Brief Discourse of the Troubles at Frankfort, Letter 8 – Letter 9
Grace mercy and peace, &c.
AS it was euer moſte true / ſo at this preſent we feele moſt ſenſiblie / that where ſo euer god layeth the foundation to builde his glory there he continueth till he bringe the ſame to a preſent worke. All thanks and praiſe be vntounto him therfore / that hathe moued your hartes ſo as in no pointye ſeeme to forſlowe your diligence to the furtheraunce off the ſame. And as the worke is off moſte excellencie So the aduerſaries ceaſe not moſt craftely to vndermine it / or at the leaſte / through falſe reportes and defacing off the worke begon / to ſta…e the laborers / whiche ſhulde traueil in the finiſhinge theroff. But truthe euer cleareth itſelff / and as the Sonne conſumethe the clowds / ſo miſreportes by triall are confounded. Oure brethern ſent from yow can certifie yow at lenght touchinge the particulers off your letter / to whom we hauehave in all th…ngs agreed whiche ſemed expedient for the ſtate off this congation. As for certeine Ceremonies whiche the order off the countrie will not beare: we neceſſarily omit with as litle alteration as is poſſible (which in your letters ye require) ſo that no aduerſary is ſo impudent that dare either blame oure doctrine of imperfection / or vsus of mutabilitie / excepte he be altogether willfull ignorante / rather ſeekinge howe to finde faultes / then to amend them. Nether doo we diſcente from them whiche lie at the raunſome off their blouds for the doctrine wheroff they hauehave made a moſte worthye confeſſion.
And yet we thinke not that anye godlie man will ſtande to the deathe in the defence of ceremonies / whiche (as the booke ſpecifie the) vpō iuſte cauſes maie be altered and chaunged.
And yff the not full vſinge off the booke cauſe the godly to dowte in that truthe wherin before they were perſwaded / and to ſtaye theyr comminge hither / accordinge as they purpoſed: either it ſignifieth that they were verye ſlenderly taught whiche for breach off a Ceremonie will refuſe ſuche a ſinguler benefit / or ells that yow hauehave harde them miſreported by ſome falſe brethern / who / to hinder this worthie enterpriſe / ſpare not to ſowe in euerie place / ſtore off ſuche poore reaſons. Laſte off all it remainethe that ye write / that the firſte off February nexte yow will come to helpe to ſet in order and eſtabliſhe this churche accordingly / whiche thinge / as we moſte wiſhe for your companies ſake and for that ye might ſe oure godly orders alreadie here obſerued: So we put yow owte of dowte that for to appointe a iourney for the eſtabliſhing off Ceremonies ſhulde be more to your charges then anie generall profit / excepte ye were determined to remaine with vsus longer then 2 monethes / as ye write to our countriemen at Denſbrorow and Emden / whiche letters notwithſtandinge are nowe ſtaid and as apearethe we neuer the neere.
We referre the reſte to oure brethern maiſter Chambers and maiſter Grindall / who by their diligent inquiſition hauehave learned ſo farre off our ſtate as we wrote vntounto yow in our former letters that is / that we hauehave a churche freely graunted to preach gods word purely / to miniſter the Sacraments ſincerely and to execute diſcipline truly. And as touchinge our booke we will practiſe it ſo farre as gods worde dothe aſſure it and the ſtate off this countrie permit.
Fare ye well. At Franckf: this 3. off December. Your louinge frinds.
Gorge VVhetnall
Thomas VVhetnall
Iohn Knox.
Iohn Bale
VVilliam VVhitingham
Edward Sutton.
Thomas VVood
VVilliam VVilliams
Iohn Stanton
Iohn Samford
Iohn fox.
VVilliam Kethe
Iohn Mak…braie
VVilliam VValton
Mighell Gill.
Laurence Kert.
Iohn Hollingham.
The anſwere to this letter from S…rauſbrough was as foloweth.
Grace, mercy and peace, &c.
