To the most illustrious Dominus William Whittingham, a man of no common piety and learning, most sound brother and friend. At Frankfort.

Greetings. Since we are caught between a sacred duty and a rock,¹The equivalent of ‘between a rock and a hard place’. we have not omitted to ask anyone returning from your England what has happened about our beloved brother Whittingham. Behold – most opportunely, though belatedly, your letter is delivered to us.²During his previous travels in Edward VI's reign Whittingham had stayed in Geneva and made many friends there. Whittingham's letter from Frankfurt to his Genevan friends [not now extant] which had only recently reached Geneva gave the first news of his safe escape from England. Although Whittingham had probably intended to return to Geneva he felt called to stay with other English exiles in Frankfurt because of the offer of a church. From it we received great consolation, certainly – all the greater to the extent that your silence had left us in longer and more lasting suspense, especially when your affairs are in such great confusion and when too the tyranny of that blood-thirsty Jezebel rages so fiercely against all the pious. Your arrival would without doubt have been most pleasing to us. But because the Lord calls you elsewhere and girds you for a work most useful to his Church, who are we to prefer our feelings – though they flow from friendly and Christian association – to his will and the preservation of his flock? Far be this from us. But rather do we give thanks to God, who has imparted such a spirit to you that you regard all things as secondary in comparison with the calling of Christ and the strengthening of your brethren. Happy, thrice happy is Frankfort, which our Lord Jesus Christ established as host for his unwearied soldiers, which he gave as a place of asylum for his fugitives and afflicted ones. Only let there be no disagreeableness.

We have seen the liturgy.³It is not clear which liturgy is meant here. In his letter, Whittingham appeared to have been complaining about the Book of Common Prayer but later in the letter St André referred to 'the liturgy observed in England' which Calvin had not seen and which was distinct from the liturgy mentioned here. The liturgy circulating at the Frankfurt book fair in the autumn of 1554 was the Liturgica Sacra written by Valerand Poullain for the French exile congregation in Frankfurt. Whittingham and the other English exiles who had first arrived in Frankfurt had signed the Liturgica Sacra, Troubles vi-vii. We found nothing in it alien to the order which we observe here in our church, apart from communicating the Supper in the private homes of the sick and the provision⁴Or ‘pomp’. for a funeral and an address commending the life of the deceased. From those things we hold back, since we are fearful of superstition.⁵Saint André's two criticisms of the liturgy were the provision for communion for the sick and a funeral service and sermon; these were regarded by Geneva as 'superstitious'. Otherwise we will willingly accept it if it were fully permitted. I do not see what there is in that liturgy to be severely censured. I do not know whether this is the one about which you speak. It was brought to us from the most recent Frankfort fair⁶Nundinae has consistently been translated as 'fair' or ‘market’ (and nundinarii on its one appearance as ‘market people’) rather than 'festival'. Here is meant the famous Frankfurt book fair. by Nicolaus Barberius, confirmed by the subscription of the minister, the dean, and many others, and among the English who subscribed, your name too has a place.

As far as the liturgy observed in England goes, so far is it from being the case that the Dominus Calvin approved it with his own verdict that he has not ever seen it.⁷The Latin Summary of the 1552 Book of Common Prayer was only sent by Whittingham and Knox on 11 Dec 1554 [DD/PP/839 65-8; Troubles xxviii-xxxiiii; Calv. Op. No 2059] and could not have reached Geneva by the time Saint André wrote. But how the people can in a lowered tone of voice follow – without confusion – the minister as he prays in the pulpit⁸Suggestus, a raised platform, is attested by Latham, Revised Medieval Latin Word-List, in the meaning ‘pulpit’. The phrase in suggestu could also mean ‘at his prompting’. and takes the lead, we do not see. And that Frankfort liturgy of yours does not seem to indicate this. For it says ‘follow me by yourselves in these words as I take the lead’ – which seems to me to sound as if the minister were saying, ‘follow my words in your heart’.

