John Foxe's "Acts and Monuments: Henry VIII/John Frith, Vol. 5," 3ff.
1533. The reign of Henry VIII continues, and Tyndale and Frith are on the run. The story, examination, death, and martyrdom of John Frith are surveyed (2).
The sum of John Frith's “Book of the Sacrament” is the Reformed faith on the Eucharistic presence, (7). His view as summarized by Foxe: “(1) First, that the matter of the sacrament is no necessary article of faith under pain of damnation. (2) Secondly, that forasmuch as Christ's natural body in like condition hath all properties of our body, sin only except, it cannot be, neither is it agreeable imto reason, that he should be in two places or more at once, contrary to the nature of our body. (3) Moreover, thirdly, it shall not seem meet or necessary, that we should in this place understand Christ's words according to the literal sense, but rather according to the order and phrase of speech, comparing phrase with phrase, according to the analogy of the Scripture. (4) Last of all, how that it ought to be received according to the true and right institution of Christ, albeit that the order which at this time is crept into the church and is used now-a-days by the priests, do never so much differ from it.”
He writes a letter to his friends, but is betrayed to Sir Thomas More. Brig time is forthcoming.
Comments
Post a Comment