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John Bale to Catharytes

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: Frankfurt²Basle given in copyist's later summary at top of copy of letter to Ashley. Probably copyist only knew Bale ended Marian exile in Basle. Content of letter described the controversy at Frankfurt during winter 1554-5. Bale was in Frankfürt from the autumn of 1554 and was the first to sign the letter calling John Knox as minister, 24 Sept 1554, Troubles xix-xx; DD/PP/8239 32-33. He stayed in Frankfurt until Nov 1555, Garrett 78.
SOURCE: Inner Temple Library, London, Petyt MSS, 538/47 fo. 473³J. Conway Davies Catalogue of Inner Temple MSS 2 vols Vol II 878 No 249 fo. 473. Letter discussed in L.P. Fairfield John Bale 102-3 & notes; P. Collinson Eliz Purit Move 33.

To our Catharytes or brethrene of the puritie as they call it, w(hi)ch frantickly have reported the Com(m)union of our booke to bere the face of a popishe Masse, whyles they beare the faces of etc.

The face of a popishe masse is the shew of the whole action therof w(i)th the instruments and other necessaries therunto app(er)tayninge. And as much have we to saye for our publique prayers to God and confession of our synnes in the Church, against yo(u)r idle obiections and feble phantasies forged, proving them to be, as we do use them, neyther popish nor Ieweshe. Ne yet we in our usynge of them⁴'with popishe nor' crossed out in manuscript. to be eyther Jewes or papistes prestes, preistes men or yet shavelinges, as yo(u) in yo(u)r madde frenesyes have reported us.

It is not mete therfore we conte(m)pne so many helthesome rudiments of the Christen Religion, as are afore mencyoned in our English booke of comon pra(yer) made and app(ro)ved by so many learned men, and set fourthe by Gods authory(ty) in a most Christian kinge. And to receyve and admyt the same agayne at yo(u)r hands being but a few, w(i)thout lyke learninge and authoritie and how affected we know not. What we are in yo(u)r sight We be an Englishe congregation w(hi)ch is not of the puritie, we are they w(hi)ch dryven out of Parydise and exyled for our synnes the of(f) springe of Ca(yn) the fleshly children men and such as have offered the onely⁵'children of' crossed out in manuscript. fruets of the earthe. We are they w(hi)ch have buylded the carnall cytie of Enochia, the inventors of artes, the sturdie rebellious, the marryers mens daughters, the unpure workers, the ymagners of evyll, the p(torn MS) of iniquitie, the corruptors of the world, and those whome God ha(th) provided the dilivey of destruction. We are the ungentle raven that w(as) sent out of the shippe w(hi)ch tasting of the carreyne a broade returned not agayn. We are the wretched publicans, such as not only yet behynd in England, but here disparsed abroade in Germany, and spetially at Zurycke, yea, very J(ew?) papistes, preistes, preistes men and shavelinges. For we cleave to carren and wil(l) (not?) goe from it ye saye, we hold still that sup(er)stitious, papisticall lewde, lowsey mangye, naughtie, filthie, shamfull and abhominable book of England by no true men but a sorte of false harlotts ye saye now nevertheles racked, hunted, handeled, hanged, quartered, peeced, perboyled scorsted and burned, all this have ye seene in us and our booke, by vertue of preach(ing), alligoryes, eyther els at yo(u)r pleasures, transubstanciated us into them by ver(tue) the same, for thus ye have very plesantly bothe iudged us⁶'into' crossed out in manuscript. and reporte(d).

What yo(u) are in yo(u)r syght You are on the other syde, not as other men are, chefely not as they are w(hi)ch (?have) any good will to that ungodly boke, as yo(u) take it, wherw(i)th unspotted cons(cience?) could never yet agree because it cometh from the Englishe nation, and yo(u) (?not) of counsell in puttinge fourth therof. Yo(u) are selected companye a fraterny(tie) subscription and a brotherhode of the purytie, what though not of the congruyte fetche Gods glory from Utopia, or from some other strange lande. In para(?) of the sprete ye remayne undefyled, innocent as Abell, ye offre the sute(?) of(ferings?) ye buyld no cyttie, ye invent no artes, ye marry not w(i)th menis daughters ye (?have) (fo. 473v) no styffe necked rebells, no ymagyners of evyll, no planters of iniquitie, no corrupters of the world. But walke all in the sprete, seekinge only for the glory of God, the puritie of his worde, and synceritye of his scriptures, that it is great marveile that ye are not taken up w(i)th Henoch and no more seene on the earth. But this may chance to be an impedyment therof, that yo(u) prophecye is not yet all wrytten, eyther els that ye lacke that fyerrye charett w(hi)ch should carry yo(u) above the clowdes. In the mean tyme ye have taken Noes shippe for yo(u)r safegarde upon the waters. And the floude ones fynished, ye goe not abroad as did the ranginge raven, to seke carryen, but properly, fynely and obediently ye retorne agayne lyke the frendly, gentle and symperinge turtle dove. Ye thank God of it that yo(u) are not as other men are, specially the wretched publycanes of England, w(hi)ch have neither so much grace, wytte, learninge, nor yet godlynes as yo(u) have. They are extorcioners, by robbinge God of his high honour. They are uniust dealers in breakinge their christian p(ro)fession. They are⁷'extorcioners' crossed out in manuscript. also advoulterers in com(m)yttinge ydolatrouse papistrye. But yo(u) vertuouse fathers are much busyed in fastinge twyse⁸Inserted above the line in manuscript. in the weke from sup(er)fluous suffrages of that wretched booke and in payenge yo(u)r tythes or prayers to God w(i)thout openynge of yo(u)r sanctified lyppes etc.

I omyt at this present to wryte what face our church had, before it knew yo(u)r puritie, what face it hath taken of yo(u)r puritie, what yo(u)r pretensed purytie is, what true patriackes that purytie hath fonden, wherin that purytie consistethe, and what ghostly frutes that purytie bringeth in day by daye. No more at this tyme.

Gatherings out of D. Balles notes.
They of the purytie have caused⁹'have caused' crossed out in manuscript. our Englishe book of prayer to be banished out of Franckford, where as bothe the papysme and Iudaisme are peaceably suffered to remayne. Their Scote Knoxe in his sedicious, barbarouse and scismatycall pratlynges hath reported the sayde booke unperfect, uncleane, unpure, damnable and full of sup(er)stition deservinge also death, plague and exile. Inepta¹⁰The Latin sentences were written in an italic script, the remainder of the manuscript in secretary hand. est hec nova Ecclesia cu(m) contemptu Christianiss Anglice nationes¹¹Smudge in manuscript either replacing 'e' with 'i' or vice-versa. fundamentu(m) habet, conscie(n)tiam et sp(?)¹²Word not deciphered. Scoti. Sub Discipline nomine tyrannis, sub religionis no(m)i(n)e nescio quin imposturor turpuitur Christianq(ue) ordo.¹³This memo and the letter to Ashley belong together. They used the same terminology and had similar content, including one sentence exactly the same in both documents. This memo was probably written in conjunction with letter as part of notes to persuade Ashley and others of serious nature of threat to the Book of Common Prayer. It is not clear if these comments were sent to anyone or if they just remain in Bale's notes. Along with the letter, this memo shows Bale was a strong supporter of BCP. He signed letter from Richard Cox and other BCP supporters to John Calvin, 5 Apr 1555, O.L. II 753-55.