The Trial, Condemnation and Martyrdom of Ridley and Latimer And thus hast thou,
gentle reader, the whole life both of Master Ridley and of Master Latimer
severally set forth.
Now we couple them together, as they were together joined in one martyrdom.
Upon the 28th of September, 1555, was sent down to Oxford a commission from
Cardinal White, Bishop of Lincoln, to Dr. Brooks, Bishop of Gloucester,
and to Dr. Holyman, Bishop of Bristol, that they, or two of them, should have
full power to judge Master Hugh Latimer and Master Dr. Ridley for diver's
erroneous opinions, which they did maintain in open disputations had in
Oxford.
For which opinions, if the named persons would recant, then they, the deputed
judges, should have power to receive the said penitent persons, and forthwith
minister unto them the reconciliation of the Holy Father the Pope.
But if the said Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley would maintain their erroneous
opinions, then the said lords should pronounce them heretics, cut them clean
off from the church, and yield them to receive punishment.
Wherefore the last of September the said lords were placed and set in the Divinity
School at Oxford, and first appeared Master Dr. Ridley.
After his coming into the school, the Cardinal's commission was read.
But Dr. Ridley, standing bareheaded, humbly expecting the cause of that his
appearance, as soon as he had heard the Cardinal named, and the Pope's holiness,
put on his cap.
The usurped supremacy and abused authority of the Bishop of Rome I utterly refuse and
renounce.
I may in no wise give any obeisance or honour unto him, lest my so doing might be
a derogation to the verity of God's Word.
The Bishop of Lincoln, after the third admonition, commanded one of the beetles
to pluck Master Ridley's cap from his head.
Master Ridley, bowing his head to the officer, gently permitted him to take away
his cap.
After this the Bishop, in a long oration, exhorted Master Ridley to recant,
and acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope.
Then Master Ridley said in this manner, As touching the saying of Christ,
From whence your Lordship gathereth the foundation of the church upon Peter,
Truly the place is not so to be understood as you take it.
For after that Christ had asked His disciples, whom men judged Him to be,
and they had answered, that some had said He was a prophet, some Elias, some one
thing, some another, then He said, Who say ye that I am?
Then Peter said, I say that thou art Christ, the Son of God.
To whom Christ answered, I say, thou art Peter, and upon this stone I will
build my church.
That is to say, upon this stone, not meaning Peter himself, as though he
would have constituted a mortal man so frail and brickle a foundation of his
stable and infallible church.
But upon this rock stone, that is, this confession of thine, that I am the
Son of God, I will build my church.
For this is the foundation and beginning of all Christianity, with word,
heart, and mind, to confess that Christ is the Son of God.
But the bishop, not attending to this answer, proceeded, We came not to reason
with you, but must proceed, proposing certain articles, unto the which we
require your answer directly, either affirmatively or negatively, to every one
of them, either denying them or granting them, without further disputations or
reasoning.
The which articles you shall hear now, and to-morrow at eight of the clock in St.
Mary's church, we will require and take your answers.
Articles jointly and severally ministered to Dr. Ridley and Master Latimer by the
Pope's deputy.
1.
We do object to thee, Nicholas Ridley, and to thee, Hugh Latimer, jointly and
severally, that thou hast affirmed and openly defended and maintained that the
true and natural body of Christ, after the consecration of the priest,
is not really present in the sacrament of the altar.
2.
That thou hast publicly affirmed and defended that in the sacrament of the
altar remaineth still the substance of bread and wine.
3.
That thou hast openly affirmed and obstinately maintained that in the mass is
no propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and the dead.
After Master Ridley was committed to the mayor, the bishop commanded the bailiffs
to bring in the other prisoner.
Then Master Latimer bowed his knee down to the ground, holding his hat in his hand,
having a kerchief on his head, and upon it a nightcap or two,
and a great cap, such as townsmen use, with two broad flaps to button under the
chin, wearing an old threadbare bristle-freeze gown, girded to his body
with a penny-leather girdle, at which hanged, by a long string of leather,
his testament, and his spectacles without case, depending about his neck,
upon his breast.
After this the bishop began on this manner, What should stay you to confess
that which all the realm confesseth, to forsake that which the king and queen
have renounced, and all the realms recanted?
