Common Places, Letters · Letter 42
To Maiſter Iewel Biſhoppe of Salisburie. 44.
BY the Biſhoppe of London his indeuour (moſt worthie Prelate and my verie good Lorde, An Apologie of the Church of England.) was brought a copie of your Apologie for the Church of Englande, the which had not béene ſéene before, either of me or of our companie. Doubtleſſe in your laſt letters you rather gaue an ynkling that it ſhoulde come foorth, than plainelie ſignified the ſame. Howbeit ſo great was the iournei hither as it came not vntounto vsus before the Calendes of Iulie. Hereby you may weigh in your minde howe great a loſſe wee often times ſuſtaine by the diſtance of places. Verilie the ſame hath not onelie ſatiſfied by all meanes and reſpectes me who allowe and maruellous well like of all your doinges, but it alſo appeared vntounto Bullinger and his ſonnes and ſonnes in Lawe, and vntounto Gualter and Wolphius ſo wiſe, maruellous and eloquent, as they neuer ceaſe prayſing of the ſame, neither doe they thinke that anie thing in theſe daies hath béene ſet foorth more perfectlie. I greatlie reioyce for the excellencie of your wit, for this edifying of the Church and for this honor of England, and I beſéech you that you will procéede to treade with your ſteppes in the way wherein you hauehave entered. For although the cauſe that we hauehave be good, yet in compariſon of our enemies number, they are but few that defende the ſame: and they ſéeme ſo to bée awakened as by the goodneſſe of their ſtile and by their ſophiſticall Argumentes, they giuegive themſelues much credite among the vnlearned multitude. I ſpeake of Staphilus, Hoſius, and manie other writers of this ſect which at this daie be ſtrong Patrons of the Popes lies. Wherfore ſince in that moſt learned and eloquent Apologie of yours you hauehave ſtirred vp ſo great a hope of you, knowe you for a certeintie, that all good and learned men doe nowe aſſure them ſelues that the euangelicall trueth while you are aliue ſhall not bee wronged of the enemies without reuenge. Doubtleſſe I doe verie much reioyce that I hauehave ſéene that daie wherein you are made the Father of ſo noble and excellent a childe. God our heauenlie Father of his bountifull goodneſſe grant that you maie oftentimes multiplie the like ſéede. But as touching other thinges that your are there doing, I am as ignoraunt as is the Parthian or Indian of the affaires of Germanie. But I perſwade my ſelfe that your affaires are in a good or elſe in an indifferent ſtate. For we hauehave experience of the thing it ſelfe, that there is no meſſenger ſwifter than he which bringeth tydinges of the miſeries, calamities, and deſtruction of friendes: but their felicitie, ioy, & proſperous ſtate is much & long kept ſecrete frō vsus. But whatſoeuer it is, we ought to hope ye beſt one of an other, ſéeing it is a moſt certaine thing yt God is continuallie preſent in al places and yt after a gratiou manner vntounto thoſe that bée his, of which number are we. But as touching me, if you bée deſirous to know throughlie howe I doe, vnderſtande that in minde I am merie in Chriſt, and am occupied in the verie ſame labors wherin I applied my ſelfe when you were preſent, but in bodie I am not ſo ſtrong and luſtie as I hauehave béene: for the burthen of age waxeth euerie daie more heauie than other. Nowe by the ſpace of a yeare and a halfe I am waxen altogether to the leſſe, neither doeth my ſtomacke ſerue me whereby I might hauehave an appetite to my meale. Furthermore I am troubled with the Rume: vntounto which euils happen no ſmall griefes of my legges becauſe of two vlcers wherewith I am otherwhile greatlie diſquieted. Wherein, though the bodie properlie and by it ſelfe be vexed, yet by reaſon of the conſent which the Gretians call Sympathia, the minde alſo cannot chooſe but be afflicted. Theſe thinges which I am ſure for the good will you beare me you will bee ſorie to heare, I would not hauehave inſerted in theſe my letters, ſauing that I ſhoulde hauehave verie great néede of your prayers which I hauehave perſwaded my ſelfe that I ſhall obtaine to bee more earneſt becauſe of the neceſſitie wherewith I am vrged. Of the French affaires I write nothing, becauſe I aſſure my ſelfe that they are no leſſe knowen vntounto you than vntounto me. The Synode of …rent ſeigneth as though it woulde procéede, but it goeth ſo flowlie forwarde, as in theſe fiue Seſſions thereof it hath decréed nothing that maie ſerue to the purpoſe. Thoſe thinges that it doeth define bee olde and mouldie, ſo as they cannot ſéeme to doe the part of fathers but of beetles, which alwaies turne ouer the ſelfe ſame dongue of traditions. Fare you well moſt worthie prelate and more than one half of my ſoule. God lōg maintain you, kéep you, and increaſe you in al kinde of goodnes, both to the Church & to the Commonweale. All friendes and learned men doe ſalute you. From Zuricke the 24. of Auguſt. 1562.
The Commentarie of Lauater vponupon the Prouerbes.Lauater hath ſet foorth his Commentaries vppon the booke of the Prouerbes.