56. Anselm to his Bishops

Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, to his friends and fellow-bishops, from whom he received a letter by the bearer of this, greeting.

I grieve, and sympathise with you about the trials which you and the Church of England are enduring; but at the present time I am unable to help you according to your desire and my own, since I am not yet sure what and how much I can do, until I know from our ambassadors whom I am expecting presently to return from Rome, what they have been able to arrange with the lord pope. But it is good and pleasant to me that you know at least what your sufferings have effected, to say the least: and that you promise me your aid not in my cause, but in God's cause, and press me not to be slow in coming to you. Although I cannot do this now, because the king will not as yet suffer me to be in England, unless I will disobey the command of the pop2 and agree with his own will and pleasure; and I am not yet certain what I can do, as I said; yet I rejoice in your good will as bishops and the constancy you promise, and the exhortation you address to me. But that I should cause some of you to come to me, as you propose, lest while we are apart from each other those who seek their own advantage should alter my opinion, I do not at present think advisable. I hope in God that no one could turn away my heart from the truth, so far as I know it, and that very soon God will show what it is that I can do, and I will let you know as quickly as I can. What you ought to do in the meantime, your prudence well enough knows; yet will I say that I, so far as, placing my hope in God, I am acquainted with my own conscience, would not to save my life give my consent to, nor make myself either the instrument or author of, evil; which has I hear lately been promulgated among the churches of England. Farewell.