It was a common error, and it is now of all confessed, It shall be no more shame
to you than it was to us all.
Therefore, Master Latimer, for God's love, remember you are an old man.
Spare your body.
Accelerate not your death, and specially remember your soul's health.
If you should die in this state, you shall be a stinking sacrifice to God,
for it is the cause that maketh the martyr, and not the death.
Consider that if you die in this state, you die without grace, for without the
church can be no salvation.
The bishop said they came not to dispute with Master Latimer, but to take his
determinate answers to their articles, and so began to propose the same articles
which were proposed to Master Ridley.
The next day following, which was the first day of October, somewhat after eight
o 'clock, the said lords repaired to St. Mary's church, and after they were set in
a high throne, well trimmed with cloth of tissue and silk, appeared Master Ridley.
Then spake the bishop of Lincoln, We came to take your determinate answers
to our articles.
If you have brought your answer in writing, we will receive it.
But if you have written any other matter, we will not receive it.
Then Master Ridley took a sheet of paper out of his bosom, and began to read that
which he had written.
But the bishop of Lincoln commanded the beetle to take it from him.
But Master Ridley desired license to read it, saying that it was nothing but his
answer.
But the bishop would in no wise suffer him.
Ridley, why, my lord, will you require my answer, and not suffer me to publish it?
Lincoln, Master Ridley, we will first see what you have written, and then,
if we shall think it good to be read, you shall have it published.
But except you will deliver it first, we will take none at all of you.
With that Master Ridley, seeing no remedy, delivered it to an officer, who delivered
it to the bishop.
After he had secretly communicated it to the other two bishops, he would not read
it as it was written, saying that it contained words of blasphemy.
Therefore he would not fill the ears of the audience therewithal, and so abuse
their patience.
The bishop of Gloucester, and likewise the bishop of Lincoln, with many words,
desired Master Ridley to turn.
But he made an absolute answer, that he was fully persuaded the religion
which he defended to be grounded upon God's word, and, therefore, without great
offence towards God, great peril and damage of his soul, he could not forsake
his Master and Lord God, but desired the bishop to perform his grant, in that his
lordship said the day before, that he should have licence to show his cause why
he could not with a safe conscience admit the authority of the pope.
The bishop bade him take his licence, but he should speak but forty words,
and he would tell them upon his fingers.
At Ephsoon's Master Ridley began to speak, but before he had ended half a sentence,
the doctors sitting by cried that his number was out.
With that he was put to silence.
And forthwith the bishop of Lincoln did read the sentence of condemnation,
degrading Master Ridley from the degree of a bishop, from priesthood, and all
ecclesiastical order, declaring him to be no member of the church, and committing
him to the secular powers of them to receive due punishment.
Then Master Ridley was committed as a prisoner to the mayor.
Immediately Master Latimer was sent for, whom the bishop of Lincoln desired to
recant, revoke his errors, and turn to the Catholic church.
No, my lord, interrupted Master Latimer, I confess there is a Catholic church,
but not the church which you call Catholic, which sooner might be termed
diabolic.
It is one thing to say Romish church, and another thing to say Catholic church.
I must use here the counsel of Cyprian, who, at what time he was excited before
certain bishops demanded of them sitting in judgment, which was most like to be of
the church of Christ, whether he who was persecuted, or they who did persecute.
Christ, said he, hath foreshowed that he that doth follow him must take up his
cross.
Christ gave knowledge that the disciples should have persecution and trouble.
How think you then, my lords, is it most like that the sea of Rome, which hath been
a continual persecutor, is rather the church, or that flock which hath
continually been persecuted of it, even to death?
After Master Latimer had answered that he neither could nor would deny his Master
Christ and his verity, the bishop of Lincoln desired Master Latimer to hearken
to him.
And then Master Latimer, hearkening for some new matter, the bishop read his
condemnation, after which the said three bishops break up their sessions and
dismiss the audience.
But Master Latimer required the bishop to perform his promise in saying the day
before that he should have license briefly to declare why he refused the pope's
authority.
But the bishop said that now he could not hear him, neither ought to talk with him.
Then he committed Master Latimer to the mayor, saying, Now he is your prisoner,
Master Mayor.
