To Doctor Richard Cox

If, when we were at Frankfort, I caused offence to you [singular], most learned man, do not be surprised. For your undertakings were such that I was in no way able to comply with them. Then – something that had a worse effect on me – when I had hopes that you were going to change for the better after that sudden and horrible reversal of affairs in our homeland and your bitter – albeit fatherly – reproof,

not without sorrow I found you far otherwise. For this reason, if I did not yield to the decrees (then most dear) of you and the others, I acted in accordance with my custom and duty: to me it seems that the truth of Christ must always be preferred to human dreams and must be given place before the friendship or enmity of all people – whatever authority they have.

[p. 61] Therefore, do not believe that I proceeded from enmity toward you – whom I have many reasons to embrace – but rather from a desire for the truth. For I am yours, to no less an extent, and I always will be – provided you will be Christ’s. In his name alone I confess and acknowledge that I am a debtor to all, but without it or contrary to it, a debtor to no one. Therefore follow Christ straightforwardly – to use the words of Paul¹Recto pede is meant to be an allusion to Gal 2:14, but it is quite an interesting one. The Vulgate has simply recte ambularent, while the Greek uses the very rare verb orthopodeo = ‘walk straightforwardly’. This became recto pede incederent in Erasmus’ translation, which was printed alongside the Greek and the Vulgate in the important edition of the New Testament published in Geneva by Robert Stephanus in 1551. -- and I in turn will attend upon you with all love and service.

Accordingly, if you desire to know with precision what it is to follow Christ, come to us, where you will find very many examples – and exquisite ones – of people of that sort who, denying themselves, follow Christ bravely. For they have learnt by experience that which I had believed that you had learnt long ago – that the deceitful and fickle world will at length desert those who court it, while Christ will never leave his own. But now, where you are, you will in my judgement rather become accustomed to what it is to pretend to be at once with Christ and the world and to expose his holy name to mockery than to press on in his footsteps. Therefore I urge you to leave such places and to seek those that are better. If it pleases you to come here, you will never be sorry that you have done so, and you will experience how serviceable I will be to you.

Farewell, most learned man – and recognize that I am the same as you thought me to be of old. In Geneva 14 March in the year of the Lord 1557.

Yours from my heart Christopher Goodman

Doctori Richardo Coxo /

Si tibi Francoforti cum essemus, eram offensioni Vir doctissime, ne mireris. huiusmodi / enim fuerunt vestri conatus, ut eis obtemperare nulla ratione potueram. Deinde quod / me peius habebat, cum te post subitam illam et horrendam in nostra patria rerum / inversionem, et acerbam etiam quamvis paternam castigationem tuam, in melius muta-/tum iri sperabam, longe diversum non sine dolore reperi. Quare si tuis et aliorum de-/cretis (tunc percharis[?]) non succubuerim pro meo more et officio feci; cui semper veritas / Christi humanis somniis praeferenda videtur, et omnium hominum (cuiuscunque sint autori-/tatis) amicitiis / [p. 61] tatis) amicitiis seu odiis anteponenda. Non igitur ex odio tui (quem multis nominib-/us amplector) sed veritatis desiderio profectum credas. Nam tuus nihilominus sum, / eroque[?] semper; modo tu Christi fueris: cuius solius nomine me omnibus debere fateor / et agnosco, sine illo autem aut contra illum, nemini. Recto igitur pede, ut Pauli ver-/bis utar, Christum insequere, et ego te vicissim omni amore officioque prosequar. Pro-/inde si quid sit Christum sequi scire ad amussim cupias, ad nos veni, ubi plurima, ea-/demque rara huiusmodi hominum exempla, qui semetipsos abnegantes Christum fortiter / sequuntur, comperies. experimento enim didicerunt id quod te iam diu didicisse credi-/derim, quod mundus fallax et inconstans colentes se tandem destituet, quando suos Chris-/tus in sempiternum non relinquet. Nunc vero ubi es, quid sit potius meo iudicio cum / Christo simul et mundo dissimulare et nomen eius sanctum ludibrio exponere assuefacies, quam eius vestigiis insistere. Relictis igitur talibus locis meliores quaerendos sua-/deo. Si huc venire libuerit facti nunquam poenitebit[?], et me quam ero tibi officiosus ex-/perieris. Vale Doctissime vir et me eundem esse quem olim putabas cognosce. Genevae / 14° Martii a° Domini 1557. /

Tuus ex animo Christophorus Goodmannus