John Scory to Frankfurt Congregation
DATE: 1554 September 3
LOCATION OF ORIGIN: Emden
DESTINATION: Frankfurt
SOURCE: Denbighshire Record Office, Plas Power MSS, DD/PP/839 pp. 31-32
To the right worshipfull Mr Williams, Mr Wodde, & Mr Whittingham, & to every on [sic] of them at Franckford.
Grace & peace etc. These ar tadvertise you that I receyved yesterday a letter from Mr Grindall from Strasborough,1
See Grindal's letter of 11 Aug 1554 to William Whittingham [DD/PP/839 pp 29-31] and the mention in Troubles xiii. wherby I perceive that God hathe graunted a convenient place namely Franckforde to gather together the outcastes & scatered of England, and althoo that the like liberteis be most favorably graunted in this citty of Emden to our nation, yet the place is not altogether so convenient as Franckford ys, if all be true that Mr Grindall writeth: for he writeth that vitalles ar good cheape, the magistrates loving, the peple full of humanite, the houses faire, & the aire holsome:2This provides a revealing set of pre-requisites for the location of an exile church. all these are even so here I dare assure you except the holsome aire: But notwithstanding Mr Grindalles com(m)endation (which he wrote by report of other) here be certeyne Duchemen that say that vitalles ar deare at Franckford & ill to cum by, that ther is no drinke but wine and water (which manye Englishe men shall scant continue w(i)th3A lack of beer was an important consideration!) & that the countrey about is barren & often subiect to the daungeres of warres. But hosoever the matter be, both you & we ar most bounden to glorifei & praise our hevenly father by all wayes and meanes, that hath not forsaken us in this our willing exile but dothe most fatherly care for us, moving the hartes of governores & rulares to favore us. Hereby may we perceive (thoo for ower synnes & ingratitude he dothe chastice & correct us with such roddes as fatheres do their childrene) that yet he hath not quite withdrawn his mercy from us: for the most certeyne token of his favore (that ys the pure preaching of his word, and the sincere administration of his Sacramentes4Two marks of the 'true church', at this point there is no mention of 'discipline' as a third mark.) hath he erected up againe emong us in this ower peregrination as a signe for us to loke upon. Let us therefore Deare bretherne, so behave ow(er) selves in all our conversation, that we maye be an ornament, & no shame to the hevenlie doctrine which we professe. (We have learned by experience alas, howe horrible a thing yt ys to falle into the handes of the living god, by the vayne abusing of the grace of the Gospell, by making our spiritual libertei in Christ Jesu a cloke of malice, and onthriftynes by transferring the grace of god into wantones: for the which enormities all England have dronke of the cuppe of Gods wrath). Nothwithstanding, this privilege have we above the heaten & them that know not God, that God for his mercy sake do not suffer us to falle to far from him, neither to wander to long astraie, but doth spedely cale us home againe to himself by fatherly corrections, that we shuld not be condempned with the wicked world: [p. 32] but as for the godles he reserveth them till the day of iugement to be punished with unquenchable fire. God be praised that is both merciful and just. Amen.5This is an eloquent summation of the exiles' view of their current predicament, its causes and remedy.
