John Frith (martyr) facts for kids
John Frith (born in 1503 – died on July 4, 1533) was an English Protestant priest and writer. He is remembered as a martyr, meaning he died for his beliefs.
Frith was very important in the discussion about religious toleration, which means allowing people to have different religious beliefs. He believed that people should not be punished for their faith. As he grew older, Frith took strong stands against some teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. These included ideas about Purgatory (a place where souls go after death) and Transubstantiation (the belief that bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ during a church service).
Because of his beliefs, Frith was brought before a church court called the Inquisition. He was found guilty of heresy (beliefs that go against official church teachings) and was sentenced to be burned to death.
Harold Chadwick, an author who revised Foxe's Book of Martyrs, wrote about John Frith: "Master Frith was a young man known for being very religious, smart, and knowledgeable. In the regular world, he could have achieved anything he wanted. But he chose to serve the Church instead and help others, not himself." Frith met William Tyndale during his studies, and Tyndale greatly influenced his ideas. Like Tyndale and Martin Luther, Frith played a big part in the Protestant Reformation, a time when many people wanted to change the church.
Contents
Early Life and School
John Frith was born in 1503 in Westerham, Kent, England. His father, Richard Frith, ran the White Horse Inn. This building, now called Church Gate House, still stands near the Westerham Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin. John Frith's name is in the church's baptism records from 1503. The original 14th-century font where he was baptized is still used today.
A meeting room called the John Fryth Room was added to the church in the 1960s. There is also a stone plaque in his memory outside the church. The church choir is even named The John Fryth Singers.
Frith went to Sevenoaks Grammar School. He then studied at Eton College and Queens' College, Cambridge. He earned his first degree from King's College. While at Cambridge, his teacher was Stephen Gardiner. Years later, Gardiner would be involved in condemning Frith to death. Frith became very good at Latin, Greek, and Mathematics.
He also met Thomas Bilney, a student who was interested in the Protestant Reformation. Frith may have met William Tyndale at one of these meetings.
After finishing his studies in 1525, Frith became a junior priest at Thomas Wolsey's Cardinal College, Oxford. While in Oxford, Frith and nine others were put in a fish cellar. This happened because they had books that the university thought were "heretical" (against church teachings). Frith was later released and left England to join Tyndale in Antwerp.
Life in Europe
In 1528, John Frith traveled to Marburg, Germany. There, he translated a book by Patrick Hamilton. A year later, Frith translated another book called A Pistle to the Christian Reader: The Revelation of the Anti-Christ; An Antithesis between Christ and the Pope.
He also wrote A Disputacion of Purgatorye in 1529. This book was a response to writings by Thomas More, John Rastell, and Bishop John Fisher. Frith's book actually convinced Rastell to join the Protestant Reformation. In his book, Frith explained that there are two kinds of "purgatories." One is God's word, which cleanses the heart. The other is a "spiritual cross," meaning difficulties and challenges in life.
During 1528, Frith also got married and had children.
Important People in His Life
When John Frith first started studying at Cambridge University, his tutor was Stephen Gardiner. Gardiner later became a powerful bishop. He taught Frith to love learning and admired the young man. However, Gardiner's loyalty to Frith ended when they both started to criticize the church. Gardiner stopped when he realized his words were helping those he called "heretics."
Thomas Wolsey invited Frith to study at Oxford University. Wolsey personally chose young men who were very smart and knowledgeable. Oxford was the first place Frith was arrested and put in prison. He was suspected of supporting Martin Luther's ideas. He was released a short time later.
After this, Frith went to London and met William Tyndale. Tyndale had a huge impact on Frith's religious views. Both men faced great danger for their beliefs about purgatory. Frith was imprisoned a second time when he visited a friend, the Prior of Reading, because he had run out of money. In Reading, Frith was mistaken for a homeless person and put in the stocks (a device used for public punishment).
Leonard Coxe, a schoolmaster in Reading, helped Frith get released. Coxe was impressed by Frith's intelligence and speaking skills. He spoke to the local officials and got Frith freed.
Sir Thomas More was the Chancellor of England at this time. He issued an order for Frith's arrest, accusing him of heresy. Frith was sent to the Tower of London when he was caught trying to escape to Holland. While in the Tower, Frith wrote a book about his views on purgatory. He gave it to a tailor named William Holt, who pretended to be his friend. Holt, however, took the book to Thomas More. After reading Frith's book, More wrote his own book to argue against it. Later, More would condemn Frith to death. Ironically, More himself was later imprisoned in the same Tower of London for refusing to accept King Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. More was found guilty of treason and beheaded.
Return to England and Arrest
In 1532, John Frith came back to England. Thomas More (who was Lord Chancellor then) issued orders for his arrest. In October, Frith was arrested by local police before he could sail to Antwerp. He was wearing a clever disguise.
Frith was imprisoned for about eight months in the Tower of London. While there, he wrote down his views on Communion. He knew that these writings would likely lead to his death. John Foxe, a famous writer, wrote about Frith and his works, and how he was kept in heavy chains. In his last days in the Tower, Frith wrote a final book called The Bulwark. It is believed that this book, along with their meetings, helped convince John Rastell to change his Christian views. The Bulwark is a powerful book, both in its ideas and its writing style. Frith argued that people sin if they do good deeds only to gain favor with God. He believed that being made right with God comes from faith alone.
Frith was later moved from the Tower to Newgate Prison. He refused to stop writing about his controversial ideas. When William Tyndale heard about Frith's difficult situation, he sent him two letters to cheer him up. Tyndale advised him, "If your pain proves to be more than you can handle, pray to your Father in that name, and he will ease it."
Trial and Death
John Frith was put on trial before many church leaders, including Thomas Cranmer, who had recently become the archbishop of Canterbury. Frith used his own writings as proof of his views, which were considered heresy. He was sentenced to death by fire. He was offered a pardon if he would agree to two things: believing in purgatory and believing in transubstantiation.
Frith replied that neither purgatory nor transubstantiation could be proven by the Holy Scriptures. Because of this, he was condemned as a heretic. He was then handed over to the government for his execution on June 23, 1533. He was burned at the stake on July 4, 1533, in Smithfield, London. He was told this was for the "salvation of his soul." King Henry VIII was excommunicated (kicked out of the church) one week later. Andrew Hewet, a young tailor, was burned with him.
What Happened After
Thomas Cranmer later came to agree with Frith's views on purgatory. Cranmer published the Forty-Two Articles, which clearly stated that purgatory was not a belief of the church.
John Frith's writings were published after his death in 1573 by John Foxe.
Timeline
- 1503 Born in Westerham, Kent, England
- 1510 Frith and his family moved to Sevenoaks
- 1520–22 Attended Eton College
- 1522 Enrolled at Queens' College, Cambridge
- 1523 Transferred to King's College, Cambridge
- 1525–28 Moved to Thomas Wolsey's Cardinal College, Oxford to become a junior priest
- 1528 Imprisoned at Cardinal College in the fish cellar by Cardinal Wolsey
- 1528 About 6 months later, Cardinal Wolsey released the prisoners. They had to stay within 10 miles of Oxford.
- 1528 Fled England for Antwerp
- 1528 Traveled to Marburg, Germany
- 1532 Returned to England and was imprisoned in the Tower of London for about 8 months
- June 23, 1533 Sentenced to death as a heretic and moved to Newgate Prison
- July 4, 1533 Publicly burned at the stake in Smithfield, London
