A

BRIEF ACCOUNT

OF

DR. NICHOLAS RIDLEY,

Bishop of London, and Martyr, 1555.

DR. NICHOLAS RIDLEY was born in the beginning of the sixteenth century, at Willemonstwick, a town in Northumberland, near the borders of Scotland. His father was the third son of an ancient and respectable family who had long resided in that country. After being educated at Newcastle on Tyne, he was removed to Pembroke-hall, in Cambridge, about the year 1518, just at the time when Luther's opposition to the pope's bulls respecting indulgences began to excite general attention. He applied studiously to acquire the learning then most in repute, and, as his biographer states, 'his character at that time, appears to have been that of an ingenious, virtuous, zealous papist.'

After some years passed at Cambridge, Ridley visited France, and studied at the universities of Paris and Louvain. On his return (about 1529), he pursued his theological studies with much earnestness, in particular committing to memory the greater part of the epistles in the original Greek, and his mind appears to have been enlightened by the study of the scriptures. In 1534, he took an active part in the public discussions relative to the pope's supremacy, and, in 1537, archbishop Cranmer appointed him one of his chaplains.

In 1538, Ridley was collated to the vicarage of Herne, in Kent, where the people for many miles round crowded to attend his preaching; and he diligently instructed his charge in the doctrines of the gospel, although on the point of transubstantiation, he was not as yet fully emancipated from popish errors. When the act of the six articles came out, Ridley bore public testi

mony against it, but being unmarried, and as yet in error as to the Sacrament of the altar, he did not fall within its penalties.

In October, 1540, Ridley was appointed to the mastership of Pembroke-hall, which was then remarked for the learning and scriptural knowledge of its members, and, in the following year, he was nominated one of the prebendaries of Canterbury, where he preached so strongly against the abuses of popery, as to excite some of the bigoted ecclesiastics to accuse him of having offended against the laws then in force, but their malice was disappointed. He particularly contended that prayer should be made in a language which the people could understand.

Ridley passed a great part of the year 1545 at Herne, when he was induced to examine more particularly respecting the Sacrament; the arguments and sufferings of those who opposed the popish errors upon this subject having made a strong impression upon his mind. The effect of this investigation, was to remove the error under which he had laboured, and, communicating his views to Cranmer, they examined the doctrines of the church of Rome as to transubstantiation, and those of the Lutheran church respecting consubstantiation. After a full investigation of the scriptures, and the writings of the Fathers of the primitive church, they were enabled to discern the truths which had been till then obscured and concealed from their view.

On the accession of Edward VI., Ridley was appointed one of the preachers at court, and forwarded the Reformation to the utmost of his power. In 1547, he was made bishop of Rochester, and, in 1549, we find him bearing a prominent part in a public disputation, with the Romanists at Cambridge, on the subject of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the particulars of which are fully stated in Fox's Acts and Monuments.

In April, 1550, Ridley was appointed to the see of London; this important office he discharged with much faithfulness, and in a very exemplary manner. He behaved with much kindness to Bonner, who was removed from that bishopric on account of his obstinate attachment to popery, and was particularly careful that he should suffer as little pecuniary loss as possible from his removal. When at Fulham, he always, at dinner and supper, sent for Bonner's mother and sister, who resided near, and

constantly placed the former at his right hand, alleviating her misfortunes to the utmost of his power.*

Fox thus speaks of Ridley's discharge of his episcopal duties. "He so laboured and occupied himself in preaching and teaching the true and wholesome doctrine of Christ, that a good child never was more loved by his dear parents, than he was by his flock and diocese. Every Sunday and holy day, he preached in some place or other, unless hindered by weighty business. To these sermons the people resorted, swarming about him like bees, and coveting the sweet flowers and wholesome juice of the fruitful doctrine, which he not only preached, but showed the same by his life as a shining light, in such pure order, that even his very adversaries could not reprove him in any one jot thereof." His ordinary course of life at that time, is thus described by the same writer. "He, using all ways to mortify himself, was given to much prayer and contemplation. For early every morning, so soon as his apparel was upon him, he prayed on his knees half an hour, which being done, immediately he went to his study, if there came no other business to interrupt him, where he continued till ten o'clock, and then came to common prayer daily used in his house. The prayers being done, he went to dinner, where he talked little, and then it was sober, discreet, and wise, and sometimes merry, as the cause required. The dinner being over, which was not very long, he used to sit an hour or thereabouts talking, or playing at chess. That done, he returned to his study, and continued there until five o'clock, unless suitors or business abroad prevented. He then came to common prayer, which being finished, he went to supper. After supper he recreated himself an hour, and then returned to his study, continuing there till eleven o'clock, which was his common hour to go to bed, then saying his prayers upon his knees as in the morning when he rose. When at Fulham, he read a lecture to his family every day at the common prayer, beginning at the Acts, and so going through all the epistles, giving a New Testament to every man that could read, and hiring them

* When Bonner was restored, he acted in a very different manner, not only treating Ridley's relations with much harshness and severity, but even depriving them of property to which they were legally entitled, and endeavouring to procure the death of Ridley's brother-inlaw.

† At that period, it was usual for the nobility and gentry to dine at eleven o'clock.

with money to learn by heart certain principal chapters, but especially Acts xiii. He often read to his household the 101st psalm, being very careful over his family, that they might be an example of all virtue and honesty to others. To be short, as he was godly and virtuous himself, so nothing but godliness and virtue reigned in his house, he feeding them with the food of our Saviour Jesus Christ."

Much of Ridley's time, during the reign of Edward VI., was occupied in discharging the public duties of his office, which were neither few nor small, and during the prevalence of a pestilential distemper in London, called the sweating sickness,* he continued to reside among his flock. In his pastoral duties, he was ably assisted by Bradford and Grindal, two of his chaplains.

In the beginning of 1553, the king's health was evidently in a declining state, when, by Ridley's means, the noble foundation of Christ's Hospital, and those of St. Bartholomew, Bridewell, and Bethlehem were established.

The particulars of the last days of Edward VI., and the brief reign of Lady Jane Grey, need not be given in this place. Ridley does not appear to have taken a prominent part in those events, if we except a sermon preached by him at Paul's Cross, by order of the council, on one of the two Sundays between the death of king Edward, and the entrance of queen Mary into London. On that occasion, he strongly urged the evils which must ensue from Mary's attachment to popery, if she obtained the crown. This was not forgotten by his enemies, and as soon as Mary's authority was established, Ridley was committed to the tower, and Bonner was again established as bishop of London-of the wide difference between his conduct and that of Ridley, both in private life and public affairs, the reader doubtless is fully aware.

Ridley continued in the tower several months. During the greater part of the time he had Cranmer and Latimer for his fellow-prisoners;-the result of their conferences will be found in the following pages. In April, 1554, these venerable Fathers of the English church were sent to Oxford, to dispute publicly

*The 15th of April, 1551, the infectious sweating sickness began at Shrewsbury. What number died cannot be well accounted, but certain it is, that in London in a few days 960 gave up the ghost.Stowe's Annals.