William Whittingham - at Frankfort

At Frankfort

In the spring of 1554 Frankfort was the ecclesiastical centre for the English Marian exiles on the continent, and Whittingham was one of the first who reached the city on 27 June 1554; he sent out invitations to exiles in other cities to join them. Difficulties soon arose, however, between those who wished to use Edward VI's second prayer-book without much modification, and those led by Whittingham and John Knox, who insisted on revising the prayer-book in a Calvinist direction. Whittingham was one of those appointed to draw up a service-book, and he procured a letter from John Calvin, dated 18 January 1555, which won over some; but the compromise adopted was disturbed by the arrival of Richard Cox, who was an uncompromising champion of the prayer-book. In the ensuing struggle between Knox and Cox Whittingham was Knox's chief supporter, but he failed to prevent Knox's expulsion from Frankfort on 26 March; he thereupon said to have given in his adhesion to the form of church government established at Frankfort under Cox's influence. He was dissatisfied with the outcome, and about 22 September in the same year he followed Knox to Geneva.

Whittingham was probably the author of a detailed account of the struggle. It is the only full narrative, but is polemical.