John Frith

John Frith was born at Westerham in Kent in 1503. The family moved to Sevenoaks where his father became an innkeeper. He was educated at Eton College before attending King's College. His tutor was Stephen Gardiner. Frith's abilities as a scholar were noticed by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and was invited to leave Cambridge University to join his recently formed Cardinal College (afterwards Christ Church) at Oxford University. (1)

John Foxe claims that "John Frith was a young man who stood far above his companions in knowledge and godliness. Even though his brilliance could have brought him honor and dignity in the secular world, Frith chose to dedicate himself to the church, believing that the truly good man should live for others, not for himself." (2)

John Frith & Martin Luther

John Frith came under the influence of Robert Barnes, who had been converted to the ideas of Martin Luther. On 24th December 1525, Barnes preached a sermon in St Edward's Church, in which he attacked the corruption of the clergy in general and that of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in particular. He was arrested on 5th February 1526. Miles Coverdale helped him prepare his defence. Taken to London, Barnes appeared before Wolsey and found guilty. He was made to do public penance by carrying a faggot (a bundle of sticks bound together as fuel) on his back to Paul's Cross. The faggot was a symbol of the flames around the stake. (3)

Fearing arrest, John Frith fled to join William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale in Antwerp. Tyndale began work on an English translation of the New Testament. This was a very dangerous activity for ever since 1408 to translate anything from the Bible into English was a capital offence. (4) Tyndale argued: "All the prophets wrote in the mother tongue... Why then might they (the scriptures) not be written in the mother tongue... They say, the scripture is so hard, that thou could never understand it... They will say it cannot be translated into our tongue... they are false liars." In Cologne he translated the New Testament into English and it was printed by Protestant supporters in Worms in 1526. (5)

His biographer, David Daniell, claims that Frith made a translation into English from Latin of Divers Fruitful Gatherings of Scripture, a collection of passages from scripture known to most English speaking reformed Christians as Patrick's Places and widely influential as a radical exposition of justification by faith in English. This was published in July 1529. (6) This was exported into England and leading conservatives such as Bishop John Fisher and Stephen Gardiner, called for his arrest.

Tyndale's Bible

Frith arrived in England in July 1531 to help distribute Tyndale's Bible. He was arrested as a vagabond in Reading and was placed in the stocks. According to John Foxe: "Frith was an honest man who found it very difficult to lie convincingly, so the authorities were fairly sure he wasn't a tramp, despite his disguise, but they failed to make him reveal his identity. Until he could be identified, he was locked in the stocks at Reading without food. When he began to suffer badly from hunger, he asked that the local schoolmaster be brought to him. As soon as Leonard Cox arrived, Frith began to complain of his captivity in Latin. They talked of many things in both Latin and Greek, then Cox hurried to the town judges and complained of the treatment being given such an excellent, well-educated young man. Frith was freed from the stocks without further punishment." (7)

John Frith was arrested when he was suspected that he might have stolen goods hidden in his bag. When the bag was opened they discovered that it contained English Bibles. After the authorities discovered his real name he was sent to the Tower of London. While in the Tower he wrote an extended essay where he explained his arguments against transubstantiation. It was smuggled out and read by his supporters. (8) "He argued first that the matter of the sacrament was no necessary article of faith under pain of damnation. Next, that Christ had a natural body (apart from sin), and could not be in two places at once. Third, that 'This is my body' was not literal. Last, that what the church practised was not what Christ instituted." (9)

Execution of John Frith

Lord Chancellor Thomas More, the main persecutor of heretics in England at the time, obtained a copy of the essay. Catholics like More upheld the doctrine of transubstantiation, whereby the bread and wine became in actual fact the body and blood of Christ. It is believed because it is impossible, it is proof of the overwhelming power of God. Frith, a follower of Martin Luther, who believed in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament, but denied that he was there "in substance". Luther believed in what became known as consubstantiation or sacramental union, whereby the integrity of the bread and wine remain even while being transformed by the body and blood of Christ. (10)