And so continued Bishop Ridley and Master Latimer endurance, until the sixteenth day
of October, A.D.
1555.
Upon the fifteenth day in the morning, Dr. Brooks, the bishop of Gloucester,
and the vice-chancellor of Oxford, Dr. Marshall, with divers other of the
heads of the university, came unto Master Irish's house, then mayor of Oxford,
where Dr. Ridley was close prisoner.
The bishop of Gloucester told him for what purpose their coming, saying that yet once
again the Queen's Majesty did offer unto him her gracious mercy, if that he would
come home to the faith which he was baptized in.
If he would not recant, they must needs proceed according to the law.
My lord, quoth Dr. Ridley, as for the doctrine which I have taught, my
conscience assureth me that it was sound, and according to God's word.
The which doctrine the Lord God, being my helper, I will maintain,
so long as my tongue shall wag and breath is within my body, and in confirmation
thereof seal the same with my blood.
Seeing, saith the bishop of Gloucester, that you will not receive the Queen's
mercy, we must proceed according to our commission, to disgrating, taking from you
the dignity of priesthood.
So committing you to the secular power, you know what doth follow.
Ridley, do with me as it shall please God to suffer you, I am well content to abide
the same with all my heart.
Gloucester, put off your cap, Master Ridley, and put upon you this surplus.
Ridley, not I, truly.
Gloucester, but you must.
Ridley, I will not.
Gloucester, you must.
Therefore make no more ado, but put this surplus upon you.
Ridley, truly if it come upon me, it shall be against my will.
Gloucester, will you not do it upon you?
Ridley, know that I will not.
Gloucester, it shall be put upon you by one or other.
Ridley, do therein as it shall please you, I am well contented with that,
and more than that.
The servant is not above his Master.
If they dealt so cruelly with our Saviour Christ, as the Scripture maketh mention,
and He suffered the same patiently, how much more doth it become us His
servants?
They put upon Dr. Ridley all the trinkets appertaining to the Mass, and the same did
vehemently inveigh against the Romish bishop in all that foolish apparel,
insomuch that Bishop Brooks was exceeding angry with him, and bade him hold his
peace.
Dr. Ridley answered that so long as his tongue and breath would suffer him,
he would speak against their abominable doings whatsoever happened unto him for so
doing.
At which words one Edridge, the reader then of the Greek lecture, standing by,
said to Dr. Brooks, Sir, the law is, he should be gagged.
Therefore let him be gagged.
At which words Dr. Ridley, looking earnestly upon him, that so said,
wagged his head at him, and with a sigh said, O well, well, well!
So they proceeded in their doings.
Yet nevertheless Dr. Ridley was ever talking things not pleasant to their ears,
although one or other bade him hold his peace, lest he should be caused against
his will.
When they came to that place where Dr. Ridley should hold the chalice and the
wafer-cake, called the singing-bread, they bade him hold the same in his hands.
And Dr. Ridley said, They shall not come in my hands, for if they do, they shall
fall to the ground for all me.
Then there was one appointed to hold them in his hand, while Bishop Brooks read a
certain thing in Latin law, the effect whereof was, We do take from you the
office of preaching the gospel.
At which words Dr. Ridley gave a great sigh, looking up towards heaven,
saying, O Lord God, forgive them this their wickedness!
When all this, their abominable and ridiculous degradation, was ended very
solemnly, Dr. Ridley said unto Dr. Brooks, If you have done, give me leave to talk
with you a little concerning these matters.
Brooks answered and said, Master Ridley, we may not talk with you.
You be out of the church, and our law is, that we may not talk with any that be out
of the church.
Then Master Ridley said, Seeing that you will not suffer me to talk, neither will
vouchsafe to hear me, what remedy but patience!
I refer the cause to my Heavenly Father, who will reform things that be amiss,
when it shall please Him.
Then Master Ridley said, I pray you, my Lord, be ameen to the Queen's Majesty,
in the behalf of a great many of poor men, and especially for my poor sister and her
husband, which standeth there.
They had a poor living granted unto them by me, whilst I was in the sea of London,
and the same is taken away from them by him that now occupieth the same room,
without all law or conscience.
Here I have a supplication to the Queen's Majesty in their behalves.
You shall hear the same read, so shall you perceive the matter better.
