Documents

Frankfurt Congregation to Strasbourg Exiles

DATE: 1554 December 3
LOCATION OF ORIGIN: Frankfurt
DESTINATION: Strasbourg
SOURCE: Denbighshire Record Office, Plas Power MSS, DD/PP/839 pp. 41-42

To our louing bretherne & Countremen at Straszburg¹Not in Troubles which begins with 'Grace mercy and peace, &c'. This letter was carried to Strasbourg by Edmund Grindal and Richard Chambers, Troubles xxiiiii. It has a distinctly sharper tone than the previous letters from the Frankfurt congregation which might have been linked to the arrival of John Knox who was the first to sign.

Grace, mercy & peace. As it is²Troubles has 'was'. ever most true, so at this present we feel most sensibly that wheresoeuer god laithe the foundation to buylde his glorie, ther he continueth till he bring the same to a perfect work.³Troubles has 'present worke'. All praise & thankes be to him⁴Troubles has 'All thanks and praise be vnto him'. therfore, that hath so moved yo[u]r hartes, that in no point you seme⁵Troubles has 'so as in no point ye seeme'. to forslow yo[u]r diligence to the fortherance of the same. And as this worke⁶Troubles has 'the worke'. is of most excellencie, so thadversiarie ceaseth not⁷Troubles has 'the aduersaries cease not'. most craftelye tundermyne it, or at lest throghe false reportes & defacing of the worke begon[n]e to staye the labourers whiche sholde travell in the finishing therof. But truthe euer cleaveth it self: & as the son[n]e consumeth the clowdes, so misreports by triall ar confounded. Our bretherne sent from you can certefie you at lenghe[sic] touchinge the particulars of yo[u]r letters⁸ATroubles has 'letter'. A reference to the Strasbourg letter of 23 Nov. 1554, Troubles xxii-iii, brought by Grindal and Chambers., to whom we have in all things agreed which semed expedient for the state of this congregation.

As for certeyne ceremonies which thorder of the contrie will not beare necessarelie we omitt⁹Troubles has 'we necessarily omit'. At this stage the Frankfurt congregation were employing the excuse that some 'ceremonies' from the Book of Common Prayer were omitted because they were not acceptable to their host city. with as littell alteration as is possible (which in yo[u]r letters you require)¹⁰Troubles has 'ye require'. so that no adversarie is so impudent, that dare either blame our doctrine of imperfection, or els us of mutabilitie,¹¹Troubles has 'or vs of mutabilitie'. One of the reasons for not making any changes to the Book of Common Prayer given by Strassburg in their letter of 23 Nov 1554. except he be altogether willfull ignorant, rather sekeing how to finde fault then to amende.¹²Troubles has 'finde faultes, then to amend them'. Neither do we dissent from them which lie at the raunson of their blood¹³Troubles has 'raunsome of their blouds'. One of the reasons for not making any changes to the Book of Common Prayer given by Strasbourg in their letter of 23 Nov 1554. for the doctrine, wherof they have made a most worthie confesssion. And yet we think not that any godly man will stand to the death in the defence of indifferent ceremonies (which as the book specifieth)¹⁴Troubles has 'in the defence of ceremonies, whiche (as the booke specifiethe)'. The description of ceremonies as 'indifferent' and the assertion that, if necessary, they could be altered, marked a shift in tone. upon iust cawses may be altered & changed. And if the not full using of the book cause the godly to dowte in that trueth wherin before they were persuaded, & to staie their com[m]ing hither according as thei purposed: either it signifieth that they were slenderly taught,¹⁵Troubles has 'very slenderly taught'. A further tonal shift was made here when objections were dismissed as arising from ignorance or misrepresentation. which for breche of a ceremonie will refuse such a singular benefitt: or els that you haue heard them misreported by some false bretherne, who to hinder this worthie enterprise spare not to sowe in every place [p. 42] store of such poor reasons.

Last of all it remayneth, that you writ¹⁶Troubles has 'ye write'. At this point the Frankfurt congregation moved onto the offensive regarding the offer that the Strasbourg exiles would come to Frankfurt on 1 Feb 1555., that ther first of Februarye next ye will come¹⁷Troubles has 'yow will come'. to help to set in ordre & establishe this churche accordingly. Which thing as we most wishe for yo[u]r companies sake & for that ye might see our godly ordre here observed:¹⁸Troubles has 'oure godly orders alreadie here obserued'. so we put you out of doubt, that for to appoint a iorney for thestablishing of any ceremonies¹⁹Troubles has 'off Ceremonies'. shulde be more to your charges & pains than any generall profett,²⁰Troubles has 'your charges then anie generall profit'. This was a stark warning that the Frankfurt congregation would not accept the imposition of 'ceremonies' by the other exiles. except ye were determyned to remayne with us lenger then tow[sic] monthes, as you writ to our countrimen of Disborogh²¹Troubles has 'Densborow'. Duisburg. These letters from Strasbourg to Duisburg and Emden are not extant. The suggestion that the other exiles should stay two months, long enough to establish the 'ceremonies', and then leave, offended the Frankfurt congregation. & Emden. Which letters notwithstanding ar now staied, & as appeareth, we never the nere.

We referr the rest to oure bretherne Mr Chambers and Mr Grindall,²²Troubles has 'Maister Chambers and maister Grindall'. who by their diligent inquisition have learned so farr of our state, as we writt to you²³Troubles has 'wrote vnto yow'. in our former letters. That is that we haue a churche freely graunted, to preache godes worde purely, to minister the sacramentes sincerely, & to execute discipline truelie.²⁴Discipline was explicitly included as a third mark by which a true church could be recognised, compared to the two marks in John Scory's letter, 3 Sept 1554, DD/PP/839 31-2. And as touchinge our booke we will practise it so farr as Godes worde doth assure it & the state of this countrey permitt.²⁵This formulation turns round the more conciliatory phrasing at the start of the letter by saying that the Book of Common Prayer will be followed where it has the assurance of God's Word and the permission of the host city. Fare ye well. From thenglishe congregation at Franckford²⁶Troubles only has 'At Franckf.' this 3o Decemb. (1554)

Your loving brethrne²⁷Troubles has 'louinge frinds' and the list in a different order which also includes William Kethe.