According to John Foxe, Frith and More were engaged in a long debate on two main issues: "While there (in the Tower of London), he and More wrote back and forth to each other, arguing about the sacrament of communion and purgatory. Frith's letters were always moderate, calm, and learned. Where he was not forced to argue, he tended to give in for the sake of peace." (11)

Bishop Stephen Gardiner suggested to Henry VIII that an example should be made of John Frith. Henry ordered Frith to recant or be condemned. Frith refused and he was examined at St Paul's Cathedral on 20th June 1533. (12) His examinations revolved around two points: purgatory and the substance of the sacrament. Frith wrote to his friends, "I cannot agree with the divines and other head prelates that it is an article of faith that we must believe - under pain of damnation - that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ while their form and shape stay the same. Even if this were true, it should not be an article of faith." (13) Jasper Ridley points out that the decision to execute John Frith took place at the very time that Henry was divorcing Catherine of Aragon and "preparing for the final break with Rome and the repudiation of Papal supremacy". (14)

Miles Coverdale — John Frith being led to his death.

John Frith was burnt at the stake on 4th July 1533. It was reported that "Frith was led to the stake, where he willingly embraced the wood and fire, giving a perfect testimony with his own life. The wind blew the fire away from him, toward Andrew Hewet, who was burning with him, so Frith's death took longer than usual, but he seemed to be happy for his companion and not to care about his own prolonged suffering." (15)

Primary Sources

(1) John Foxe, Book of Martyrs (1563)

Among all evils of the persecution, none seemed worse to us than the cruel treatment and death of John Frith, a young man who stood far above his companions in knowledge and godliness. Even though his brilliance could have brought him honor and dignity in the secular world, Frith chose to dedicate himself to the church, believing that the truly good man should live for others, not for himself.

After studying at Cambridge and becoming a very well-educated man, Frith became acquainted with William Tyndale, who planted the seed of the gospel and sincere godliness in his heart.

At that time Thomas Wolsey, cardinal of York, built a college in Oxford named Frideswide, now known as Christ's Church - not so much because of his love of learning but to leave himself a perpetual monument. He gathered together the best vestments, vessels, and ornaments in the land and gave them to the college, also appointing the best professors he could find, one of whom was John Frith. When these professors conferred together about the abuses of the church, they were all accused of heresy and thrown in prison.

Frith was eventually released on the condition that he stay within ten miles of Oxford, a condition he immediately violated by going abroad for two years. He secretly returned to visit the prior of Reading and was arrested there as a vagabond. Frith was an honest man who found it very difficult to lie convincingly, so the authorities were fairly sure he wasn't a tramp, despite his disguise, but they failed to make him reveal his identity. Until he could be identified, he was locked in the stocks at Reading without food. When he began to suffer badly from hunger, he asked that the local schoolmaster be brought to him.

As soon as Leonard Cox arrived, Frith began to complain of his captivity in Latin. They talked of many things in both Latin and Greek, then Cox hurried to the town judges and complained of the treatment being given such an excellent, well-educated young man. Frith was freed from the stocks without further punishment.

But he had no time to enjoy his freedom because Sir Thomas.More, then the chancellor of England, was looking for him all over the country and offering rewards for his capture. Even though he moved from place to place and disguised himself, Frith was eventually captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

While there, he and More wrote back and forth to each other, arguing about the sacrament of communion and purgatory. Frith's letters were always moderate, calm, and learned. Where he was not forced to argue, he tended to give in for the sake of peace.

Eventually Frith was taken before the archbishop before the bishop of Winchester, to plead his case. Last of all, he appeared before the assembled bishops in London. His examinations revolved around two points: purgatory and the substance of the sacrament. As Frith wrote to his friends, "I cannot agree with the divines and other head prelates that it is an article of faith that we must believe-under pain of damnation-that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ while their form and shape stay the same. Even if this were true, it should not be an article of faith."

On June 20, 1533, John Frith was brought before the bishops of London, Winchester, and Lincoln and condemned to death. On July 4, he was led to the stake, where he willingly embraced the wood and fire, giving a perfect testimony with his own life. The wind blew the fire away from him, toward Andrew Hewet, who was burning with him, so Frith's death took longer than usual, but he seemed to be happy for his companion and not to care about his own prolonged suffering.