tion, that, next to the archbishop, he was thought to be its greatest support among the clergy. In the succeeding reign of Edward VI. when a royal visitation was resolved on through the kingdom, he attended the visitors of the northern circuit as their preacher, to instruct that part of the nation in the principles of religion.

It was not before 1545, that Ridley was convinced of the error, which prevailed, concerning Christ's corporal presence in the sacrament. The sufferings and arguments of Frith, Tindale, Lambert, and others, made such strong impressions, during his retirement at Herne about this time, that, by the grace of God, they ended in his conviction of the truth of their doctrine.

He was made chaplain to Edward VI. consecrated bishop of Rochester in 1547, and translated to London on the deprivation of Bonner in 1550: but he died in the flames at Oxford in 1555.

Of all the reforming divines of that time, Ridley ap proached the nearest to the church of England in her present doctrines and discipline. He saw, and avoided, but could bear with the errors of all parties among the reformed; while the dignity, the aflability, and the modesty of his behaviour, gave him a general esteem with 'all ranks of men.

Ridley was sent to Cambridge, with some other delegates, where a disputation was held for three days toge ther, to prove, that transubstantiation was not to be found in the plain and manifeft words of scripture, nor could neceffarily be collected from it. nor confirmed by the consent of the ancient fathers; and that there is no other sacrifice and oblation in the Lord's Supper, than of a remembrance of Christ's death, and of thanksgiving. The debate was summed up with a great deal of temper and learning by bishop Ridley, in a strong determination against the corporal presence.

The jord protector had a design of suppressing Clare Hall, Cambridge, and uniting it with Trinity Hall, to augment the number of fellows there to twenty, in order to found a new college for civilians. For this purpose a commission was granted to the bishops of Ely and Rochester, William Paget, Sir Thomas Smith, John Cheeke, Dr. May, dean of St. Paul's, and Thomas Wendy,

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M. D.. Presently after the passing of this, he was again put into commission with the archbishop,, the bishops of Ely, Worcester, Westminster, Chichester, and Lincoln, Sir William Petre, Sir Thomas Smith, Dr. Cox, Dr. May, and others, to search after al anabaptists, heretics, and contemners of the Common Prayer. For complaint had been brought to the council, that, with the strangers who were come into England, some anabaptists were mingled, who were disseminating their errors and making proselytes. Under this general name were comprehended men of various opinions, driven out of Germany with the more sober Protestants, who were in danger from the emperor, for not complying with the interim t.

Some time in May, the bishop of Rochester repaired to Cambridge with his fellow commissioners to hold the visitation for the abolishing statutes and ordinances which maintained popery and superstition (as he was informed;) not knowing the further end proposed, which was the suppression of Clare Hall. He desired to see the instructions but was put off by his associates, who seemed afraid to shew them to him, until they had engaged him in the action, by opening it with a sermon, and proceeding two days in the business of it. They then ventured to shew him their instructions; in which he found the suppression of Clare Hall was the thing intended, under a cover of uniting it to Trinity Hall, and erecting there a

When the commission passed, the bishop of Rochester was in his diocese, ignorant of the design. Thither Mr. Secretary Smith aud the dean of St. Paul's sent to acquaint him that he was in commission to visit the university of Cambridge, and that he was appointed to preach the sermon at the opening of it. Upon which the bishop immediately dispatched a servant to London to D. May, desiring information to what ends the visitation and commission were intended, that he might frame his sermon accordingly. The dean returned for auswer, that it was only to remove some superstitious practices and rites, and to make such statutes as should be needful. The instructions themselves by which they were to proceed were not shewn him till after they had acted in the commission.

These, as bishop Burnet informs us, building upon Luther's principles, that scripture was to be the only rule of faith, rejected all deductions from it, how obvious or certain soever; and among these the baptism of infants was one, whom therefore, when adults, they baptized again, and from thence were called Rebaptizers, or Anabapt:35. Some were more modest and moderate, others extravagant

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new college of Civilians. However the bishop might disrelish this design, he found it was his duty now to concur with the other commissioners in labouring for two days together with the master and fellows voluntarily to surrender their college into the king's hands: but the society could not be induced to consent to such a surrender. The commissioners sat secretly by themselves, consulting how to proceed. The majority determined that they might proceed to the union of the two colleges, by the king's absolute power, without the consent of the societies. But the bishop of Rochester modestly opposed this counsel, and with great calmness dissented: though resolute and determined not to violate the king's honour, and his own conscience, by forcibly invading the liberties and properties of the master and fellows of Clare Hall, yet not censuring his fellows, but exhorted them to act so as to satisfy their own consciences; and if it should be so that he could not concur, he desired leave to satisfy his own conscience, by absenting himself, or by silence to refuse his consent. This put a stop to the proceeding at present the commissioners acquainting the protector with this interruption from the bishop of Rochester, complained, that he "by his barking" hindered them from proceeding in the king's service; imputing his dissent to a partial affection for his own countrymen, with whom at that time Clare Hall abounded. This exaspe rated the protector, who wrote a chiding letter to the bishop, who immediately returned an excellent answer.