But as far as putting up with or avoiding the keeping of a custom with Jews goes,⁹Whittingham's charge that 'Jewish' ceremonies were being used was also picked up by John Bale who refuted it, see Bale's Memo on the Catharytes, IT Petyt MS 538/47 fos 473r-v. though you should find few, indeed scarcely one, who was not inflexibly stubborn – in this matter it does not seem to be our job to make a pronouncement, nor are we able to prescribe limits for anyone. But each one must seek a spirit of discrimination, judgement, fortitude, and steadfastness. Instructed by this, he would be able to discern with whom it was permitted for him to associate and to what extent, and armed with this he would be able to convict the rebellious and to check the stubborn and to stop the mouth of those who speak evil. But too great familiarity is by all means to be avoided, save with those – if there are some at hand – who hold out some promise of a sounder mind. But I am declaring freely and familiarly what I would do if I were with you, my friend and my brother. I will await your judgement on this matter.

All the brethren greet you in return. The Dominus Calvin greets you, to whom I showed your letter. Likewise our Raimond, his wife, my sister Maldonatius’s widow, my wife, Rachel, Jacob, and Daniel, finally all our families greet you. After your departure, the Lord increased our family with one Elizabeth. Maldonatius, that holy man, your host, left us – to enjoy better good things, certainly, and he encountered a death which is happier than any happiness of this life. Greet the Dominus Knox the Scot, who set out recently from here to you.¹⁰Knox probably arrived in Frankfurt around the third week in November 1554. I do not doubt but that he has described to you the condition of our families – inasmuch as he lived on familiar terms with us, in accordance with his humanity – and the whole network of the church. [p. 44] Greet all the brethren who labour there faithfully in the work of the Lord. May the Lord be with all of you in his Spirit, and may he bless your pious and holy undertakings. I do not know whether the Dominus Thomas Lever¹¹Garrett no. 271 219-21. the Englishman has come to you – a man notable, to be sure, both for piety and erudition. He lived with us in our house for some months, then set out to Tigurum [Zurich] to your people when he was called by them. If the Lord has perhaps added him to your band, greet him lovingly, I pray, in my name. And do not omit the Lady Hooper.¹²Anne, the wife of Bishop John Hooper who was in prison awaiting execution for heresy. May the Lord strengthen and console her. Her condition will be judged most wretched by this blind world, but before God and his angels more excellent than all excellence. Fare well, and keep us continually in mind. In Geneva, 15 December 1554.

