Foxe’s Christian Martyrs (Part 15)

RIDLEY AND LATIMER

On September 30, 1555, Ridley and Latimer appeared together in Oxford before a panel of bishops to answer the charges of heresy that had been brought against them. Ridley was examined first.

The bishop of London began by urging Ridley to recant and submit himself to the pope. “If you will renounce your errors, recant your heretical and seditious opinions, consent to yield yourself to the undoubted faith and truth of the gospel … authority is given to us to receive you, to reconcile you, and upon due penance to join you into Christ’s church.” The bishop stressed three points:

That the pope was descended from Peter, who was the foundation of the church.
That the early church fathers confessed the pope’s supremacy in their writings.
That Ridley once believed this himself.

Ridley replied to the three points. First, he said, it was not Peter who was the church’s foundation, but Peter’s confession that Christ was the Son of God. This belief is the foundation of the church, not a mere man.

Secondly, the bishop of Rome was supreme in the early church because the city of Rome was supreme in the world of the day, not because he had any more religious power than other bishops. As long as the diocese of Rome was true to the gospel, its bishop deserved respect from everyone in the church; but as soon as they began setting themselves above kings and emperors for their own honor, the bishops of Rome became anti-Christian.

To the last point, Ridley admitted he did once believe as they did, just as Paul was once a persecutor of Christ.

The bishop of Lincoln cut Ridley short, reminding him of the panel’s power to either accept him back into the church or excommunicate himl. Anything they did would receive the support of the queen, who was a faithful member of the church. The following articles were then put forward against him (and Latimer):

He maintained that the true body of Christ was not present in the bread and wine.
He taught that the bread and wine remained bread and wine after consecration.
He believed that the Mass is not a propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead.
That Dr. Weston and others declared these beliefs heretical.
That all of the above is true and well known.

Ridley was asked to reply to the charges with simple yes or no answers and was promised that he could amend his answers the next day, when he’d had more time to think about them. Before he answered, Ridley protested that whatever he said, he would be saying it unwillingly and his answering would not indicate that he accepted either the panel’s or the pope’s authority over him.

To the first charge, he sad that Christ’s body and blood were present spiritually in the bread and wine but not physically. To the second, he replied that the bread and wine remain bread and wine after consecration. To the third, he said that Christ made one perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Communion was an acceptable sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, but saying it removed man’s sins implied that Christ’s work was not enough. To the fourth, Ridley replied that his beliefs had been declared heretical by Dr. Watson, but unjustly. To the fifth, that he believed exactly what he said, although he didn’t know what everyone thought of his beliefs.

Ridley was dismissed until the following day, and Latimer was brought in. As with Ridley, the bishop urged Latimer to give up his beliefs and rejoin the Catholic Latimer to give up his beliefs and rejoin the Catholic Church, which was again universally accepted. He was then asked to reply to the same charges as Ridley.

“I do not deny,” he said in answer to the first charge, “that in the sacrament, by spirit and grace, is the very body and blood of Christ. Every man receiving the bread or wine spiritually receives the body and blood of Christ. But I deny that the body and blood of Christ is in the sacrament the way you say it is.”

To the second, he replied, “There is a change in the bread and wine, and yet the bread is still bread and the wine is still wine.”

On whether the Mass is a sacrifice for sins, Latimer replied, “No. Christ made one perfect sacrifice. No one can offer Him up again. Neither can the priest offer Him for the sins of man, which He took away by offering Himself once for all upon the cross. There is no propitiation for our sins except the cross.”

When Latimer was asked about his beliefs being called heresy, he replied, “Yes, I think they were condemned. But He that will judge us all knows they were condemned unjustly.” Latimer was also dismissed until eight o’clock the next morning.

Ridley arrived on October 1 with his answers to the charges written out, asking permission to read them to the crowd that filled St. Mary’s Church. But he was forced to turn his papers over to the bishops first, and they declared them heretical, refusing to read them aloud. In return, Ridley refused to answer their questions, saying all his answers were contained in his written replies. He was condemned as a heretic and turned over to the secular authorities for punishment.

Latimer was brought in. He agreed to answer the panel’s charges again, but his answers were the same as the day before and he refused to recant. He was also condemned and turned over to the authorities.

The morning of October 15, the bishop of Gloucester (Dr. Brooks) and the vice-chancellor of Oxford (Dr. Marshall), along with others from the university, arrived at Mayor Irish’s house, where Ridley was being held a prisoner. Ridley was given the opportunity to rejoin the church. When he refused, they forced him to go through the ceremony expelling him from the priesthood. The ceremony over, Ridley read a petition to the queen asking that she help Ridley’s sister and brother-in-law and others who had depended on him for their support. Dr. Brooks promised to forward the petition to the queen but doubted she would honor it.