When he came to the place that touched his sister by name, he wept, so that for a
little space he could not speak.
After that he had left off weeping, he said, This is nature that moveth me,
but I have now done.
Whereunto Brooks said, Indeed, Master Ridley, your request is very lawful
and honest, therefore I must needs in conscience speak to the Queen's Majesty
for them.
All things being finished, Dr. Brooks called the bailiffs, delivering to them
Master Ridley with this charge, to keep him safely from any man speaking
with him, and that he should be brought to the place of execution when they were
commanded.
The night before he suffered, as he sat at the supper at Master Irish's, who was his
keeper, he bade his hostess and the rest at the board to his marriage.
For, said he, tomorrow I must be married.
And so showed himself to be as merry as ever he was at any time before.
And wishing his sister at his marriage, he asked his brother, sitting at the
table, whether she could find in her heart to be there or no.
And he answered, Yea, I dare say, with all her heart, at which word he said
he was glad.
At this talk Mistress Irish wept.
But Master Ridley comforted her, and said, O Mrs. Irish, you love me not
now, I see well enough.
For in that you weep, it doth appear you will not be at my marriage, neither are
content therewith.
Indeed, you be not so much my friend as I thought you had been.
But quiet yourself, though my breakfast shall be somewhat sharp and painful,
yet I am sure my supper shall be more pleasant and sweet.
When they arose from the table, his brother offered to watch all night
with him, but he said, No, no, that you shall not.
For I mind, God willing, to go to bed, and to sleep as quietly to-night as ever I
did in my life.
Upon the north side of the town, in the ditch over against Balliol College,
the place of execution was appointed, and for fear of any tumult that might
arise to let the burning of them, the Lord Williams was commanded by the
Queen's Letters to be their assistant sufficiently appointed.
And when everything was in a readiness, the prisoners were brought forth.
Master Ridley had a fair black gown furred and faced with foins, such as he was wont
to wear being bishop, and a tippet of velvet furred likewise about his neck,
a velvet night-cap upon his head, and a corner-cap upon the same,
going in a pair of slippers to the stake between the mayor and the alderman.
After him came Master Latimer in a poor bristol-freeze frock, all worn,
with his buttoned cap and a kerchief on his head, a new long shroud hanging over
his hose down to the feet.
The sight stirred men's hearts to rue, beholding the honour they sometime had and
the calamity whereunto they were fallen.
Master Dr. Ridley, as he passed toward Bacardo, looked up where Master Cranmer
did lie, hoping belike to have seen him at the glass window and to have spoken unto
him.
But then Master Cranmer was busy with Friar Soto and his fellows, disputing
together so that he could not see him.
Master Ridley, looking back, espied Master Latimer coming after, unto whom he said,
O be ye there!
Yea, said Master Latimer, here after as fast as I can follow.
So at length they both came to the stake, Dr. Ridley marvellously earnestly holding
up both his hands, looking towards heaven.
Then, espying Master Latimer with a wondrous cheerful look, 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 flame, or else strengthen us
to abide it.
With that went he to the stake, kneeled down by it, kissed it,
and most effectuously prayed, and behind him Master Latimer kneeled, as earnestly
calling upon God as he.
Then Dr. Smith began his sermon to them upon this text of St. Paul.
If I yield my body to the fire to be burnt, and have not charity, I shall gain
nothing thereby.
Wherein he alleged that the goodness of the cause, and not the order of death,
maketh the holiness of the person, which he confirmed by the examples of
Judas, and of a woman in Oxford, that of late hanged herself.
He ended with a very short exhortation to them to recant, and come home again to the
church, and save their lives and souls.
Dr. Ridley said to Master Latimer, Will you begin to answer the sermon,
or shall I?
Master Latimer said, Begin you first, I pray you.
I will, said Master Ridley.
Then, the wicked sermon being ended, Dr. Ridley and Master Latimer kneeled down
upon their knees towards my Lord Williams of Tim, unto whom Master Ridley said,
I beseech you, my lord, even for Christ's sake, that I may speak but two or three
words.
