Common Places, Letters · Letter 61
To the Right honourable the Earle of Bedforde.
THe courteſie of your excellent Lordſhip hath béene ſo great towards mee, as neither am I able, nor yet knowe I howe to expreſſe it. Wherefore ſince I cannot write vntounto you as I ought, perhappes it were better for me to holde my peace: which neuertheleſſe the gratitude of a Chriſtian man will not permit. wherfore not knowing elſe what to do I wil let ye matter reſt. And ſetting a ſide ye praiſe of your godlineſſe, nobilitie, and goodneſſe, I will onelie giuegive you thankes for the fauour, helpe, and courteſie which you hauehave ſhewed towards Iulius my faithful ſeruaunt in his buſineſſe. For the which I account myſelfe ſo greatly and effectually bound vntounto you, as more I cannot be if I would. And truely for his part, he is neuer well appaied nor content but when he is declaring & ſetting foorth your honors courteſie & goodwil: affirming that without your helpe, fauour, and trauell, he coulde neuer hauehave diſpatched his buſineſſe. And this vndoubtedly is a ſingular pleaſure vntounto me becauſe I am ſure, that both in him & in me you chiefely reſpect Ieſus Chriſt & his ſyncere Religion, wherein howe zealous you are and howe feruently you louelove ye ſame, it is eueryevery where knowē and of all men confeſſed. And that cauſeth al good Chriſtians to louelove & honor you in their heart. Which notwithſtanding it be a great glorie in it ſelfe, yet is it nothing in compariſon of the great pleaſure that our almightie God taketh therin. And I likewiſe know that this is it which hath cauſed you to make me ſuch an offer as you hauehave. For the which I giuegive you very great thankes. And I aunſwere yt as the cauſe ſtandeth I am not now minded to labour or ſéeke for the ſame, hauing (thankes be to God) foode and clothing competent enough wherewith I content my and ſéeke for nothing elſe. But when it ſhal happen otherwiſe I will not refuſe your honours helpe, to whome I might ſéeme to doe iniurie if I ſhoulde chaunge you for an other, ſince you giuegive a verie manifeſt teſtimonie that you louelove mee exceeding much aſwell for the glorie of Gods ſake, as for the affection that I hauehave alwayes borne to that godlie and glorious kingdome. Whereuppon I reioyce with all my heart that ye cauſe ſo ſtandeth with the ſame as it nowe doeth. For I am well aſſured that the louelove thereof towardes mee will growe euerie day more and more, ſéeing the good wil that I beare to the Engliſh nation doth continually waxe greater & greater. Nowe as touching leaue to ſée you againe ſafe and ſounde in perſon for the commoditie (as you write) both of your coūtrie and my owne comfort, I am verie ſorie that I cannot aunſwere you in ſuch ſort as may ſatiſfie both you and my ſelfe. Truelie if I might hauehave mine owne will I woulde no leſſe ſerue the Church of Englande than before time I hauehave doone: howbeit neither mine age nor the ſtrength of my body wil any longer indure the ſame, being not able to indure a viage ſo long, ſo diuers and not altogether eaſie. Wherein alſo for one of my age and féebleneſſe there be manie daungers: and the labours there, will be more gréeuous vntounto me than thoſe that we hauehave here. Wherefore to the intent that I become not vnprofitable both vntounto you and alſo to them that be here: it ſéemeth better for me that I remaine where I am. And this doe not onelyonly I iudge but ſo likewiſe doth the Magiſtrate together with the Miniſters of this Church, who otherwiſe would be moſt readie to pleaſure your excellēt lordſhip as much as lieth in their power, eſpecially in thoſe thinges that tend to the ſpreading and ſetting foorth of the Goſpel of Chriſt. Neuertheleſſe my good Lord, whereſoeuer I ſhall bee I am readie at your commandement and to doe you anie ſeruice, deſiring you that for Gods cauſe you wil continuallie growe vp in al goodnes eſpecially in the indeuour of confirming and enlarging the Goſpell of the ſonne of GOD. Finally if as you write vntounto me you hauehave béene greatly ſatiſfied by my good and faithfull ſeruaunt Iulius, thereby doe I receiue verie great comfort. For I louing him very much as I doe both for the zeale that hee hath vntounto godlineſſe and ſound religion, and alſo for other good parts that be in him, there can be no greater contentation vntounto me, than to ſée him wel accepted of ſuch a one as your honor is, whoſe ſeruice I hauing no meanes to recompence, you in ſome part may helpe him when néed ſhal require. Again if as you write, you accept well of his friendſhip: vndoubtedly, to ſerue you wil alwaies be moſt acceptable vntounto him. The Lorde God long preſerue you in health to the ſeruice of the Church and the commonweale. From Zuricke, 1561.
The end of the Epiſtles.
To God alone the Father, the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt, be all honour, praiſe, glorie and dominion for euer and euer, Amen.