A10777:133
Certe[n] godly, learned, and comfortable conferences, between the two reverend fathers, and holy martyrs…Certe[n] godly, learned, and comfortable conferences, betwene the two reuerende fathers, and holye martyrs…
Certe[n] godly, learned, and comfortable conferences, between the two reverend fathers, and holy martyrs of Christ, D. Nicolas Ridley late Bishop of London, and M. Hugh Latimer sometime Bishop of Worcester, during the time of their imprisonments. Whereunto is added. A treatise against the error of transubstantiation, made by the said reverend father D. Nicolas Ridley. M.D.LVI.Certe[n] godly, learned, and comfortable conferences, betwene the two reuerende fathers, and holye martyrs of Christe, D. Nicolas Rydley late Bysshoppe of London, and M. Hughe Latymer sometyme Bysshoppe of Worcester, during the tyme of their emprysonmentes. Whereunto is added. A treatise agaynst the errour of transubstantiation, made by the sayd reuerende father D. Nicolas Rydley. M.D.LVI.
Strasbourg: printed by the heirs of W. Rihel, 1556
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
A treatise against the error of transubstantiation / made by the forenamed Reverend father Nic. Ridley Bishop of London / in the time of his imprisonment
A treatise agaīst the errour of transubstantiation / made by the fornamed Reuerende father Nic. Rydley Byshop of London / in the time of his emprisonmente
Many things confound the weak memory. A few places well weighed and perceived / lighteneth the understanding. Trueth is there to be searched with diligence / where it is certain to be had. Though God do speak the trueth by man / yet in mans word which God hath not revealed to be his / a man may doubt without mistrust in God. Christ is the truth of God / revealed unto man from heaven by God himself / and therefore in his word the trueth is to be found / which is to be embraced of all that be his. Christ biddeth us ask and we shall have / Search and we shall find / Knock and it shall be opened unto us. Therefore O heavenly father author and fountain of all truth / the bottomless Sea of all true understanding / send down we beseech thee thy holy spirit into our hearts / and lighten our understanding with the beams of thy heavenly grace. We ask the this O heavenly father not in respect of our deserts / but for thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christs ⟨p. 37⟩sake. Thou knowest O heavenly father / that the controversy about the Sacrament of the blessed body and blood of thy dear Son our Saviour Christ / hath troubled not of late only thy church of England / France / Germany / and Italy / but also many years ago. The fault is ours no doubt thereof / for we have deserved thy plague. But O Lord be merciful and relieve our misery / with some light of grace. Thou knowest O Lord how this wicked world rolleth up and down / and reeleth to and fro / and careth not what thy will is / so it may abide in wealth. If truth have wealth then who are so stout to defend the truth as they. But if Christs cross be laid on truths back / then they vanish straight away as wax before the fire.1 But these are not they O heavenly father for whom I make my most moan / but for those silly ones O Lord / which have a Zeal unto thee / those I mean which would and wish to know thy will and yet are let / hold back / and blinded by the subtleties of Satan / and his ministers / the wickedness of this wretched world / and the sinful lusts and affections of the flesh. Alas Lord / thou knowest that we be of our selves but flesh / wherein there dwelleth nothing that is good. How then is it possible for man / without thee (O Lord) to understand thy truth in deed. Can the natural man perceive the will of God?