RIDLEY. 



he began to examine the dodtrine of tranSubftantiation, 

 which he and his friend and patron, Cranmer, rejected as 

 unfcriptural. Towards the clofe of the year he was ap- 

 pointed prebend of St. Peter's, Weftminfter. It 1547 he 

 was promoted to the bifliopric of Roehefter ; and in the fol- 

 lowing year he was employed in reforming the liturgy, in 

 conjunction with Cranmer, five other prelates, and fome 

 learned divines; and in 1549 he was appointed one of the 

 commifiioners empowered to fearch after all Anabaptilts, 

 heretics, and contemners of the book of common prayer. 

 In this character he was involved in the foul reproach of 

 having contributed to bring to the flake Joan Bother, and 

 other-. (See CRANMER.] That he did this from con- 

 scientious motives, there can be no doubt ; but he ought to 

 have inveftigated the principles, before he proceeded to the 

 horrid aft of pcrfecution ; and having a mind open to con- 

 viction, he would foon have found that no tenets, in- 

 culcated by the mild and holy Jefus, would lead to the in- 

 fliction of corporal punishment for the fake of curing mental 

 error. He more than once oppofed the unreafonable com- 

 mands and wifhes of tliofe in power; and would no doubt, 

 in the cafe of Bocher and others, have done fo too, had lie 

 felt it bis duty. 



The bifhop of Roehefter was one of the commiflioners ap- 

 pointed to lit in judgment on the caufe of Bonner, bifhop of 

 .London ; and bv linn the fentence of deprivation was pro- 

 nounced againft the prelate. This was in the reign of Ed- 

 ward. In that of Mary, as we mall fee, ample revenge 

 was taken of him. Ridley fucceeded to the bifiiopric of 

 London in the year 1549-50, when the bifhopric of Weft- 

 minfter was fuppreiTcd as a diftinct fee, and united to that 

 of London. Ridley's conduct towards his predeceftor 

 Bonner, and his family, after taking pofTefilon of the epif- 

 copal palace, was honourable to his integrity and bene- 

 volence, of which the following facts are Sufficient proofs, 

 lie took care to preferve from injury the goods, Sec. be- 

 longing to Bonner, allowing him full liberty to remove them 

 when he pleaied. Such materials as Bonner had purchafed 

 for the repair of his houfe and church, the new bifhop em- 

 ployed to the ufes for which they were defigned ; but he 

 repaid him the money which he had advanced for them. He 

 took upon himfelf the difcharge of the fums which were due 

 to Bonner's fervants for liveries and wages ; and that the 

 mother and filler of that prelate, who lived near the palace 

 at l'ulham, and had their board there, might not be lofers 

 in confequence of his promotion, he always fent for them 

 inner and fupper, conftantly placing Mrs. Bonner at the 

 head ile, even when perfons of high rank were his 



guelts. 



Soon after his translation to the fee of London, bifhop 

 Ridli ■ lominated one of the commiflioners for examin- 



ing Gardiner, bilhop of Winchefter, and concurred in his 

 deprivation In 1550 bilhop Ridley vifited his diocefe, and 

 he directed that the altars Should thenceforth be taken 

 1 in the churches, and tables fubllituted in their room, 

 for the celebration of the Lord's Supper; to take away 

 the falfe perfualion which the people had, of facrifices to 

 be offered upon altars. In 1551 the Sweating ficknefs pre- 

 vailed in London, and in the fpace oS a few days carried off 

 eight or nine hundred perfons; but in the midll of the 

 ajami which this ncccfTarily occafioned, Ridley admiaiilcrcd 

 in the duties of his office, trailing himfelf entirely to the 

 nee of Got! lor Safety, in the danger to which 

 he was every moment expofed ; and he endeavoured, with 

 •all the- zeal of an exemplary Spiritual pallor, to improve the 

 public calamity to the reformation of the manners oS the 

 people. To promote more generally a reformation in thr 



Vol. XXX. 



doctrine of the church, the council, this year, appointed 

 Cranmer and Ridley to prepare a book of articles of faith. 

 With this view they drew up forty-two articles, and fent 

 copies of them to the other bifhops and learned divines, for 

 their corrections and amendments ; after which the arch- 

 bifhop reviewed them a Second time, and then prefented 

 them to the council, where they received the royal fanftion, 

 and were pubhfhed by the king's authority, as an aft of the 

 iupremacy. In the year 1552 he paid a vifit to the princel- 

 Mary, and offered to preach before her ; but fhe refufed to 

 hear him herfelf, or permit her fervants to attend to his doc- 

 trine ; telling him, that, in her father's days, he would not 

 have dared to have avouched that for God's word that he 

 then did. Mary never forgot nor forgave this interference 

 on the part of the prelate, which, notwithstanding the re- 

 marks of moll of Ridley's biographers, appears to us to have 

 been uncalled for, if it were not even an act of rudenefs 

 not eafily justified. 



When the parliament aflembled in 1553, the king, who 

 was languishing under the decline which Soon put an end to 

 his life, ordered the two houfes to attend him at Whitehall, 

 where bifhop Ridley preached before him, recommending 

 with Such energy the duties of beneficence and charity, that 

 his majefty fent for him, to inquire how he could beft put in 

 practice the duties which lie had fo well and fo ilrongly en- 

 forced ; and the refult of this Sermon and conSerence was a 

 determination in the king to found, or incorporate anew, 

 and endow with ample revenues, thofe noble inftitutions, 

 Chrift's, Bartholomew's, Bridewell, and St. Thomas's 

 hoSpitals. 



Upon the death of Edward VI., Ridley was earneft in 

 attempting to fet lady Jane Grey on the throne ; but when 

 the defign had miScarried, he went to Mary to do her 

 homage, and fubmit himfelf to her clemency. His recep- 

 tion was fuch as he might have expected : he was immedi- 

 ately committed to the Tower, where, however, he was 

 treated with mush lefs rigour than Cranmer and Latimer, 

 who were likewife prifoners in the fame fortrefs. Ridley, 

 it has been thought, might have recovered the queen's fa- 

 vour, if he would have brought the weight of his learning 

 and authority to countenance her proceedings in religion. 

 He was, however, too honed to act againfl his convi&ion ; 

 and he was, after eight months' imprisonment in the Tower, 

 conveyed from thence to Oxford, where he was, on the 

 ill of Oftober 1555, condemned to death for herefy. 

 During the fortnight between his condemnation and execu- 

 tion, the priefls tried all their means of perfuafion to gain 

 him over to their caufe. He was deaf to their remon- 

 strances, and was not to be fhaken in the principles which 

 he had adopted. 



The 15th of October being the day appointed by the 

 court for his execution, he met the trial with calmnels and 

 fortitude. He called it his marriage -day, and Supped on 

 the preceding evening with the utmou cheerfulnefs, having 

 invited Some friends on the occafion. When they rofe to 

 depart, one of them offered to fit up with him through the 

 ni^ht, which he would not permit, Saying, he meant to go 

 to bed, and, by God's will, to fleep as quietlv that night 

 as he ever had done in hie life. On the following morning, 

 having drefied himSelt in his epifcopal habit, he walked to 

 the place of execution, between the mayor and one of the 

 aldermen of Oxford; and feeing Latimer approach, from 

 whom he had been Separated Since their condemnation, he 

 ran to meet him, and with a cheerful countenance embraced 

 him, and exclaimed, " Be oi good heart, brother, for God 

 will cither affuage the fin v 01 the flames, or elfe give us 

 ilrcngth to endure them." Then walking to the flasc, he 



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