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John Bale to Thomas Ashley

DATE: Winter of 1554-55¹Date of 1556 only given in copyist's later summary at top of copy of letter to Ashley. Content of letter reflected winter 1554-5. Links to John Knox's, [Bale's 'opponent'] letter to Ministers of Geneva, 4 January 1555, Calv. Op. 15 No 2077.
LOCATION OF ORIGIN: Frankfurt
DESTINATION: Duisburg
SOURCE: Inner Temple Library, London, Petyt MSS, 538/47 fos 380r-v; Abbreviated version, J. Strype Ecclesiastical Memorials 1721 ed III 107-9 xxxix; (1824 ed. III i 408; ii 313f xxxix.)²This is a sixteenth century copy of Bale's letter in a volume [Petyt MS 538/47].which contains items from John Foxe's Library, J. Conway Davies Catalogue of Inner Temple MSS, 1:43-44.

(Top fo. 380r) The Copie of a letter wrytten by John Bale from Basil directed unto Mr Ashley in the tyme of Queene Mary. Wherin is declared the trobles and controversies of those tymes betwen the Protestants and the Purytanes. Ano 1556.³The heading has been added by the copyist.

My spetiall freind Mr Ashley after my accustomed salutations in the Lorde. This shalbe to assure yo(u) I have receved your gentle letters. I am very ioyous⁴Strype 'I am joyful'. for that yo(u) are now willinge⁵Strype 'willing now' to resort unto us. And wheras yo(u) desier before yo(u)r commynge to know the estate of our Churche.⁶Thomas Ashley was proposing to come to Frankfurt either directly from Duisburg or via Strassburg as Richard Cox did. To be playne in fewe wordes it is troblouse at this p(re)sent. I fynd the admonishment of St Pawle to Timothe and of St Peter to the disp(er)sed brethren most true and in full force in this miserab(le) age. They sayde that in the latter tymes should come mockers, lyers, blasphemers and fearse dispisers,⁷The biblical reference is probably, 2 Tim 3:3. we have them, wee have them Mr Ashley, we have them even from⁸'from' inserted above line. amonge our selves yea, they be at this present our Elders and their fact(ious) affinitie.⁹Bale's opponents were the Knox-Whittingham group who appeared to be gaining control in the Frankfurt controversy. Whan we requier to have com(m)om prayer¹⁰Strype 'Common Prayers'. Bale meant the 1552 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. according to our Englishe order, they tell us that the Magistrates will in no casse suffer it, w(hi)ch is a mos(t) manifest lye.¹¹One of the arguments used by the Frankfurt congregation's letters to the English exiles at Strassburg and in their negotiations with Grindal and Chambers, see 3 & 13 Dec 1554 (DD/PP/839 41-2; Troubles xxiiii-xxvii) They mock the rehersall of Godes Commandementes and of the Epistles and Gospells in our com(m)union and saye they are mysplaced.¹²The dispute was over the position of the Ten Commandments and the Epistle and Gospel readings within the Communion service.

They blaspheme our com(m)union calling it a popishe masse and saye, that it hath a popishe face w(i)th other fearce despisinges and cursed speakinges.¹³This appears to be the first use of the 'face' metaphor which was later used by Cox and Knox. These mockes (?and) and these blasphemies w(i)th such lyke, they take for invincyble theologie w(i)th the(se) they buyld, w(i)th these they boast, w(i)th these they tryumphe in erecting their church of the purytie.¹⁴Mark like a bracket in the original. The phrase 'church of the purytie' links this letter directly to the 'Catharytes' memo. But wheras they report our com(m)union to have a popishe face I desier yo(u) to marke that w(hi)ch followeth here and to iudge their impudenty.¹⁵Strype 'impudency'. The following section of Bale's letter seems to be his notes refuting his opponents' points with a refrain 'which we have not' or similar to accompany each point. The 'Catharytes' memo followed a similar format. The face of a popish masse is a¹⁶Strype 'the'. shew of the whole action w(i)th the instrument¹⁷Strype plural 'instruments'. and cermonies therunto apperteininge.¹⁸This sentence also appeared in Bale's Memo of the Catharytes, strongly suggesting the two documents were written around the same time. To that face cheifly belongeth a monsterous brothell or Ape of Antichrist w(i)th shaven crowne,¹⁹Strype 'crowns'. syde gow(n) oyled²⁰Strype 'oyl in'. thombes, typpet, portasse²¹Portess or portable breviary. and mase booke, our communion hathe none suche. To that face apperteineth an autre w(hi)ch we have not. To that face be-longeth a sup(er)altare [crossings out] ²²'Vestment, chysable, amysse, albe, gyrdall' crossed out in original. a chal(ice) a cover or cake; a corporasse, cruattes,²³Strype 'cruats'. candlestickes, sencers and lyght²⁴Strype plural 'lights'. w(hi)ch we have none. To that face belongeth vestiment, chisable,²⁵Strype 'crisable'. amy(ce) albe, gyrdle, stole, fa? on,²⁶Word not deciphered in original. Strype had no word here. aulltertrecloth,²⁷Strype 'altar-cloth'. torch and towell besydes the holy suffrages for pope, fo(r) pestilence and for old meseled swyne, w(hi)ch our communion hath not.²⁸Strype omits section between *s. *To that face belongeth a disguysed lubber his arse to the people, as in the sacrifices of the old idolatours, our commun(ion) sendeth fourth a godly minister, havinge his countenaunce towardes the people and utteringe the trewe word of God in the mother tonge. To that face belongeth face belongeth (sic) Latyn arberinges²⁹Reading uncertain. without fruet, turnynges and halfe turninges, crossinges, hand washinges, drye drowninges³⁰Reading uncertain. downe dropp(ing) and upstartinges w(hi)ch we have not. To that face belongeth singeres blessinges, mouth breathinges, tragicall transubstantiatings or newe³¹Word unclear in original. Reading uncertain. maticall creatinges w(hi)ch we have not. To that face belongeth awest³²Word unclear in original. Reading uncertain. standinge, stoupinges, knelinges, knockinges, adoringes, salutinges, breakinges, maunchinges, drinkinges, sippinges, thombe lychinges after grace w(i)th a boye to answer for all the parish, no part of that³³Word unclear in original. Reading uncertain. our english communion.* What may then be thought of our unnaturall bastardly bretheren that so falsely report yt,³⁴Probably a reference to the Latin description of the Book of Common Prayer sent by Whittingham and Knox to Calvin, 11 Dec 1554 (DD/PP/839 65-8; Calv Op. xv No 2059). so maliciously mocke so unlearnedly lye upon, so seditiously slaunder it, so wickedly blaspheme³⁵Strype 'blaspheme'. it and so villainously (contemn it)³⁶Strype 'contemn it'.

