Common Places, Letters · Letter 10
To Maiſter Iohn Caluin.
TRuelie ſir it was neither griefe nor maruell vntounto mée, that a fewe daies ſince, when you ſent letters to our friende Maiſter Bullinger (by whom you would make the excuſe) you wrote nothing vntounto mée. But this was verie grieuous vntounto me before, to heare that you were ſicke, and that of a daungerous diſeaſe. Neither doeth it nowe any leſſe grieue mée when I perceiue that your ſickeneſſe which troubleth you is a quarten ague. I for my part am able to ſay much of the vntowardneſſe and as it were rebellious obſtinacie of this diſeaſe againſt medicines and Phiſitians, as he that hath two ſundrie times ſtriuen therewith. The chiefeſt thing is that they which are in this ſtate muſt vſe great & long pacience, which I am ſure you are not to ſéeke in matters without, ſéeing it is aboundantly ynough planted within your minde by the ſpirite of Chriſt. But I together with many others hauehave two cauſes to ſorrowe for this your ſickneſſe. The one is, becauſe you your ſelfe are broken and weakened: which cannot otherwiſe be eſpeciallie in a ſlender bodie now in a manner dried vp with labours. And the other cauſe is, that your labours in preaching and writing, are diſcontinued to the great detriment of all Chriſtians. For there is nothing ſo much enemie vntounto this diſeaſe as are ſtudies and cares. Theſe be the things which diſquiet not onelyonly mée, but all that be true godlie men. Howbeit ſince the caſe ſo ſtandeth, it is our part to pray as earneſtlie as wee can, that you may ſpéedilie be reſtored to your former health. And it is your part, with all diligence to forbeare from all thinges that may doe you hurt, eſpeciallie from earneſt ſtudie, and care of weightie matters, whereby the humour of Melancholie, from whence this feuer is ſtirred vp, is ſo forced and ſtriken as it ſetleth euen into the Marowe of the bones. Verilie it is to be wiſhed that ſince it hath ſo ſéemed good vntounto God, you ſhould much rather quiet your ſelfe for certaine dayes or monethes, than either to die (which God forbid) to the great griefe of the godly, or elſe to the incredible hinderance of the Church, to liue the reſt of your life altogether with a féeble and conſumed bodie and minde. Wherefore take héede you offende not either againſt your ſelfe or againſt the Church of Chriſt. Yeſterday there came hither certaine meſſengers ſent from the Engliſh gentlemen which liue at Straſborough, which do certifie that their Quéene died the 16. day of Nouember, The death of Quéene Marie.and that the moſt noble Elizabeth is ſuccéeded in the kingdome, & that with a full conſent of all ſtates. For by chaunce they were gathered together at this time, from all the partes of England to the aſſemblie which they commonly call the Parliament. Nowe muſt we deſire GOD; that this alteration of the ſtate may turne happilie to the honour of Chriſt and his holy Goſpell. I knowe that you and your godly Church will not faile to doe what in you lyeth. Perhaps the time is now, wherein the walles of Ieruſalem ſhall be builded vp againe in that kingdome: that the bloud of ſo manie Martyrs may ſéeme not to hauehave bin ſpent in vaine. Other newes than this I hauehave not, ſauing that my Booke is vnderunder the preſſe, Gardiners booke confuted by Peter Martyr.wherein I hauehave diſcouered and confuted all the falſe arguments and ſhiftes of Stephen Gardiner ſomtime Biſhop of Wincheſter touching the matter of the Euchariſt. Which (as I hope) hath happened in verie good ſeaſon. For it will be profitable eſpeciallie at this time that the Engliſh Papiſtes may vnderſtande that that booke is not inuincible, as hitherto they hauehave bragged. Fare you well, and long may you liue vntounto Chriſt and to his Church. I ſalute all the Miniſters and alſo Beza and the Marques. From Zuricke the firſt of December.