R I D 
his return to Cambridge, he was chosen junior treasurer of 
Pembroke-hall, in 1530; and he now applied with great 
diligence to the reading of the Scriptures, as the safest guides 
in his theological studies. Two years afterwards, his superior 
qualifications as a disputant were triumphantly displayed, in 
the character of one of the opponents to two Oxford scholars, 
who had challenged all the University of Cambridge to a 
disputation on two questions in which they had prepared 
themselves. On this occasion the vain-glorious challengers 
soon met with a complete defeat, and were obliged to quit 
the field in disgrace. In 1533, Mr. Ridley was chosen 
senior proctor of the University ; and while he continued in 
office, the point of the pope’s supremacy was brought before 
the University, to be examined upon the authority of Scrip¬ 
ture. After public disputations had been held, in which the 
question was thoroughly discussed, the University at length 
came to a resolution, “That the Bishop of Rome had no 
more authority and jurisdiction derived to him from God, 
in this kingdom of England, than auy other foreign bishop 
and this was officially signed by Mr. Ridley, as well as by 
the vice-chancellor and the other proctor. Upon the expira¬ 
tion of his office, in 1534, he proceeded bachelor of divi¬ 
nity, and was appointed chaplain to the University, as well 
as public orator, having established his character as an excel¬ 
lent preacher, and the best disputant of his time. 
Mr. Ridley lost his generous uncle in the year 1536; but 
his now well known learning and talents soon procured him 
' another and more powerful patron in Dr. Cranmer, Arch¬ 
bishop of Canterbury, who, in the course of the year fol¬ 
lowing, took him into his family, and made him his chap¬ 
lain. As a testimony of his approbation, and an earnest of 
future favour, in 1538 the Archbishop presented him to the 
vicarage of Hearne in East Kent. Here he preached the 
principles of the Reformation, excepting that he still adhered 
to the doctrine of the corporal presence in the eucharist; and 
among other converts which he made to them, was the Lady 
Fiennes, who proved a distinguished ornament to the cause 
which she adopted. To enliven the devotion of his parishi¬ 
oners, he also had the Te Deum sung at church in English; 
which was afterwards made the subject of an accusation 
against him. When, in 1539, the act of the six articles 
was passed, he bore his testimony against the imposition of 
them. In the year 1540, he went to Cambridge, and pro¬ 
ceeded doctor of divinity; probably by the persuasion of 
Archbishop Cranmer. Soon after he had taken his degree, 
a vacancy happening in the mastership of Pembroke-hall, 
the Fellows, who were well acquainted with his learning and 
abilities, chose him to fill that post. About the same time, 
through Cranmer’s influence, he was nominated chaplain to 
the King; and this honour was speedily followed by his 
collation to a prebendal stall in the cathedral church of Can¬ 
terbury. In this city, when his duty called him to fill the 
pulpit, he discovered so much integrity and zeal in endea¬ 
vouring to expose to the people the abuses of popery, that 
he provoked against him the rage of some of fhe prebenda¬ 
ries and preachers of what was called the old learning, who 
at the Archbishop’s visitation in 1541, exhibited charges 
against him for preaching contrary to the statute of the six 
articles. On this occasion Dr. Ridley, though he feared 
not to bear his testimony against any tenet or practice which 
he discovered to be erroneous, yet, from respect to the 
authority by which the six articles were enjoined, when 
called upon for his defence delivered his opinions with so 
much caution, that the malicious views of his accusers were 
completely disappointed. Notwithstanding this, a new 
attempt to ruin him was privately projected by Dr. Gardiner, 
Bishop of Winchester, and some of his popish associates, 
who contrived that articles should be exhibited against him 
before the justices of the peace in Kent, and afterwards be¬ 
fore the King and council, which charged him with preach¬ 
ing against auricular confession, calling the ceremonies of 
the church beggarly ceremonies, and directing Te Deum to 
be sung in English at Hearne. The cognizance of this accu¬ 
sation being referred by the King to Cranmer, he detected 
the true authors of the persecution, and discovered their ma- 
Vol. XXII. No. 1486. 