(fo. 380v) Our communion on the other syde beginneth w(i)th prayer unto God in the mother tounge so³⁷'that' crossed out in original. doth not the masse.³⁸This section listed all the differences between the Mass and the English Communion service and used the refrain 'so doth not the masse'. It sheweth us the comaundmentes of God, it teacheth us the necessary articles of our christian fayth: so doth not the Masse. It bringeth both the Lawe and the Gospell to shew us both damnation and redemption, so doth not the masse; yt moveth us to acknowledg our synnes it stirethe us up to repentance for them, yt exhortheth us to the³⁹Strype omits 'the'. mortification of our synfull fleshe, so doth not the masse. It preacheth the Lordes death tyll he come, it calleth for a worthie preparation to⁴⁰Strype 'for' instead of 'to'. so hevenly a supper it promyseth full remyssion of our synnes through Christes paynfull⁴¹Strype 'gainful' for 'paynfull'. sufferinges, so doth not the popishe masse. It geveth high thankes unto God for our free⁴²Strype omits 'free'. rede(m)ption in Christe,⁴³Strype omits 'in Christe'. it prayseth his⁴⁴Strype 'the' for 'his'. eternall Ma(jes)tie for the same and wisheth the trewe receivers to dep(ar)te from thens in his most holy peace, and p(er)petuall blessinge, and contynew alwayes, so doth not the abhomynable masse. Ergo our⁴⁵Underlining in original. holy com(m)union hathe not the face of a popishe masse as our new Catharytes⁴⁶Bale referred to his opponents as 'Catharytes', linking this letter directly to his 'Catharytes' Memo. hath most wickedly, malyciously, mockingely, falsely, frantyckly, unlearnedly, lewdly,⁴⁷Strype 'loudly' for 'lewdly'. sediciously, blas-phemously, and beastly have reported, and wrytten to their affinitie or proselytes raginge and raylinge, more like Athenians than Christians, yea, more lyke devills then men.

And they boast of the glory of God, of sinceritie of his worde, and of the highest puritie in religyon. But the truthe of it is, they seeke to set up in their ydlenes (as they are all ydle, savinge in this one⁴⁸Strype omits 'one'. poynte) a seditious sacte⁴⁹Strype 'faction' for 'sacte'. in contempte of the Englishe order, for their owne pharisaycall advau(n)cement plantinge the forsayd lyes, mockinges and blasphemyes, as the first prynciples of their buylding.⁵⁰Mark in original like a bracket or end of paragraph.

This wryte I unto yo(u), that they should not in this behalfe pervert yo(u), as they have done other men. I would not in the mean tyme that this should discourage from com(m)yng towardes us, but that yo(u) might come the soner w(i)th other good men, to helpe to represse their malycious and ydle enterpryses.⁵¹Bale was making a clear call for reinforcements to come to Frankfurt to overcome his opponents. Thus though wee be not in England amonge the wicked papistes now, yet are wee molested of ydle bretheren, as wickely occupied as they, though in an other kynd, the tymes are perilous.⁵²Though Bale frequently used exaggerated language, the comparison between his current opponents and the Roman Catholics demonstrated that he was extremely disillusioned with the situation in Frankfurt. Thus fare ye fare yt [sic] well in the Lord, and commend us to all our good bretheren. [No signature]