which Delphian oracle, for so I have found it, your judgment doth need no commentary, and therefore, Sir, I will commit you with it to the best of all securities, God's dear love, remaining your friend, as much at command as any of longer date, HENRY WOTTON. P.S. Sir, I have expressly sent this my footboy to prevent your departure without some acknowledgment from me of the receipt of your obliging letter, having myself through some business, I know not how, neglected the ordinary conveyance. In any part where I shall understand you fixed, I shall be glad and diligent to entertain you with home novelties, even for some fomentation of our friendship, too soon interrupted in the cradle. XLI. The archives at Zurich contain the original correspondence between the chief English and Swiss Reformers. A great many friends of the Reformation settled in this canton and its capital on the accession of Queen Mary; and after their return to England, in 1558, they corresponded closely with the friends by whom they had been so hospitably received. Under the title of 'Zurich Letters,' the Parker Society issued two volumes containing most interesting letters treating of matters ecclesiastical during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. This letter refers to the refusal of all the English bishops, except Kitchin, of Llandaff, to subscribe to the Act of Supremacy of 1559, which, with the Act of Uniformity, virtually revived the ecclesiastical supremacy of the Crown. Dr. Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury, to Peter Martyr. London: Aug. 1, 1559. I have hitherto, my father, written to you less frequently because many engagements, both of a public and private nature, have prevented my correspondence. I now write, not because I have more leisure than heretofore, but because I shall have much less in future than I have at present. For I have now one foot on the ground, and the other almost on my horse's back. I am on the point of setting out upon a long and troublesome commission for the establishment of religion, through Reading, Abingdon, Gloucester, Bristol, Bath, Wells, Exeter, Cornwall, Dorset, and Salisbury. The extent of my journey will be about seven hundred miles, so that I imagine we shall hardly be able to return in less than four months. Wherefore, lest you should in the mean time suppose me dead, notwithstanding I wrote to you twelve days since upon our common affairs, I think it not unmeet to send you this short greeting at the very moment of my setting out. Our affairs are now in a favourable condition. The queen is exceedingly well disposed; and the people everywhere thirsting after religion. The bishops, rather than abandon the pope, whom they have so often abjured before, are willing to submit to every thing. Not, however, that they do so for the sake of religion, of which they have none; but for the sake of consistency, which the miserable knaves now choose to call their conscience. Now that religion is everywhere changed, the mass-priests absent themselves altogether from public worship, as if it were the greatest impiety to have any thing in common with the people of God. But the fury of these wretches is so great that nothing can exceed it. They are altogether full of hopes and anticipations, (for, as you know, they are a most anticipative race, and mightily addicted to futuritions,) that these things cannot last long. But, whatever may happen in future, we render thanks to Almighty God that our affairs are as they are. Every thing is in a ferment in Scotland. Knox, surrounded by a thousand followers, is holding assemblies throughout the whole kingdom. The old queen (dowager) has been compelled to shut herself up in garrison. The nobility with united hearts and hands are restoring religion throughout the country, in spite of all opposition. All the monasteries are every where levelled with the ground: the theatrical dresses, the sacrilegious chalices, the idols, the altars, are consigned to the flames; not a vestige of the ancient superstition and idolatry is left. What do you ask for? You have often heard of drinking like a Scythian; but this is churching it like a Scythian. The King of France that now is, styles himself King of Scotland, and in case of anything happening to our queen, (which God forefend!) heir of England. You must not be surprised if our people are indignant at this; and how the matter will at length turn out, God only can determine. A common enemy perhaps, as is sometimes the case, may be the occasion of reconciling with us our neighbour Scotland; in which event, although the [queen's] marriage should also take place, but I will not prognosticate. Master Heton salutes you, and that not less affectionately than if you were his father. Some of us are appointed to bishopricks; Cox to Ely, Scory to Hereford, Allen to Rochester, Grindal to London, Barton to Chichester, and I, the least of the apostles, to Salisbury. But this burden I have positively determined to shake off. In the mean time there is a dismal solitude in our Universities. The young men are flying about in all directions, rather than come to an agreement in matters of religion. But my companions are waiting for me, and calling to me to set off. Farewell, therefore, my father, and my pride. Salute that reverend man, and on so many accounts dearly beloved in Christ, Master Bullinger, to whom also, if I had time, I would send a separate letter. Salute masters Gaulter, Simler, Lavater, Haller, Gesner, Frisius, Herman. I have five golden pistoles from Master Bartholomew Compagni, for the venerable old man Master Bernardine, with a letter to him from the same. I would write to him concerning the whole business, were I not prevented by want of time. I pray