OF NATURE, I AM CHURLISH; YET ONE THING
I ASHAME NOT TO AFFIRM, THAT FAMILIARITY ONCE THOROUGHLY
CONTRACTED WAS NEVER YET BROKEN ON MY DEFAULT. THE CAUSE MAY
BE THAT I HAVE RATHER NEED OF ALL, THAN THAT ANY HAVE NEED OF
ME. However it (THAT) be, it cannot be, as I say, the
corporal absence of one year or two that can quench in my
heart that familiar acquaintance in Christ Jesus, which half
a year did engender, and almost two years did nourish and
confirm. And therefore, whether I write or no, be assuredly
persuaded that I have you in such memory as becometh the
faithful to have of the faithful." (1) This is the truest
touch of personal humility that I can remember to have seen
in all the five volumes of the Reformer's collected works: it
is no small honour to Mrs. Locke that his affection for her
should have brought home to him this unwonted feeling of
dependence upon others. Everything else in the course of the
correspondence testifies to a good, sound, down-right sort of
friendship between the two, less ecstatic than it was at
first, perhaps, but serviceable and very equal. He gives her
ample details is to the progress of the work of reformation;
sends her the sheets of the CONFESSION OF FAITH, "in quairs,"
as he calls it; asks her to assist him with her prayers, to
collect money for the good cause in Scotland, and to send him
books for himself - books by Calvin especially, one on
Isaiah, and a new revised edition of the "Institutes.
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