Common Places, Letters · Letter 31
To M. Peter Alexander. 33.
THe letters (my déere and reuerende Peter) which you ſent vntounto mee the thirde daie of Iune, I receiued the xxiiij. day. And I doubt not but with a good and faithfull mind you ſhewed me of thoſe things which indéed happened not according to your merites and innocencie. For why ſhould not I giuegive credite vntounto you? Or why ſhoulde I ſuſpect you of a lie? I ſee no cauſe for you to lie: Neither is there anie cauſe why your faith ſhould not be moſt approoued vntounto mee. Therefore I did not onelie beléeue thoſe thinges which you wrote vntounto me, but (as méete it was) I tooke great ſorrowe thereof. And where it ſéemes to you that I excuſe the ſlaunderers, perhappes it was for that ſith I ſawe not their letters and teſtimonies, I might not eaſilie think the worſt of ſuch kind of men, who when I did expoſtulate with them touching this matter, aunſwered that againſt you they wrote nothing at all, which either they thought not to be true, or which did excéede the boundes of Chriſtian modeſtie: And that of themſelues they would neither hauehave written nor ſpoken any thing of you, had they not béene inforced and earneſtlie intreated thereunto by the Mombelgardenſin Church. Whē I heard theſe things of them, I beganne thus to thinke with my ſelfe: that perhappes the matter was ſhewed more bitterlie vntounto you, than it was writen of them. Hereof it comes, that I maie ſéeme in my letters to leſſen and mitigate their doinges. What ſhoulde I héere doe? I am of ſuch a nature, that I cannot eaſilie giuegive credit to a ſuſpicious accuſation of thoſe men whome I thinke to be honeſt. But now becauſe you proteſt with your ſelfe, that the matter is altogether euident, let them take héede what they hauehave doone, for I hauehave no minde either to maintaine or excuſe thoſe thinges which hauehave béene ill doone either of them or of anie other. But this I ſaie vntounto you, that with the good and wiſe men no part of your good name and credite is diminiſhed through this trouble and miſhappe which you hauehave ſuſtained. The Mombelgardenſin Church is to be lamented, which hath bin brought into theſe ruins & gréeuous euils which you write of. Theſe thinges as they be bitter and heauie to the minds of godlie men, ſo muſt we pray that at ye length there maie be ſome end and meaſure of them. I ſawe the Apologie which you wrote vntounto the Prince, and it liked me verie well: and I ſaide, that me thought it woulde doe well to ſend it to D. Marpachius. For I hope that if the Prince ſhall reade it, he will not afterwarde ſuffer anie ill ſuſpition to remaine in his minde. God graunt that ſucceſſe which we deſire. Your purpoſe of expecting and imbraſing an honeſt vocation when it is offered, I verie well allowe: and I doubt not, but that God will quickelie ſende you into his worke. For he will not long ſuffer the guiftes wherewith hee hath adorned you, to be without vſe. Now hearken what hath happened touching other matters. The laſt weake in Englande were burned ſeuen good men, which with a peaceable mind and ſtedfaſt conſtancie gaue teſtimonie of their faith. The Quéene hath not yet béene deliuered of childe, and as it is written, ſhee ſaide, ſhée ſhall not happilie bring foorth till ſhee hauehave burned euerie one of the heretikes which ſhe hath in priſon. Hereby therefore you maie vnderſtande that my Lorde of Canterburie is nowe in great perill. It is ſaide that they of Wormes will graunt the French nation a Church which, that ſame diuine your friend will erect, who was ſometime with Lord my of Elie departed, and as I thinke is called Philip. The kingdom of Polonia hath receiued the Goſpell: and at Auguſta as all men thinke peace ſhall be giuen to the Churches of the Auguſtane Confeſſion: which peace ſhall be confirmed in the Parliament by a decrée of the Emperor. De Laſco is at Frankforde: For he was conſtrained to depart frō Phryſia. Iulius and his wife, ſalute you and your good wife and ſo doe I likewiſe. But I pray you take the paines to ſalute in my name thoſe excellent men, Viret, Beza, and Euſtachius. From Strasborough the 18. of Iune, 1555.