LEY. 93 
licious design to the King, by whose authority it was imme¬ 
diately crushed. 
Hitherto Dr. Ridley had been an unsuspecting believer in 
the doctrine of transubstantiation; but in tbe year 1545, while 
spending a considerable time in retirement at Hearne, he em¬ 
ployed himself in carefully and dispassionately examining 
into its truth and evidence. As he proceeded, he honestly 
communicated his discoveries and his scruples to his friend 
and patron Cranmer, who, knowing the sincerity of the 
man, and his cool judgment, was prevailed upon to examine 
this doctrine himself with the utmost care. The result was, 
that both Dr. Ridley and the Archbishop became fully con¬ 
vinced, that the doctrine in question was not a doctrine of 
Scripture. The setting aside of this absurd tenet was a very 
important article of reformation ; for, as Cranmer expressed 
himself, “ the taking away of beads, pilgrimages, pardons, 
and such like popery, was but the lopping a few branches, 
which would soon spring up again, unless the roots of the 
tree, which were transubstantiation and the sacrifice of the 
mass, were pulled up.” And this he acknowledged was 
owing to conference with Dr. Ridley, “ who, by sundry per¬ 
suasions and authorities of doctors, drew him quite from his 
old opinion.” Towards the close of the year 1545, Cranmer 
procured for his friend the eighth stall in the church of St. 
Peter at Westminster. Upon the accession of Edward VI. 
in 1547, Dr. Ridley, being appointed to preach before the 
King on Ash Wednesday, took that opportunity, after con¬ 
futing the Bishop of Rome’s pretended claims to authority 
and power, to discourse concerning the abuses of images in 
churches, and ceremonies, particularly the use of holy water 
for driving away devils; which Gardiner, Bishop of Win¬ 
chester, who was among his auditors, made an unsuccessful 
attempt to defend in a letter which he sent to him on the 
following Monday. A few days afterwards he was united in 
a commission with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the 
Bishops of Durham and Rochester, and six others, for the 
purpose of examining the cause of the Earl of Northampton, 
whose Countess had been guilty of adultery, and to pass 
such a sentence as should be warranted by Scripture, and the 
judgment of the primitive Christians. 
In September 1547, a vacancy having taken place in the 
bishopric of Rochester, Dr. Ridley was promoted to that 
dignity, and consecrated with the yet-unaltered rites and 
forms usual on such occasions in the Roman church, after 
he had taken an oath by which he renounced the usurped 
jurisdiction of the Roman pontiff. During the following 
year, he appears to have been employed in reforming the 
liturgy, conjointly with Archbishop Cranmer, five other 
prelates, and some learned divines; and in 1549, he was 
appointed one of the commissioners empowered to search 
after all Anabaptists, heretics, and contemners of the book 
of common prayer. In consequence of being put into this 
commission, he was involved in the indelible reproach of 
having contributed to bring to the stake Joan Bocher and 
George Van Paris. Soon afterwards he repaired to Cam¬ 
bridge to hold, as he then imagined, a visitation for abolish¬ 
ing statutes and ordinances which maintained popery and 
superstition, and to preside at a public dispute on the subject 
of the corporal presence in the eucharist. But when his 
fellow-commissioners made him fully acquainted with their 
instructions, which they had concealed from him for some 
days, he found that the principal object of their appointment 
was the suppression of Clare-Hall, under the pretence of 
uniting it to Trinity-Hall, and of erecting there a new col¬ 
lege of civilians; though the real motive of the courtiers in 
urging that measure was, that they might seize upon the 
revenues of Clare-Hall.' The Master and Fellows, however, 
could not be prevailed upon voluntarily to surrender their 
college into the King’s hands; and when the majority of 
the commissioners determined that they might proceed to 
the execution of their scheme, under the sole sanction of the 
royal authority, Ridley modestly opposed their deter- ' 
mination, and with great calmness entered his dissent. Not 
venturing to act in opposition to his protest, the com¬ 
missioners complained to the Protector of the interruption in 
2 B promoting 