That night Ridley’s beard and legs were washed. At supper, he invited everyone in the mayor’s house to his burning, as well as his sister and brother. When the mayor’s wife began to cry, he comforted her by saying, “Quiet yourself. Though my breakfast will be somewhat sharp and painful, I’m sure my supper will be pleasant and sweet.”

Ridley and Latier were to be burned on the north side of Oxford, in a ditch by Baliol College, well guarded by the queen’s orders. When everything was ready, they were brought out by the mayor and bailiffs. Ridley wore a furred black gown, velvet nightcap, and slippers. Latimer wore a worn frock, a buttoned cap, and a new long shroud hanging down to his feet.

Looking back, Ridley saw Latimer following him. “Oh. Are you here?” he called.

“Yes. As fast as I can follow,” Latimer answered.

Ridley reached the stake first. Holing up his hands, he first looked toward heaven. When Latimer arrived, Ridley ran to him cheerfully, held him, and kissed him, saying, “Be of good cheer, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flame or else strengthen us to bear it.” After they said their prayers, the two men talked quietly together for a little while, but no one knows what they said.

The officers prevented Ridley and Latimer from answering the sermon that was given by Dr. Smith. They would be allowed to speak only if it were to recant.

“Well, then,” said Ridley, “I commit our cause to Almighty God, who shall impartially judge all.”

Latimer added, “Well, there is nothing hid but it shall be made manifest.”

Ridley cheerfully gave away his clothing and other items he possessed then asked Lord William to do what he could to help those who depended on him for their living. The chain was fastened around the two men. “Good fellow, tie it tight, for the flesh will have its way,” Ridley commented. Then his brother brought him a bag of gunpowder to hang around his neck. “I will take it to be sent by God, therefore I will receive it as sent of Him. And do you have some for my brother?” Told he did, Ridley sent his brother to Latimer before it was too late. Then they brought a torch and laid it at Ridley’s feet.

“Be of good comfort, brother Ridley, and play the man,” Latimer called. “We shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”

When Ridley saw the flames leap up, he cried with a loud voice, “Lord, into Thy hands I commend my spirit. Lord, receive my spirit!”

Latimer cried as vehemently on the other side, “O Father of heaven, receive my soul!” He received the flame as if embracing it. After he stroked his face with his hands and bathed them a little in the fire, Latimer died with little visible pain.

But Ridley suffered longer because the fire did not flare up on his side of the stake, and he called to them, asking them to let the fire come to him. His brother-in-law, misunderstanding the problem, covered Riley with even more wood, which made the fire burn stronger on the bottom but kept it from flaring up as it should have. It burned all Ridley’s lower parts before ever touching his upper body, which made him leap up and down under the wood piled around him as he cried, “I cannot burn!” Even after his legs were consumed, his shirt was still untouched by the flames. He suffered in terrible pain until one of the onlookers pulled off the wood that was smothering the flames. When Ridley saw the fire flame up, he leaned toward it until the gunpowder exploded. He moved no more after that, falling down at Latimer’s feet.

The sight of Ridley and Latimer’s struggle moved hundreds in the crowd to tears, seeing years of study and knowledge, all the gody virtues, so much dignity and honor — all consumed in one moment. Well, they are gone, and the rewards of this world they already have. What a reward remains for them in heaven on the day of the Lord’s glory, when He comes with His saints!

RIDLEY’S FAREWELL

Dr. Ridley wrote the following letter to all his friends in Christ before his death:

