: 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.
In connection with this lecture, we are updating some notes on Bishop Nicholas Ridley.
Previously we noted the following.
The Works of Nicholas Ridley, ed. Parker Society Series (Cambridge: Cambridge Press, 1843).
This work includes a biographical introduction, a “Treatise against Transubstantiation,””Lamentation,” “Treatise against Image Worship,””Conference with Latimer,””Conference with Secretary Bourne,””A Determination Concerning the Sacrament,””Disputation at Oxford,””Examination before the Queen’s Commissioners,” along with a smaller documents, e.g. conference with Gardiner and assorted letters. It also includes six appendices, essentially more letters.
As a book, it is free and downloadable in pdf-format at:
Some updated notes on the timeline.
Born in the early 15th century. Some post his birth at 1500. He was born in the north at Tynedale, Northumbria called by some as the “cradle of Christianity” given the proximity to Lindisfarne.
He entered Pembroke College, Cambridge (1518), earning a B.A. in 1522, a fellowship at Pembroke, 1524, and an M.A., 1525. We, at this point, think that Ridley spent four years abroad, at the Sorbonne. Upon return to Cambridge, he would be made the Senior Proctor of Pembroke and earns B.D., 1534. He would have been 34-years old. As the senior proctor, he signed the document against the Pope’s supremacy in England.
He wrote, “The Bishop of Rome hath no more jurisdiction derived to him from God, in this kingdom of England, than any other Bishop.”
Further information on Pembroke College, founded 1347, is found at the website. We take a brief tour on Pembroke’s history.
In the Reformation, Pembroke College bred martyrs as well as bishops. John Rogers and John Bradford suffered death at Smithfield. http://pem.cam.ac.uk/about/history/reformation/
Nicholas Ridley, elected Master in 1540, sent his last message to the College from Oxford as he awaited death which would come 16 October 1555:
"Farewell, Pembroke Hall, of late mine own College, my cure, and my charge... In thy Orchard (the walls, buts, and trees, if they could speak, would bear me witness) I learned without book almost all Paul's Epistles... of which study, although in time a great part did depart from me, yet the sweet smell thereof I trust I shall carry with me into Heaven, for the profit thereof I think I have felt in all my life time ever after; and I ween of late (whether they abide there now or no I cannot tell) there were who did the like."
On the north side of the Bowling Green is a path still known as 'Ridley's Walk'.
Lancelot Andrewes, afterwards Master of the College, would be one of the translators of the Authorized Version of the Bible.
Roger Williams graduated from Pembroke in 1627, founder of the colony of Rhode Island.
Our website says,
“But the event which most affected the College in this period was the English Civil War. Another Pembroke Royalist, Matthew Wren, Bishop of Ely, suffered imprisonment in the Tower and during that time made a vow that, if he were released, he would build a new chapel for his College.”
Upon release, Bishop Wren chose his nephew, Sir Christopher Wren, as the architect. The Chapel of Pembroke, was consecrated in 1665. The former chapel was converted soon afterwards into a library. Adjoining Wren's chapel a cloister was built and in this are now recorded the names of 450 Pembroke men who fell in the wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45.
We return to our narrative of Nicholas Ridley.
Ridley was appointed a Royal Chaplain to Archbishop Cranmer in 1537.
He became the Master of Pembroke and Chaplain to Henry VIII in 1540.
He was accused of heresy, but beat the charges in 1543.
He was appointed the Bishop of Rochester in 1547.
Rochester Cathedral is the second oldest, being founded by Bishop Justus in 604. In the present Cathedral, Norman, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture is evident. Archbishop Cranmer was slowly replacing the old guard with Reformers. The picture to the right was Bishop Nicholas Ridley’s first Episcopal Cathedral.
We'll be saying more, God willing, about Bishop Nicholas Ridley.
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