The reporte and narration of M. Ridley concer∣ning the misordered disputation had against him and his felow prisoners at Oxford.
I Neuer yet sithence I was borne saw, or heard any thing done or handled more vainely, or tumultuously, then the disputation which was with mee in the Schooles at Ox∣forde. Yea verely, I coulde neuer haue thought that it had ben possible to haue founde amongest men recounted to be of knowledge and learning in thys Realme, any so brasen faced and shamelesse, so disorderly and vainely, to behaue themselues, more like to Stageplayers in Enterludes, to set forth a Pageant, then to be graue Diuines in Schooles to dispute. The Sorbonical clamours (which at Paris I haue seene in time past when Popery most raigned) might be worthely thought (in cōparison of this thrasonical oftē∣tation) to haue had muche modestie. And no greate mar∣uaile, seeing they which should haue beene Moderatours, and Ouerseers of others, and whych shoulde haue geuen good ensample in woordes and grauitie: they themselues, aboue all other gaue worste ensample, and did (as it were) blow the trompe to the rest, to raile, rore, rage, and cry out. By reason wherof (good christen reader) manifestly it may appeare, that they neuer sought for any truth or verity, but onely for the glory of the worlde, and their owne bragging victorie. But least by the innumerable railings & reproch∣ful taūts, wherwith I was baited on euery side, our cause, yea rather Gods cause & his churches, should be euill spo∣ken off, and slandered to the world through false reportes, and vntrue ensamples geuen out of oure disputation, and so the veritie might sustaine some damage, I thought it no les then my duety to wryte mine answeres: to the intent yt who so euer is desirous to know the truth thereof, may by this perceiue, as well those things which were chiefly ob∣iected, as summarily that which was answered of me vnto euery of them. How be it (good Reader), I confesse this to be most true, that it is vnpossible to set foorth either all that was (God knoweth) tumultuously and confusedly obiec∣ted of their partes being so many, speaking many times all together so thicke that one coulde not well heare an other, either all that was answeared on my behalfe, to thē so son∣dry and diuers Opponents.
Moreouer, a great parte of the time appoynted for the disputations, was vainly cōsumed in opprobrious checks and reuiling tauntes, with hissing and clapping of hands, and that in the English tongue, to procure the peoples fa∣uour wythall. All which things, when I with great grief of heart did beholde, protesting openly, that suche excessiue and outragious disorder, was vnseemely for those schooles and men of learning and grauitie, and that they which wer the doers and stirrers of suche things, did nothing else but bewray the slendernesse of theyr cause, and theyr owne va∣nities: I was so farre off by thys my humble complaynt from doing any good at all, that I was enforced to heare suche rebukes, checkes, and tauntes for my labour, as no persone of any honestie wythout blushing coulde abide to heare the like spoken of a moste vile varlet, against a moste wretched Russian.
At the firste beginning of the Disputation, when I should haue confirmed mine answeare to the firste propo∣sition in fewe wordes, and that (after the maner and lawe of Schooles) afore I coulde make an ende of my firste pro∣bation, which was not very long, euen the Doctors them∣selues cried oute, hee speaketh plasphemies, hee speaketh blasphemies. And when I on my knees besoughte them, and that heartily, that they woulde vouchsafe to heare me to the ende, (whereat the Prolocutour being mooued, cry∣ed out on hie, Let him reade it, let him reade it) yet when I began to reade it agayne, there followed immediately such showting, such a noyse and tumult, and confusion of voy∣ces, crying, blasphemies, blasphemies, as I to my remem∣braunce neuer hearde, or read the like, excepte it be that one whych was in the Actes of the Apostles, stirred vp of De∣metrius the siluer Smith, and other of hys occupatiō, cry∣ing out against Paule, Greate is Diana of the Ephesians, great is Diana of the Ephesians: and except it be a certaine disputation whych the Arrians had against the Orthodox∣es, and suche as were of godlye iudgemente in Aphryca, where it is sayde, that suche as the President and rulers of the Disputation were, suche was the ende of the disputati∣ons. All were in a hurly burly, and so great were the sclan∣ders which the Arrians cast out, that nothing could quiet∣ly be heard. This wryteth Uictor in the second booke of his Hystorie.
The which cries and tumultes of them agaynst mee so preuailed, that wild I, nild I, I was enforced to leaue of ye reading of my probations, although they were short. If a∣ny man doubt of the truth hereof, let the same aske any one that was there, and not vtterly peruerted in Poperie, and I am assured hee will say, I speake the least. But to com∣plaine of these things further, I will cease.
And further speaking of thys disputation, hee conclu∣deth with these wordes: And thus was ended thys moste glorious disputation of the most holy Fathers, sacrificers, Doctours, and Maisters, which fought most manfully (as yee may see) for theyr god and goodes, for theyr faith and fe∣licitie, for theyr countrey and kitchin, for theyr beautye and belly, with triumphant applauses and fauour of the whole Uniuersitie.
After the disputation of maister Latimer ended, whych was the 18. day of April, the Friday following whych was the 20. day of the sayde moneth, the Commissioners sate in saint Maries Church, as they did the Saterday before, and Doctor Weston vsed particularly disswasions wyth euery of them, and woulde not suffer them to answeare in anye wise, but directly and peremptorily, (as his woordes w••re) to say whether they woulde subscribe, or no. And firste to the Bishop of Canterbury he said he was ouercome in dis∣putations: whome the Byshop aunsweared, that where as Doctour Weston sayde, he had answeared and opposed, and could neither mainteine his own errors, nor impugne the veritie, all that he said, was false. For he was not suffe∣red to Oppose as he woulde, nor could answere as he was required, vnles he would haue brauled with them, so thick theyr reasons came one after an other. Euer foure or fiue did interrupt him, that he coulde not speake. Maister Rid∣ley and M. Latimer were asked, what they would do, they sayde, they would stande to that they had sayd. Then were they all called together, and sentence read ouer them, that they were no members of the Church. And therefore they, theyr fautors and patrones were condemned as heretiks: and in reading of it, they were asked, whether they would turne or no, & they bade them read on in the name of God, for they were not minded to turne. So were they condem∣ned all three.
After which sentence of condemnation being awarded against them, they aunsweared againe euery one in theyr turne, in maner and effect of words, as foloweth, the arch∣bishop first beginning thus.
From this your iudgement and sentence, I appeale to