Canon Richard Dixon: History of Church of England from the Abolition of ...

BREAD-WORSHIPER-CANNIBALISM-APES-N-PAPES DISPUTE AT OXFORD—17-20 APRIL 1554. Ridley, combatively, is at last cut short in the disputation with Smith, Harpsfield, and others (196). Dixon compared Ridley and Cranmer in terms of disputational style—more on the offense than Cranmer, “less delicate…and instructive in the exposition…a bolder spirit, closer, keener, fiercer…a bolder spirit in negation at times more shocking (198-199). Ridley uses the term “anthrophagy.” Hahaha! Literally, “man-eating.” We freely cited Ridley when we speak of the Cannibals and Bread-Worshippers. Ridley is dismissed to Bocardo. Latimer is brought before the delegates on 18 April 1554 (200). He already has submitted written answers to the three Articles. He holds a soft disputation with Weston, Smith, and Tresham (202), but avers that he will only confess rather than defend his faith (202)—this had been his strategy going back to the Ridley-Latimer conferences in the Tower in London. When pressed, Latimer refers continually to Cranmer’s work on the Sacrament. Notably, he explicitly denies Luther’s view avowing that Luther never left Transubstantiation (Bread-Magic). Latimer is retired to Bocardo Prison. Then, there is formal disputation between Weston and Harpsfield, a doctoral dissertation so that Harpsfield could be advanced from his BDiv to the DD. Cranmer is brought to the disputation and joins it on 19 Apr 1554. Weston and the Doctors of Divinity thank Cranmer for his gentlemanly behavior (208). Cranmer was equal to it; Ridley would have rankled the atmosphere by pulling dirty pigs out of the pond—equal to it, but not desired by the Bread-Worshipers; Latimer was too old to dispute. SHORTLY, THE CANNIBALS AND ANGLO-APES-N-PAPES WILL DECLARE ALL THREE “HERETICS.”