The protector was at that time with the king at Richmond. And on the receipt of the bishop of Rochester's letter, he conferred with the archbishop, who was Ridley's chief intimate, to discover the secret motives, if any he had, why the bishop disliked the proceedings at the visitation. And in a little more than a week the protector returned an answer to it; by which it appears how earnest the protector was to persuade, or intimidate, this worthy prelate to countenance the proceedings by his concurrence. The reigning vice of the age was spoliation; from which the duke of Somerset was not free; as appears not only from his palace of Somerset House, but one of the articles against him was, "That he did dispose offices of the king's gift for money, and made sale of the king's lands." This, perhaps, will give us to guess at

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the secret of this visitation; while the establishing a college of civilians, by uniting two colleges together, was the pretence for demolishing Clare Hall, the sale of the lands belonging to that society was probably the leading motive. The other visitors, who were privy to the design, durst not acquaint Ridley with it, but concealed the instructions from him, till they had engaged him to preach on the occasion, and proceeded some time in the business of the visitation, when they hoped they should entangle him so far, that for fear or shame' he could not recede. But he boldly risked the displeasure of the protector, now grown imperious and arbitrary, rather than concur in such unjust measures. The affair dropped: the protector had his attention immediately drawn off to sup press several insurrections raised by the discontented commons almost throughout the kingdom. The visitors, especially the bishop of Rochester, had another commission to execute, which was to preside at a public disputation appointed to be held at Cambridge, as there had been one a little before at Oxford, relating to the sacra ment of the Lord's Supper *.

The occasion of appointing this disputation arose at Oxford, where Dr. Smith, taking offence at Peter Martyr's exposition of scripture, challenged Martyr to a public disputation: which Martyr declared himself ready to

Two positions were appointed to be the subjects of this public disputation; and after they had been sufficiently ventilated, a determination of the matters debated was to be made by the bishop of Rochester. The two positions were, 1. Transubstantiation cannot be proved by the plain and manifest words of scripture, nor can thereof be necessarily collected, nor yet confirmed by the consent of the ancient fathers for these one thousand years past. 2. In the Lord's Supper is none other oblation or sacritice, than one only remembrance of Christ's death, and of thanksgiving.

The first disputation was on Thursday June 20, the second was held on Monday the 24th, the third was on Thursday the 27th of June. After the disputations were finished, the bishop determined, I. Against transubstantiation, on these five principal grounds. The authority. majesty, and verity of holy scripture: 2. The most certain testimonies of the ancient catholic fathers, who (after my judgement) do sufficiently declare this matter. 3. The nature of a sacrament. 4. That transubstantiation destroys one of the natures in Christ. 5. The most sure belief of the article of our faith, "He ascended into heaven." -. Against the oblation of Christ in the Lord's Supper he determined on these two grounds: 1. Scripture; as Paul saith, Hebrews ix. 2. The testimonies of the ancient fathers.

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engage in, but not without the king's leave. The privy council gave leave, but Smith ran away from his challenge. Then Martyr challenged all the Roman catholics in that university to maintain their transubstantiation, and the privy council appointed delegates to hear and preside at the disputation. And like disputations were appointed at Cambridge, that the Papists there might likewise have an opportunity of defending their opinions, if they could.

Ridley assisted Cranmer in the first edition of the Liturgy, or Common Prayer, which was published in 1548. He was ranged with Cranmer, Hooper, and Ferrar, among those called the zealous Protestants, in opposition to Gardiner, Tunstal, and Bonner, who were called zealous Papists.

Ridley printed the injunctions which he had set forth for the visitation of his diocese; and they clearly shew the progress that the Reformation had made in England *.

The king was under a visible decay, and bishop Ridley preached before him about the latter end of his sickness. The bishop enlarged much in his sermon on the good effects of charity; and the king was so moved with what he said, that immediately after the sermon be sent for the bishop, whom he commanded to sit down and be covered. His majesty resumed the heads of the discourse, and said his lordship must give some directions how he might acquit himself of his duty. The bishop, astonished at so much tenderness and sensibility in so young a prince, burst into tears; but desired time to consider of the particular channel in which the royal charity should be directed; and that the king would give him leave to consult with the lord-mayor and aldermen about it. His majesty accordingly wrote them a letter by the bishop, who returned to him with a scheme of three foundations;

They particularly enjoined, that none should receive the communion, but such as should be ready with teekness to confess the articles of the creed upon request of the curate. That the homilies should be read orderly, without omission of any part thereof; and that the Common Prayer be read in every church upon Wednesdays and Fridays. That none should maintain purgatory, invocation of saints, the six articles, bead rolls, pilgrimages, relics, rubrics, primmers, justification of man by his own works, holy bread, psalms, ashes, candles, creeping to the cross, hallowing of fire, or altars, or such like abuses.

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