Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

The Preface or protestation of D. Ridley, before his disputation.

I Receiued of you the other day right worshipful M. pro∣locutor, and yee my reuerend Maisters,* 1.1 Commissioners from the Queenes maiestie, and her honorable Counsell, three propositions: whereunto ye commaunded me to pre∣pare against this day, what I thought good to aunsweare concerning the same.

Now whilest I weied w^t my selfe, how great a charge of the Lords flocke was of late committed vnto me, for the which I am certaine I must once render an accompte to my Lord God (and that howe soone, he knoweth) and that moreouer by the commaundement of the Apostle Peter, I ought to be redy alway to geue a reason of the hope y^t is in me with mekenes and reuerence, vnto euery one that shall demaund the same: besides this, cōsidering my duty to the Church of Christ,* 1.2 and to your worships being commissio∣ners by publicke authority: I determined with my selfe to obey your commaundement, and so opēly to declare vnto you my minde touching the foresayd propositions. And al∣beit plainely to confesse vnto you the trueth in these things which ye now demaund of me, I haue thought otherwyse in times past then I now do, yet (God I call to record vn∣to my soule, I lie not) I haue not altered my iudgemēt, as now it is, either by constraint of any man, or lawes, either

for the dread of any daungers of thys world, either for any hope of commodity: but onely for the loue of the truthe, re∣uealed vnto me by the grace of God (as I am vndoubted∣ly perswaded) in his holy woorde, and in the reading of the auncient Fathers.

These things I do the rather recite at this present, be∣cause it may happen to some of you hereafter, as in times past it hath done to me: I meane, if ye thinke otherwyse of the matters propoūded in these propositions, then I now doe, God may open vnto you in time to come.

But how so euer it shall be, I will in fewe woordes do that which I thinke yee all looke I shoulde doe: that is, as plainely as I can, I will declare my iudgement heerein. Howbeit of this I would yee were not ignoraunt, that I will not in deede wittingly and willingly speake in any poynt against Gods worde,* 1.3 or dissent in any one iote from the same, or from the rules of faith, and Christian religion: which rules that same most sacred word of god prescribeth to the Churche of Christe, whereunto I nowe and for euer submit my selfe, and all my doinges. And because the mat∣ter I haue now taken in hand is waightie, and yee all wel know how vnready I am to handle it accordingly, aswell for lacke of time, as also lacke of bookes: therefore heere I protest that I will publickly this daye require of you, that it may be lawfull for me concerning all mine aunsweares, explications, and confirmations, to adde or diminish what soeuer shall seeme hereafter more conuenient and mete for the purpose, through more sound iudgement, better delibe∣ration, and more exact triall of euery particular thing. Ha∣uing nowe by the way of Preface and protestation, spoken these fewe woordes, I will come to the answearinge of the propositions propounded vnto me, and so to the most brief explication and confirmation of mine answeres.

West.

Reuerend maister Doctour, concerning the lacke of bookes, there is no cause why you should complaine. What bookes soeuer you will name,* 1.4 ye shall haue them, & as con∣cerning the iudgement of your answeres to be had of your selfe wyth farther deliberation: it shall (I say) be lawfull for you vntill Sonday next to adde vnto them what you shall thinke good your selfe. My minde is that we shoulde vse short arguments, least we shuld make an infinite pro∣cesse of the thing.

Rid.

There is an other thyng besides, whyche I woulde gladly obtaine at your handes. I perceiue that you haue wryters and Notaries here present. By all likelihoode our disputations shalbe published, I beseech you for gods sake let me haue libertie to speake my minde freely, & wythout interruption, not because I haue determined to protract y^e time with a solemne Preface, but least it maye appeare that some be not satisfied. God wotte I am no Oratour, nor I haue not learned Rhetoricke to set colours on the matter.

West.

* 1.5Among this whole company, it shall be permitted you to take two for your part.

Rid.

I would chuse two, if there were any here w^t whome I were acquainted.

West.

Here are two whych M. Cranmer had yesterdaye. Take them if it please you.

Rid.

I am contente wyth them: I truste they are honest men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The prote••station of B. Ridley.
• * 1.2

  What m••••ued Doct. Ridley to alter his iudgeme•••• from the Church of Rome.
• * 1.3

  ••. Ridley submitteth himselfe to the Church of Christ.
• * 1.4

  The pro∣mise was not ••ept.
• * 1.5

  Two No∣taries per∣mitted to Doct. Ridly. These 2. Notaries were M. I••ell, some∣time bishop of Salisbury 〈◊〉〈◊〉 M. Gil∣bert Moun∣son.