Yours from my heart with all zeal,
St Andre

Clarissimo ac non vulgaris pietatis ac eruditionis viro Domino / Guillelmo Wintingamo fratri et amico integerrimo. / Frankfordiae / S[alutem] Cum inter sacrum et saxum haeremus, neminemque ex vestra Anglia redeuntem / non interrogatum praeterimus, quid de dilecto fratre nostro Wintinghamo actum sit: / ecce, opportunissime etiamsi tarde nobis redduntur tuae literae [l obscured]: ex quibus magnam / certe consolationem accepimus. eoque maiorem, quo longius ac diuturnius suspensos nos / reliquerat tuum silentium. praesertim in tanta rerum vestrarum confusione, ac etiam / tam atrociter grassante in o[mn]es[?] pios cruentae illius Jesabelis tyrannide. Advenisses / proculdubio nobis gratiss[imus] sed quia alio te Dominus vocat: teque ad utilissimum Eccle-/siae suae opus accingit, qui sumus qui affectus nostros, quamvis ab amica et christiana consue-/tudine manantes, eius voluntati et gregis sui conservationi praeferamus? Absit hoc a nobis, quin potius Deo gratias agimus qui tibi talem indidit animum, ut omnia prae invisis christi vo-/ catione fratrumque tuorum confirmatione posthabeas. Faelix, terque, faelix Francfordia / quam Dominus noster Jesus Christus tam indefessorum suorum militum hospitam consti- / tuit: quam in Asilum, suis profugis et afflictis dedit: modo procul absit ingratitudo. / Liturgiam vidimus, in ea nil comperimus alienum ab ordine quem hic in Ecclesia / nostra observamus, praeter coenaecommunicationem in privatis aegrotorum aedibus, et funeris apparatum, commendatoriamque vitae defuncti concionem. A quibus abstinemus / timentes nobis a superstitione. alioqui libenter admissuri si pure liceret. Non video / quid in ea liturgia severe sit exagitandum. nescio an ea sit de qua loqueris. Eam / ad nos detulit ex novissimis Francfordiensibus nundinis Nicolaus Barberius confir-/matam Ministri, Decani et aliorum multorum subscriptione, et inter Anglos qui sub-/ scripserunt nomen tuum etiam locum habet. Quantum ad liturgiam in Anglia ob-/servatam, tantum abest ut eam suo calculo approbaverit D. Calvinus, ut nec unquam / illam viderit. Quo pacto autem plebs susurro vocis Ministrum in suggestu precan-/tem ac praeeuntem absque confusione sequi possit, non videmus: idque vestra illa Franc-/fordiana Liturgia non videtur innuere. Dicit enim, apud vosmetipsos me praeeuntem [a very obscure] / sequimini his verbis, quod mihi perinde sonare videtur ac si diceret Minister, sequi-/mini in corde vestro mea verba. Quod ad consuetudinem habendam tolerandam vel / fugiendam cum Judeis attinet, tametsi paucos, imo vix unum reperias non esse prae-/fractae obstinationis, hac in re non videtur nostri esse officii pronunciare, nec cuiquam / possumus limites praescribere. Sed ab unoquoque petendus est discretionis, Judicii, forti-/tudinis et constantiae spiritus: quo instructus discernere queat, quibuscum sibi versa-/ri, et quousque, liceat. Item qui fugiendi sunt: quo etiam armatus rebelles convincere; / obstinatosque compescere, ac denique maledicis os obstruere possit: nimia autem familia-/ritas omnino cavenda est, nisi cum his, siqui adsint, qui aliquam sanioris mentis / spem praebeant. Ego quid essem acturus apud te, et amicum et fratrem libere et fa-/miliariter depromo: tuum expectabo de hac re iudicium. Resalutant te fratres o[mn]es[?]: / Salutat te D. Cal[vinus], cui ostendi tuas literas. Item noster Raimondus eius uxor, soror / mea vidua Maldonatii, uxor mea, Rachel, Jacobus, et Daniel. omnes denique nostrae / familiae te salutant. A tuo discessu Dominus una Elizabetha auxit familiam nostram. / Maldonatius, Sanctus ille tuus hospes reliquit nos, melioribus certe fruiturus bonis, et / mortem obiit quavis huius vitae faelicitate faeliciorem. Saluta D. Knocum Scotum, qui / hinc nuper ad vos profectus est. non dubito quin nostrarum familiarum statum, ut pro / sua humanitate nobiscum familiariter egit, ac totam huius Ecclesiae seriem. tibi de-/scripserit. / [p. 44] scripserit. Saluta fratres omnes qui istic in opere Domini fideliter laborant. Dominus nobis omnibus / adsit suo spiritu, piisque ac sanctis vestris conatibus benedicat. Nescio an ad vos perrexerit / D. Thomas Leeverus Anglus, insignis certe et pietatis et eruditionis vir, in aedibus n[ost]ris / apud nos menses aliquot convixit, deinde Tigurum ad vestrates, ab ipsis vocatus, pro-/fectus est: si forte ipsum dominus vestro coetui addiderit, amanter precor illum saluta meo / nomine. Dominam etiam de Hoper ne praetermittas, Dominus illam confirmet ac consoletur: / Status eius ab hoc mundo caeco miserrimus iudicabitur, sed coram deo et angelis eius, / omni excellentia excellentior. Bene vale, et perpetuo sis nostri memor. Genevae. / 15° Decemb. 1554. / Ex animo ac omni studio, tuus / Sancto Andrea