doth specially constrayne me (in that as yet, we are deteined in exile) to wryte vnto your maiesty letters commonitory, exhortatorye, and of correction. But I would to God they were fully able to correct least þ^t I be to great a cloker of your outragies (if there be any) as in deede there are: for the which we are not a litle sorye, I meane specially of them which are done by you in euery place, about þ^e church of God & the ecclesiastical persons, wythout any reuerence either of dignity or person: and leaste also that I appeare negligēt to the great daunger of my soule (for wythout doubte he beareth the offence of hym which doth committe any offence: who neglecteth to correct that, which an other ought to amend. For it is written not onely they which doo commit euil, but also they which consēt therunto are counted partakers of þ^e same. For they verely do consent, which whē they both might and ought, do not resist or at the least reproue. For the error which is not resisted is alowed, and the truth when it is not defended is oppressed: neither doth it lacke a priuy note of society in him, which ceaseth to withstande a manifest mischief. 2. For like as (most noble prince) a small city doth not diminish þ^e prerogatiue of so mighty a kingdome as yours is: so your royall power ought not to oppresse or chaunge the measure of the religious dispensation: For it is prouided alwaies by the lawes, that all iudgementes against priestes, should proceede by the determination of priestes. For whatsoeuer bishops they are: albeit that they do erre as other men doo, (not exceedyng in any point contrary to þ^e religion of faith) they 3. oughte not, nor can in any case be iudged of the secular power. Truely, it is the part of a good and religious Prince, to repaire the ruinous churches, to build newe: to honour the prests: and with great reuerence to defend them (after the example of the godly prince of most happy memory, 4. Constantinus) which said, whē a cōplaint of the cleargy was brought vnto him. You said he, cānot be iudged by no seculer iudge, which are reserued to the onely iudgement of God. And for so much as we do rede that the holy apostles and their successors (appointed by the testimony of God) commaunded that no persecution nor troubles ought to be made, nor to enuy those which labour in the field of the Lord: and that the stewards of the eternall kyng should not bee expelled and put out of of their seates: Who then doubteth, but that the priestes of Christ ought to be called the fathers and maisters of all other faithfull princes? Is it not a miserable madnes thē if þ^e sonne should go about to bring the 5. father vnder obedience? or þ^e sholer his maister? and by 6. wicked bondes to bring him in subiection by whom he ought to beleue that he may be bound & loosed, not onely in earth but also in heauē? If you be a good and a catholike king & wil bee such a one as we hope, or that we rather desire you should be, (be it spoken vnder your licence) you are the child of the church & not the ruler of the church. You ought to learne of the priests, and not to teach them: you ought to 7. follow þ^e priestes in ecclesiastical matters, & not to go before thē: hauyng the priuiledge of your power geuen you of God to make publike lawes: that by his benefites you should not be vnthankfull against the dispensation of the heauēly order: & that you should vsurpe nothing, but vse them with a wholesome disposition.

Wherfore, in those things which contrary vnto that you haue (thorough your malitious councel rather then by your own mind) wickedly vsurped: with all humilitie & satisfaction spedely geue place, þ^t the hande of the most highest be not stretched out against you, as an arrow against the marke. For the most highest hath bended hys bow openly to shoote against hym, that will not confesse his offences. Bee not ashamed (what soeuer wycked men say vnto you, or that traitors doo whisper in your eare) to humble your self vnder the mighty hand of god. For it is he whiche exalteth the humble, and throwethdown þ^e proud: which also reuengeth himself vpon Princes: he is terrible, and who shall resite him? You ought not to haue let slippe out of your memory, in what state God did finde you: how he hath preferred, honoured, and exalted you: blessed you with childrē: enlarged your kingdome: & established the same in despite of your enemies. In so much, that hetherto (in a maner) all men haue said with great admiration, that this is he whom goth hathe chosen. And how will you reward (or can you reward) him for all these thinges which he hathe done vnto you? Will you (at the prouocation & instaunce of those which are about you: that 8. persecute the church & the ecclesiasticall ministers, and alwaies haue according to theyr power persecuted them, rendring euil for good, bringing oppressions tribulations, iniuries and afflictions vpō the church and church men) do the like? Are not these they of whō the Lord speaketh: he that heareth you heareth me, he that despiseth you despiseth me, and he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye? Verely forsakyng all that thou hast, take vp thy crosse, that thou maist follow thy God our Lord Iesus Christ. Yet wil it scarsely be (or not at all) that thou shalt appeare a thankfull recōpencer of the benefites receaued at his hand. Search the scriptures of such that are learned, & you shall vnderstād: that 9 Saule (albeit he was elect of þ^e lord) perished, with hys whole house, because he departed from the wayes of the Lord.

Ozias also kyng of Iuda (whose name is spoken of & spread ouer all) through the manifold victories geuē him of God, his hart was so puffed vp to hys destruction (because the Lord did help & strengthen him in euery place) that he contemning the feare and reuerence of the Lord would vsurpe vnto himselfe that which was not his office (that is to saye, the priesthoode) and to offer incense vpon the aultar of the Lord, for the which he was striken with a leprosy, and cast out of the house of the Lord. Many other kings and holy mē of great substance (because they haue walked aboue their estate in the meruailes of the world, presuming to rebell against God in his ministeries) haue perished: and at the last, they haue found nothyng of their substance in their power. Also king Achaz (because he did vsurpe the office of priesthoode) was likewise striken with a leprosy by God.

Oza also (albeit he was not kyng) yet forsomuch as he touched the arke and helde it, when it would haue fallen by the vnrulines of the oxen (which thyng perteyned not vnto hym, but vnto the ministers of the church) was strikē by the wrath of god & fell down dead by the arke. O King, it is a famous prouerbe: that a man forewarned by an other mans misfortune, will take the better heede vnto himselfe. For euery man hath hys owne busines in hand, when hys neighbours house is on fyre. Deare beloued Kyng, God would haue the disposing of those things which pertaine vnto þ^e church, to belong only vnto priests, & not vnto the seculer power. Do not chalenge vnto thy selfe therfore, another mans right: neither striue against him, by whome all thinges are ordayned: least thou seeme to striue against his benefites, of whom þ^u hast receiued thy power. For by the commō 10. lawes and not by the secular power, and by the bishoppes and priests: almighty God would haue the cleargy of þ^e christen religion to be ordred and ruled. And christiā kinges ought to submit all their doinges vnto ecclesiasticall rulers, & not to preferre themselfe: for it is written, þ^t none nought to iudge þ^e bishops but only þ^e church, neither doth it pertaine vnto mans law to geue sentence vppon anye such. Christian prices are accustomed to be obedient vnto the statutes and ordinaunces of the church, and not to preferre their owne power. A prince ought to submitte himselfe vnto the bishops, and not to iudge the byshops: for there are two thyngs wherw^t the world is chiefly gouerned (that is to say) the sacred autoritie of bishops and