As a man about to take a long journey naturally wants to say good-bye to his friends, so I, expecting to leave you any day now, want to bid all my sisters and brothers here on earth good-bye.
Farewell, my dear brother George Shipside, who has always been faithful, trustworthy, and loving. Now in the time of my cross, you have been my most friendly, steadfast supporter, always serving God’s cause.
Farewell, my sister Alice [Shipside’s wife]. I’m glad to hear that you have accepted Christ’s cross, which is now lain on your back as well as mine. Thank God for giving you a godly, loving husband; honor and obey him, according to God’s law. Honor your mother-in-law and love everyone in his family, doing them as much good as you can. As for your children, I have no doubt that your husband will treat them as though they were his own.
Farewell, my dearly beloved brother, John Ridley, and you, my gentle and loving sister, Elizabeth. The tender love you were said to have for me above the rest of your family binds me to you in love. I wish I could repay you with deeds instead of words. I say good-bye to your daughter Elizabeth, whom I love for her meek, gentle spirit. This is a precious thing in the sight of God.
Farewell, my beloved sister of Unthank, with all your children, nephews, and nieces. Since the death of my brother Hugh, I wanted to treat them as my own children, but the Lord God must and will be their Father, if they love and fear Him and live according to His law.
Farewell, my beloved cousins, Nicholas Ridley of Willimountswicke and your wife. I thank you for all the kindness you showed me and the rest of our families. Since God has made you a leader of our family and given you His gifts of grace above others, continue in truth, honesty, righteousness, and godliness and resist falsehood, unrighteousness, and ungodliness, which are condemned by the Word of God.
Farewell, my young cousin, Ralph Whitfield. Oh, your time was very short with me! I wanted to do good for you, but all you received was loss. I trust God will make that up to you.
Farewell, my family and countrymen; farewell in Christ to you all. The Lord knows I wanted to bring Christ’s blessed gospel to you all; it was my duty as a minister.
I warn you all: Do not be ashamed by my death, I think it is the greatest honor of my life and thank God for calling me to give my life for His sake and in His cause. He gave the same honor to the holy prophets, His dearly beloved apostles, and His blessed chosen martyrs. I have no doubt that I am dying for God’s cause and the cause of truth. Having a heart willing to stand for Christ to the death is an inestimable and honorable gift from God, given only to the true elect and dearly beloved children of God and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. All of you that love me should rejoice that I, a sinful and vile wretch, was called to give up this temporal life in defense of His eternal, everlasting truth.
You, my family and countrymen, know you will always have reason to rejoice and thank God, and I know you will find favor and grace in my cause, for the Lord said He will be full of mercy to those who love Him.
Through the goodness and grace of Almighty God, the Church of England has recently enjoyed great substance, great riches of heavenly treasure, great plenty of God’s true Word, the correct administration of Christ’s holy sacraments — the whol profession of Christ’s religion. It also observed the Lord’s Supper correctly, observing Christ’s commands. Thanks was given for the bread and wine, and the Lord’s death was commemorated. The bread was broken in remembrance of Christ’s body being torn upon the cross, the cup was shared in remembrance of Christ’s shed blood, and everyone received both.
All this was done in English, so everyone would understand and give God the glory. Recently, all the services of this church were performed in English according to the command of the Lord and Paul’s doctrine, so people could understand and profit from them.
The Church of England also had holy, wholesome sermons urging people to lead godly lives, as well as those condemning the vices that used to reign in England. It had articles of belief grounded in scripture that could have expelled the errors and heresies almost overgrowing the church.
But alas, lately thieves have come in and stolen all this treasure. These robbers have robbed the Church of England of all its holy treasure, carried it away, and overthrown it. Instead of God’s Holy Word and true sacraments, they added their foolish fantasies and ungodly traditions.
Instead of th eLord’s holy table, they give the people their Mass — a mockery of the true suppper of the Lord. They have bewitched the minds of simple people, brought them from true worsip into idolatry, making the bread and wine into Christ our Lord and Savior, even though Christ said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Instead of prayers in English, these thieves give the people prayers in a language they cannot understand, preventing them from praying together with the priest. Paul called praying in a strange tongue barbarous, childish, unprofitable folly, and plain madness.
Instead of godly articles of unity in religion and wholesome sermons, these thieves provide the pope’s laws and decrees, lying legends, feigned fables and miracles.
I cannot consent to this robbery, because it is blasphemy against God, high treason against Christ. It is plainly against God’s Word and Christ’s gospel, against my salvation and that of my brothers and sisters, which Christ so dearly bought for us all. This is why I am being put to death, which I willingly accept, sure that I will receive everlasting life in return.
These thieves are worse than a thief who robs and kills the body, for these kill both body and soul. These church robbers so disguise their spiritual robbery that they can make people believe that lies are truth and truth is a lie; light is darkness, and darkness light; evil good and good evil; superstition true religion and idolatry true worship.
These robbers cannot be fought as common robbers are, with spears and lances. Our weapons must be spiritual and heavenly. We must fight them with the armor of God, not intending to kill their bodies but their errors, their heresies, idolatries, superstitions, and hypocrisy, in an attempt to save both their bodies and their souls. Our weapons are faith, hope, charity, righteousness, truth, patience, and prayer; our sword is the Word of God. With these weapons, we will win by never yielding to the enemy, even though we are murdered like sheep. The crueler and more painful our deaths, the more glorious they are in God and the more blessed our martyrdom.
I tell you this so you won’t be ashamed by my death. If you love me, you will rejoice that God has called me to this honor, which is greater than any earthly honor I could ever attain. Who wouldn’t be happy to die for this cause? I trust in my Lord God, who put His mind, will, and affection in my heart, and choose to lose all my worldly substance and my life, too, rather than deny His known truth. He will comfort me, aid me, and strengthen me forever, even to the yielding of my spirit and soul into His hands. I most heartily beg His infinite goodness and mercy, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(To be continued …)