also they which consent therunto are counted partakers of the 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 whē it is not defended is oppressed: neither doth it lacke a priuy note of society in hym, which ceaseth to withstand a manifest mischief. 2. For like as (most noble Prince) a small Citie doth not diminish the prerogatiue of so mighty a kingdome as your is: so your royall power ought not to oppresse or chaunge the measure of the religious dispensation: For it is prouided always by the lawes, that all iudgementes against Priestes, should procede by the determination of Priestes. For whatsoeuer Byshops they are: albeit that they do erre as other men do, (not exceedyng in any point contrary to the religiō of faith) they 3. ought not, nor can in any case be iudged of the secular power. Truly, it is the part of a good and religious Prince, to repayre the ruinous Churches, to builde new: 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 sayd, when a complaint of the Clergy was brought vnto hym. You said he, c:nō be iudged by no seculer iudge, which are reserued to the onely iudgement of God. And for so much as we do read that the holy Apostles and theyr successors (appoynted 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 stewardes of the eternall kyng should not be expelled and put out of of theyr seates: Who then doubteth, but that the priestes of Christ ought to be called the fathers & maisters of all other faithfull princes? Is it not a miserable madnes then if the sonne should go about to bryng the 5. father vnder obedience? or the scholer hys maister? and by 6. wycked bondes to bryng hym in subiection by whom he ought to beleue that he may be bound and losed, not only in earth, but also in heauen? If you be a good and a catholike kyng, and wil be such a one as we hope, or that we rather desire you should be, (be it spoken vnder your licence) you are the chylde of the church and not the ruler of the church. You ought to learn of the priestes, and not to teach them: you ought to 7. folow the 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 hys benefites you should not be vnthankful against the dispensation of the heauēly order: and that you should vsurpe nothyng, but vse them with a wholesom disposition.

Wherfore, in those things which contrary vnto that you haue (through your malitious councell rather then by your owne mynd) wickedly vsurped: with all humilitie and satisfaction speedily geue place, that the hande of the most highest be not stretched out agaynst you, as an arrowe agaynst the marke. For the most highest hath bended hys bow openly to shoote against hym, that wyll not confesse hys offences. Be not ashamed (whatsoeuer wicked men say vnto you, or that traytors do whisper in your eare) to humble your selfe vnder the mighty hand of God. For it is he which exalteth the humble, & throweth down the proud: which also reuengeth himselfe vpon Princes: he is terrible, and who shall resit hym? You ought not to haue let slip out of your memory, in what state God did finde you: how he hath preferred, honoured, and exalted you: blessed you with children: enlarged your kyngdome: and establyshed the same in despite of your enemies. In so much, that hetherto (in a maner) all men haue said with great admiratiō, that this is he whom God hath chosen. And how wil you reward (or can you reward) hym for all these things which he hath done vnto you? Will you (at the prouocation and instaunce of those which are about you: that 8. persecute the church and the ecclesiasticall ministers, and alwayes haue accordyng to theyr power persecuted them, rendryng euill for good, bringyng oppressions tribulations, iniuries and afflictions vpō the church & church men) do the like? Are not these they of whom the lord speaketh: he that heareth you heareth me, he that despiseth you despiseth me, & he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye? Verely forsakyng all that thou hast, take vp thy crosse, that thou maist folow thy God our Lord Iesus Christ. Yet wil it scarsely be (or not at all) that thou shalt appeare a thankful recōpencer of the benefites receaued at his hand. Search the scriptures of such as are learned, and you shall vnderstand: that 9. Saul (albeit he was elect of the Lord) perished with his whole house, because he departed from the wayes of the Lord.

Ozias also kyng of Iuda (whose name is spoken of and spread ouer all) through the manifolde victories geuen hym of God, hys hart was so puffed vp to hys destruction (because the Lord did healp and 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 altar of the Lord, for the which he was striken with a leprosy, and cast out of the house of the Lord. Many other kynges and holy men of great substance (because they haue walked aboue their estate in the meruailes of the world, presuming to rebell agaynst 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 king) yet for somuch as he touched the arke and helde it, when it would haue fallen by the vnrulines of the Oxen (which thyng perteined not vnto him, but vnto the ministers of the Church) was strikē by the wrath of God and fell down dead by the arke. O Kyng, it is a famous prouerbe: that a man forewarned by an other mans misfortune, wil take the better heede vnto himselfe. For euery man hath his owne busines in hand, when his neighbours house is on fier.

Dearely beloued Kyng, God would haue the disposing of those thinges which pertaine vnto the church, to belong onely vnto priestes, and not vnto the seculer power. Do not chalēge vnto thy selfe therefore, another mās right: neither striue against him, by whom all thinges are ordained: least thou seeme to striue against his benefites, of whom thou hast receiued thy power. For by the cōmon 10. lawes and not by the secular power, and by the byshops & priestes: almighty God would haue the cleargy of the christen religion to be ordered and ruled. And christian kings ought to submit all their doinges vnto ecclesiasticall rulers, and not to preferre them selves: for it is written, that none ought to iudge the byshops but onely the church, neither doth it pertaine vnto mans law to geue sentence vppon anye such. Christiā princes 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 byshops, and not to iudge the byshops: for there are two thyngs wherewith the world is chiefly gouerned (that is to say) the sacred autoritie of bishops and royall power. 11. In the which, the bishops charge is so much the more waighty, in that they shall at the latter iudgement render accompt, euen of the kings themselues. Truely you ought to vnderstand, that you depend vpon their iudgement and can not reduce them vnto your owne will: for many Byshops haue excommunicated both kinges and Emperours. And if you require an especiall example thereof, Innocentius the Pope dyd excommunicate Arcadiuis the Emperour, because he dyd consent that Iohn Chrisostome should be expulsed from hys seate: and S. Ambrose also, dyd excommunicate 12. Theodosius the great Emperour for a fault (which seemed not so waighty vnto other Priestes) and shut him out of the Church: who afterwarde by condigne satisfaction was absolued.

There are many other lyke examples: for Dauid when he had committed adultry and murther, the prophet Nathan was sent vnto hym by God to reproue hym, and he was soone corrected. And the King (laying aside his scepter and Diademe, and settyng apart all princely maiestie) was not ashamed to humble hymselfe before the face of the Prophet to confesse hys fault, and to require forgeuenes for hys offence: what wyll you more? he beyng striken with repētaunce asked mercy, and obtayned forgeuenes. So likewyse you (most beloued Kyng and reuerend Lord) after the example of this good Kyng Dauid (of whom it is sayd: I haue found a man after myne owne hart) with a contrite and humble hart, turne to the Lord your God: and take hold of repentaunce for your transgressions. For you are fallen & erred in many things, which yet I kepe in store still, if (peraduēture) God shal inspire you to say with the prophet: haue mercy on me O God, accordyng to thy great mercy, for I haue sinned much agaynst thee, and done euill in thy sight. Thus much I haue thought good to write to you my deare Lord at thys present: passing ouer other thinges in silence, till I may see whether my wordes take place in you, and bryng forth fruits in you worthy of repentance: & that I may heare and reioyce with them that shall bring me word and say: Oh King, thy sonne was dead and is alyue agayne: was lost, and is found agayne. But if you will not heare me: loke where I was wont (before the maiesty of the body of Christ) to pray for you in aboundaunce of teares & sighes: There in the same place I wil cry agaynst you, & say: Rise vp Lord and iudge my cause, forget not the rebukes & iniuries which the Kyng of England doth to thee and thyne