An English Reformer: Eschatologizing Nicholas Ridley and the Churches' Martyrs

http://www.theologian.org.uk/churchhistory/ridley.html

Dr. Garry Williams examines the death and doctrine of Nicholas Ridley, with particular regard to his view of the Lord's Supper.

Ridley was a careful theologian who took pains to properly define and distinguish the real questions at issue, studiously examined the Bible to exegete the relevant texts, was aware of the tradition (especially the Church Fathers), and avoided unnecessary over-reactions in what was literally a heated debate. We present and intercalate our comments with Dr. Williams’ most helpful lecture.

The issue before us is not the exaltation of Nicholas Ridley or any other witness or martyr. The photo at the bottom is from Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Let’s put perspective to this.

As the Epitome of the Formula of Concord, 1-10, astutely observes, the greatest divines in the history of the church “witness to,” but are not “authors of” Sacred Scripture. They are subordinate to the sovereign, central and governing role of Scripture.

As a witness, we surely hear Ridley, but it is Christ that we seek to magnify, exalt and present.

In time, we will be talking about Ridley’s view of the Table, the sacrament, his life and his witness. Dr. Williams presents a two-fold approach: Ridley’s view of the Papist Mass and, secondly, the true doctrine of Scripture. The first is negative and the second is positive.

But we offer a minor, but important amplification...a detour from the above.

Ridley was martyred 16 October 1555. As we write 27 August 2009, Ridley is not just a matter of history, but eschatology. We must bring this correction. This scribe never has had this emphasized in past or present treatments. Dr. Williams affords us a reminder and is an exception to this scribe's experience.

Ridley, along with the vast stream of martyrs, are—live—are—live in the Church Triumphant and will receive an ultimate and final answer to their heavenly prayers. Ridley stood for the Word of God as we shall see in subsequent posts.

Ergo, let us not think it all of the past without reference to the present or future. Ridley is immortally alive and is to be numbered with the martyrs of Revelation 6.9-11...martyrs who ever live.

Revelation 6.9-11, When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God and the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, `How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood in those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

We include Nicholas Ridley in the number of martyrs for the Word of God.

The revelation of the wrath of God is a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and millennial phenomenon as we write and speak. Romans 1.18 speaks to the issue. The tense of Romans 1.18 is an ever-present and customary situation.

All the mainline faiths have forgotten it; we can't trust them or their leaders, including the TEC-educated leaders leading the ACNA; those TEC-leaders, trained in liberal seminaries, need intensive "recalibration" in "Anglicans Anonymous 12-Step Programs" to be detoxified; it’s mitigated broadly in the West; as justified saints, even we, who are instructed in God’s Word, present this weakly. Yet, we rehearse this that we may walk in the way.

In addition to an historic-present, the revelation of divine wrath is also an eschatological phenomenon (Revelation 19.15). This is not vindictiveness, but is the “response of [God’s] holiness to persistent and impenitent wickedness.”[1] There are two people on earth, (1) people whose citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3.20) and (2) and, “in opposition to them, the rebellious earth-dwellers. (v.15; 8.13; 11.10; 13.3, 8, 12, 14; 17.2, 8).”[2] The latter oppose, conflict with, and--often--have killed Christ's people.

The saints above, perfected in glory, are not imperfectly vindictive and vengeful, but—again perfected—see this as a matter of the Divine Glory, Majesty, love, holiness, justice and truth. God tells them to rest until the number of their fellow brethren is filled up.

“Observe that this incident forms an integral part of the last judgments on earth, for the prayer for vengeance (v.10) is answered and the end thereby hastened; see 8.1-5. For the thought that the coming of the day of God tarries for the last martyr, cf. 2 Esdras 4.33-36.”[3]

Before going further with Ridley, we pause to remember there are but “two peoples” that inhabit the earth: the justified and the unjustified, the elect and the reprobate, the Church Militant and the world and devil.

We will see Ridley again in the future...and not just in these posts, but in the Final Day. This is the eschatologizing of Brother Nicholas whose prayer will receive a final answer.

For now, we rest content with a review of his life and doctrine.

To be continued.

[1] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), 163.
[2] The New Geneva Study Bible (Atlanta: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 2016.
[3] The New Bible Commentary, edited by D. Guthrie and J.A. Moyter (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 1289.