Last words of the faithful
Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley
Died 1555 · burned together at Oxford
Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, English Reformers, were burned together at Oxford in 1555. Foxe records that as the fire was lit, Latimer comforted his friend with words that became famous: they would that day light a candle in England, by God's grace, that would never be put out.
The last words
The story behind them
Latimer was an old man, once the most powerful preacher in England, now condemned under Queen Mary for his Protestant faith and tied back to back with his friend Nicholas Ridley at a single stake in Oxford. Ridley was frightened, as any person would be. And Latimer, in the last moment before the flames, did what a lifetime of faith had prepared him to do: he encouraged someone else.
Foxe preserves the line. Not a scream, not a recantation, but comfort and defiance braided together: 'Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.' He was right. Their deaths, and Foxe's account of them, helped fix the English-speaking world's faith for generations. Two old men burning became a candle no fire could reach.
Facing the fire, his last act was not to save himself but to comfort his friend.
What they died for, you can meet
None of these people died for an idea. They died holding onto a Person, convinced that death was not the end because he had already walked out of a tomb. The Living Bread is a quiet place to meet that same Jesus, read the Gospels for yourself, and ask your honest questions.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- What did Hugh Latimer say before he died?
- According to Foxe's Book of Martyrs, as he and Nicholas Ridley were burned at Oxford in 1555, Latimer said, 'Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.'
- Who were Latimer and Ridley?
- Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley were leading English Reformers and bishops, burned at the stake together in Oxford in 1555 under Queen Mary I for their Protestant convictions. Their courage became a lasting symbol of faith under persecution.