And whilst my lord bent his head to the mayor and vice-chancellor to know whether
he might give him leave to speak, the bailiffs and Dr. Marshall,
vice-chancellor, ran hastily unto him, and with their hands stopped his mouth,
and said, Master Ridley, if you will revoke your erroneous opinions and recant
the same, you shall not only have liberty so to do, but also the benefit of a
subject, that is, have your life.
Not otherwise, said Master Ridley.
No, quoth Dr. Marshall.
Well, quoth Master Ridley, 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.
Incontinently they were commanded to make them ready, which they with all meekness
obeyed.
Master Ridley took his gown and his tippet and gave it to his brother-in-law,
Master Shipside.
Some other of his apparel that was little worth he gave away, other the bailiffs
took.
He gave away besides divers other small things to gentlemen standing by pitifully
weeping, as to Sir Henry Lee a new groat, and to divers of my Lord Williams'
gentlemen some napkins, some nutmegs, and raises of ginger.
His dial, and such other things as he had about him, to every one that stood next
him.
Some plucked the points off his hose.
Happy was he that might get any rag of him.
Master Latimer very quietly suffered his keeper to pull off his hose, and his other
array, which was very simple.
Being stripped into his shroud, he seemed as comely a person to them that
were there present as one should see.
And whereas, in his clothes, he appeared a withered and crooked old man, he now stood
bolt upright, as comely a father as one might lightly behold.
Master Ridley held up his hand and said, 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 this realm of England, and deliver the
same from all her enemies.
Then the smith took a chain of iron, and brought the same about both Dr.
Ridley's and Master Latimer's middles.
And as he was knocking in a staple, Dr. Ridley took the chain in his hand,
and shaked the same, and looking aside to the smith, said, Good fellow, knock it in
hard, for the flesh will have his course.
Then his brother did bring him gunpowder in a bag, and would have tied the same
about his neck.
Master Ridley asked what it was.
His brother said, Gunpowder.
Then said he, I take it to be sent of God, therefore I will receive it as sent of
him.
And have you any?
said he for my brother, meaning Master Latimer.
Yea, sir, that I have, quoth his brother.
Then give it unto him, said he, betime, lest ye come too late.
So his brother went, and carried off the same gunpowder unto Master Latimer.
Then they brought a faggot, kindled with fire, and laid the same down at Dr.
Ridley's feet.
To whom Master Latimer spake in this manner, 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 out.
When Dr. Ridley saw the fire flaming up towards him, he cried with a wonderful
loud voice, Lord, Lord, receive my spirit!
Master Latimer crying as vehemently on the other side, O Father of Heaven,
receive my soul!
Received the flame as it were embracing of it.
After that he stroked his face with his hands, and as it were bathed them a little
in the fire, he soon died, as it appeareth, with very little pain or none.
By reason of the evil making of the fire unto Master Ridley, because the wooden
faggots were laid about the gorse, and over high built, the fire burned first
beneath, being kept down by the wood, which, when Master Ridley felt,
he desired then for Christ's sake to let the fire come unto him.
Which, when his brother-in-law heard, but not well understood, intending to rid
him out of his pain, for the which cause he gave attendance, as one in such sorrow
not well advised what he did, he heaped faggots upon him, so that he clean covered
him, which made the fire more vehement beneath, that it burned clean all his
nether parts, before it once touched the upper.
And that made him often desire then to let the fire come unto him, saying,
I cannot burn.
Which indeed appeared well, for after his legs were consumed, he showed that side
towards us, clean shirt, and all untouched with flame.
Yet in all this torment he forgot not to call unto God, having in his mouth,
Lord have mercy upon me, intermingling his cry, Let the fire come unto me,
I cannot burn.
In which pangs he laboured till one of the standers fire with his bill pulled off the
faggots above, and where he saw the fire flame up Master Ridley rested himself unto
that side, and when the flame touched the gunpowder he was seen to stir no more.
It moved hundreds to tears in beholding the horrible sight, for I think there was
none that had not clean exiled all humanity and mercy, which would not have
lamented to behold the fury of the fire so to rage upon their bodies.
Signs there were of sorrow on every side.
Some took it grievously to see their deaths, whose lives they held full dear.
Some pitied their persons that thought their souls had no need thereof.
Well, dead they are, and the reward of this world they have already.
What reward remaineth for them in heaven the day of the Lord's glory, when he
cometh with his saints, shall declare.