and condēne the sayd Nic. Ridley as an Hereticke, and so adiudged him presētly both by word and also in deede to be degraduated frō the degree of a Byshop, frō Priesthode & all ecclesiasticall order: declaring moreouer the sayd Nic. Ridley to be no member of the Church, and therfore committed him to the secular powers, of them to receiue due punishemēt accordyng to the tenour of the temporall lawes: and further excommunicatyng hym by the great excommunication.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe last apperance and examination of Master Latymer before the Cōmissioners.TTis sentēce beyng published by the Bishop of Lyncolne, M. Ridley was cōmitted as a prisoner to the Maior, and immediatly M. Latymer was sent for: but in the meane season the Carpet or cloth which lay vpō the table, whereat M. Ridley stode, was remoued, because (as men reported) M. Latymer had neuer the degree of a Doctor as M. Ridley had. But eftsoones as M. Latymer appeared as he did the day before, perceiuing no cloth vppon the table, layd hys hatte, which was an old felt, vnder hys elbowes, and immediatly spoke to the Commissioners, saying:

[Back to Top]

Lat. My Lordes, I besech your Lordshyps to set a better order here at your entraunce: for I am an olde man and haue a very euil backe, so that the presse of the multitude doth me much harme.

Lync. I am sory M. Latymer, for your hurt. At your departure we will see to better order.

With that M. Latymer thanked hys Lordshyp, makyng a very low courtesie. After this the Byshop of Lyncolne began on this matter.

Linc. M. Latymer, although yesterday after we had

MarginaliaThe Bishop of Lincolnes wordes to M. Latymer.taken your aunswers to those articles which we proposed, might haue iustly proceded to iudgement against you, especially in that you required the same, yet we hauing a good hope of your returning, desiring not your destruction, but rather that you would recant, reuoke your errours, and turne to the catholicke church differred farther processe tyll thys day, and now accordyng to the appointment, we haue called you here before vs, to heare whether you are content to reuoke your hereticall assertions, and submit your selfe to the determination of the church, as we most hartely desire, and I for my part, as I did yesterday, most earnestly doe exhort you, either to know whether you perseuer still the man that you were, for the which we would be sory.

[Back to Top]

It semed that the bishop would haue farther proceeded, sauing that M. Latymer interrupted him, saying:

MarginaliaM. Latymer short with the Commissioners.Lat. Your Lordship often doth repeate  

þ^e catholike Church, as though I shoulde denie the same. No my Lord, I do confesse there is a catholicke church, to the determination of the which I wyll stande, but not the church which you cal catholicke, which sooner might be termed diabolicke. And where as you ioyne together the Romish and catholicke church, stay there I pray you. MarginaliaThe Catholicke church, and the Romish church, be two thinges.For it is an other thing to say Romish Church, and an other thing to say catholicke church. I must vse here in thys myne aunswer the counsel of Cyprianus, MarginaliaCiprians counsell, in truth no deliberation to be taken.who at what time he was ascited   before certayne Bishops   that gaue hym leaue to take deliberation and counsell to try and examine hys opinion, he aunswered thē thus: in stickyng & perseueryng in the truth, there must no counsell nor deliberation be taken.   And agayn   being demaunded of them sitting in iudgemēt, MarginaliaM. Latymers question to the Bishops.which was most like to be of þ^e church of CHRIST, eyther he which was persecuted, either they which did persecute: CHRIST, sayd he, hath foreshewed that he that doth follow him, must take vp hys crosse and followe hym. CHRIST gaue knowledge that þ^e disciples should haue persecutiō & trouble. How thinke you then my Lords, MarginaliaWhether is more like, the sea of Rome, which persecuteth: or the litle flocke which is persecuted, to be the true church. &c?is it lyke that the sea of Rome, which hath bene a continuall persecutor, is rather the Church, or that small flocke which hath continually beene persecuted of it euen to death? Also the flocke of CHRIST hath beene but few in comparison to the residue, and euer in subiection: which he proued, beginning at Noes tyme euē to the Apostles.

[Back to Top]

Linc. Your cause and S. Ciprians is not one, but cleane contrary, for he suffred persecution for Christes sake and the Gospell: but you are in trouble for your errours and false assersions, contrary to the woord of God, and the receyued truth of the church.

Lat. M. Latimer interrupting hym, sayd: MarginaliaThe cause of the Martyrs of the primitiue time, and of the Martyrs of the latter time al one.yes verely, my cause is as good as S. Ciprians: for his was for the word of God and so is myne.

But Lincolne goeth forth in his talke.

Also at the begginning and foūdation of the church, it could not be but that the Apostles should suffer great persecution. Further, before CHRISTES cōming, continually they were very fewe which truely serued God: MarginaliaThe image of the church before Christes comming compared with the church after his comming.but after his comming began the time of grace, then began the Church to encrease and was continually augmented vntill that it came vnto this perfection, and now hath iustly that iurisdiction which the vnchristian Princes before by tyranny did resist: there is a diuerse consideration of the estate of the Church now in the tyme of grace, and before CHRISTES comming. But M. Latimer, although we had instructions geuen vs determinately to take your answere to such articles as we should propose, without any reasoning or disputations, yet we hoping by talke somewhat to preuayle with you, appoynted you to appeare before vs yesterday in the diuinity schole, a place for disputations. And where as then not withstanding you had lycence to say your mynde, and were aunswered to euery matter, yet you could not be brought from your errors. We thynkyng that from that tyme ye woulde with good aduise-

[Back to Top]