you, however, to let him know that, except [the payment of] this money, nothing else is settled. Court affairs, as far as I can see, are so difficult of management, that I know not whether any thing can be made of it. The queen is now a long way off in Kent, so that nothing can be done. Farewell, my father, farewell. May you be as happy as I can wish you! Salute, in my name, your Julius and Anna, and your little son [Martyrillus]. Your every way most attached JOHN JEWELL. XLII. This next extract from the 'Zurich Letters' is dated a year or two after that the Puritans had become a powerfully organised sect under the leadership of Thomas Cartwright. They are no longer merely resisting the laws because the outward forms of public worship savour too much of Roman Catholicism; they have changed front and are themselves attacking the episcopal form of church government. The unwise persecution of this religious body throughout the forty years of Queen Elizabeth's reign only served to strengthen their ranks, and in this respect the Queen's church rule was a failure. Archbishop Parker neglected to enforce the restraining statutes with sufficient stringency at first; his successor, Grindal, rather sympathised with the Dr. Cox, Bishop of Ely, to Rodolph Gualter. Ely: Feb. 3, 1573. I return you my best thanks, my dear brother in Christ, for having sent me a most courteous letter, which I received in December, and in which you clearly manifest your anxiety for the church of Christ, though at so great a distance from you. This, indeed, ought to be the chief solicitude of every pastor in the church, but of those more especially who in the endowments of learning and judgment, and piety are superior to the rest. When Dr. Whitgift, the most vehement enemy of the schismatics, and the chief instrument against them in our church, had perceived these unruly men to have burst by their reckless attacks the barriers of law and of religion, which had been so well and so peacefully established; and that they had only distributed infamous pamphlets which had been privately committed to the press; and also that from your letter to our friend Parkhurst, which they had communicated to many persons, they had already obtained a handle for confirming their errors, he thought that the publication of your letter to me would tend very much to the defence of the truth. Your first letter was extorted from you by those who falsely accused us; but the simple truth brought the second to light. And there is no reason why you should be disturbed about the publication of what has procured credit and reputation to yourself, inasmuch as it espouses the cause of truth, of which no one ought to be ashamed. I acquainted you with some of the errors of our men in the questions I proposed to you, and you have gratified me most exceedingly by the candid and sincere declaration of your sentiments; for the opinions of Masters Bullinger and Gualter are of no little weight in our church. But these disputants of ours are so shuffling, and so tenacious of their own opinion, that they will give way to no one who opposes their judgment; and they are striving to draw all your writings over to their side by a perverted interpretation of them. To give you an instance of their candour, they are zealously endeavouring to overthrow the entire order of our Anglican church. Night and day do they importune both the people and the nobility, and stir them up to abhorrence of those persons who, on the abolition of popery, are faithfully discharging the duties of the ministry, and they busy themselves in everywhere weakening and diminishing their credit. And that they may effect this with greater ease and plausibility, they bawl out to those harpies who are greedily hankering after plunder and spoil, that the property and revenues of the cathedral churches ought to be diverted to I know not what other uses. Nor will they allow bishops to take any other precedence than as individual pastors in their respective parishes, whose highest authority they wish to be that of governing, together with their presbytery, the rest of the parishioners. And in this way they set up and establish the equality they speak of. Besides this, they will not acknowledge any government in the church. They propose, moreover, that the estates and houses of the bishops should be appropriated to pious uses; but, more blind than moles, they do not perceive that they will soon be swallowed up by the devouring wolves. There are in this country twenty-three bishopricks, the endowments of some of which are little enough; others have moderate ones, and others more abundant. But all are within the bounds of moderation. None of the bishops interfere in any matters but the ministery of the word and sacraments, except when the law requires them, or at the command of the sovereign. Nor in these things, as far as I am aware, do they deal harshly with the brethren, but temper what is severe with surprising lenity. Our opponents, however, would complain most grievously, were our jurisdiction transferred to the laity, as they call them: they would soon find out that the gold had been exchanged for brass. But how true are the insinuations which they have whispered against us in the ears of the godly, time will shew; and our rejoicing is the testimony of our conscience.' I wish they would acquiesce in your wholesome and prudent counsel, namely, to put up with what cannot be amended without great danger. At first they attacked only things of little consequence; but now they turn every thing, both great and small, up and down, and throw all things into confusion; and would bring the church into very great danger, were not our most pious queen most faithful to her principles, and did |