WE hauehave receaued your letters / and alſo your anſwere in wrytinge concerninge certeine Articles / and do perceyue aſwell by the ſame as by maiſter Chambers and Maiſter Grindall your ſtate. But for ſo muche as your opinion is that the tyme do…he not preſently ſerue to moue the magiſtrats in thoſe requeſts the obteininge wheroff was the principall cauſe of our ſending vntounto yow / we cannot at this preſent condeſcend vppon anie generall meetinge / at anie certeine tyme / ether to remaine with yow or otherwiſe. And therfore / iff yow ſhall certeinly perceaue a time conuenient / that the Magiſtrats may be traueled withe all aſwell for the good and quiete habitation off the commers / and eſpecially Students / as alſo a ſeuerall churche / and to knowe whither the exerciſe off the booke ſhall be vſed / ſuche we meane as no reaſonable mā ſhall iuſtly reproue / and that the certeintie off theis matters maie be knowen at the magiſtrats hands:
then / (yff yow can let vsus hauehave intelligence) we will farther conſu…te what is to be done on oure par…ye / truſtinge / god ſhall directe vsus to do ſo as maye be moſte to his glorie in the ende / howe ſo euer the preſente tyme ſhall iudge off it.
From Strauſbrough this 13. off December. Your louing frinds, &c. as in the letteers before.
WHen this letter was redd to the congregation / they requeſted that for ſo muche as the lerned men / coulde not cōdeſcend vppon any generall and certeine tyme off meetinge as nowe appeared by their letters / they might conclude vppon ſome certeine order by common conſent ſtill to continewe and that wihowte farther delaye / and alſo to hauehave the holie communion miniſtred / whiche the moſte part erneſtlie deſired. At lenght (it was agreed that the order of Geneua whiche then was alreadie printed in Engliſhe and ſome copies there amonge them) ſhulde take place as an order moſte godly and fardeſte off from ſuperſtition. But Maiſter knox beinge ſpoken vntounto / aſwell to put that order in practiſe / as to miniſter the communion / refuſed to do ether the one or the other / affirminge / that for manie conſiderations he coulde not conſente that the ſame order ſhulde be practiſed / till the lerned men off Strauſbrough / Zurik / Emden / &c. were made priuy. Neither yet woulde he miniſter the communion by the booke off Englande / for that there were thinges in it placed (as he ſaied) onelyonly by warrant of mans authoritie and no grownde in godds worde for the ſame / and had alſo a longe tyme verye ſuperſtitiouſly in the maſſe byn wickedly abuſed. But yff he might not be ſuffred to miniſter the Sacraments accordinge to his conſcience / he then requeſted that ſome other might miniſter the Sacraments / and he woulde onelyonly preache. Iff nether coulde be admitted be beſought them that he might be diſcharged. But to that the congregation woulde in no wiſe conſente.
Whiles theſe things were thus in handlinge came maiſter Leuer (before elected) who / aſſemblinge the congregation requeſted that he might withe their conſentes appointe ſuche an order / as ſhulde be bothe Godly withowt reſpecte off the Booke off Geneua or anye other / requeſtinge farther / that for ſo muche as that office was off ſo great importaunce / ād that he had not byn in the like before / that he might betweene that and Eaſter hauehave a triall off them / and they off him / and ſo at the ende off that terme either take or refuſe / whiche time off triall / as it was willingly graunted him: ſo when they vnderſtoode that the order whiche he woulde place and vſe was not altogether ſuche as was fit for a right reformed churche / they woulde in nowiſe yelde to the ſame.
Knox / whittingham / and others / perceyuinge that theis beginnings woulde growe to ſome what / yff it were not ſtaid in time / drewe forthe a platt off the whole booke off England into the lattin tonge / ſendinge the ſame to maiſter Caluin off Geneua and requeſtinge his iudgement therin / and ſhewinge him that ſome off their countrie men went abowte to force them to the ſame and woulde admit no other / ſayinge / that it was an order moſte abſolute and that yff euer they came in to their countrie they woulde do their beſte to eſtabliſhe it againe. Nowe folowethe the deſcription.