Mr Grindall by his letters do labore to persuade me (whether by youre procurement or not I am not certeyne) to be the superintendant of youre churche at francford;6Cf Troubles xiii. The title 'superintendent' was used by the Strangers' Churches in England during Edward's reign. Scory was the highest ranking Edwardian bishop in exile and Grindal seems to have suggested a role at Frankfurt involving oversight, possibly of a clerical team. althoo I am not ignorant of myne owne imperfection (& as the proverbe ys, quam curta sit mihi domi supellex) yet yf yo(u)r churche require my serves, & chose me their minister with on consent7'Election' of the minister by the whole congregation is implied here., I shall be redey to serve my vocation to the uttermost of my powre: Here I thank God I can after a poor meane sorte lyffe without moche burdening of others; whether I shall so be hable to do with you or not, I cannot tell: being youre minister I may not applei eny other calling to live by (as ye know) wherfore, havinge so moche hope in your honesteis as is laufull, for me to have in men, I promise you (being certefeid of yo(u)r electyon) to cum to yow immediatly upon the sight of youre letteres, so that you send an honest gide to conducte me the nexte way. As for my wiffe & children I must leave here till the nexte spryng; and wold my selfe also tarrey till then, yf you might so long spare me: but if you will me now to cum I praye you bie for me at this marte Musculus upon the Psalmes, Cosmographiam Munsteri, and Calvine upon the Canonicall epistles, y(a)t is S James, S Peters, S Johns S Judes,8Scory wanted bought for him at the Frankfurt book fair Musculus ; Cosmography of Munster; Calvin Epistles. and I at my cum(m)ing shall see the money repaid. My pore wiffe (whose daughter ys at this present sicke) saluteth you Mr Williams & yo(u)r bedfelowe: Mistres Wodde & Mrs Whetnalle in whose cumpany she came to Andwarpe.9This confirms that a number of English exiles used the Antwerp route. Mrs Whetnall was probably the wife of George Whetnall who signed the Dec 1554 letter from Frankfurt [Garrett 324]. According to Mr Grindalles request I have wreten an answer to you Three whom he named to me in his letteres. I beseche the Lorde Jesus to conferme that good thing that he hathe begonne in you. Amen. From Emden this 3o Septembris 1554.
Yours to com(m)and
John Scory
Sins I wrote my letter I hard tydinges out of Scotland by tow[sic] Scottish men that the theves that robbed me of the best part of all my goods as thei cam hether from Amsterdam with other mens in an Emden bottome, ar now taken in Scotland & put in prison, & that I with others here shall have so moche of oure goodes againe as ar leaft.10A number of Scottish pirates operated from French ports along the eastern Channel coast and Scory and others were victims of a raid on an Emden vessel carrying their goods from Amsterdam. The Scottish Admiralty Court did make efforts to restore stolen goods, Acta Curiae Admirallatus Scotiae 1557-1562 ed T.C.Wade (Stair Society, 2, Edinburgh, 1937). Wherefore yf I shall not cum immediatly upon your nexte letteres, think that I tarei to heare an aunswer owt of Scotland, whether we entend with all spede to send a messenger for owre goods. Therfor when I know youre mynde, and have aunswer from Scotland, I will cum to Andwarpe, whear I trust within few dayes to finde some honest cumpeny to Francford: So that you nede not to send eny gide, but only to write. Yf you shall be content that I tare till the spryng tyme I praye you so aduertise me by yo(u)r letteres, & prouide me a convenient house agenst then. Againe I bidde you farewell in the Lord Christ, hoo governe you in all youre doinges. Amen.
1 See Grindal's letter of 11 Aug 1554 to William Whittingham [DD/PP/839 pp 29-31] and the mention in Troubles xiii.
2 This provides a revealing set of pre-requisites for the location of an exile church.
3 A lack of beer was an important consideration!
4 Two marks of the 'true church', at this point there is no mention of 'discipline' as a third mark.
5 This is an eloquent summation of the exiles' view of their current predicament, its causes and remedy.
6 Cf Troubles xiii. The title 'superintendent' was used by the Strangers' Churches in England during Edward's reign. Scory was the highest ranking Edwardian bishop in exile and Grindal seems to have suggested a role at Frankfurt involving oversight, possibly of a clerical team.
7 'Election' of the minister by the whole congregation is implied here.
8 Scory wanted bought for him at the Frankfurt book fair Musculus ; Cosmography of Munster; Calvin Epistles.
9 This confirms that a number of English exiles used the Antwerp route. Mrs Whetnall was probably the wife of George Whetnall who signed the Dec 1554 letter from Frankfurt [Garrett 324].
10 A number of Scottish pirates operated from French ports along the eastern Channel coast and Scory and others were victims of a raid on an Emden vessel carrying their goods from Amsterdam. The Scottish Admiralty Court did make efforts to restore stolen goods, Acta Curiae Admirallatus Scotiae 1557-1562 ed T.C.Wade (Stair Society, 2, Edinburgh, 1937)