reuerence to my king: yet if I haue forborne hym as my Lord, if I haue warned hym, and talked with hym fatherly and gently as with a sonne, & in talkyng with him could not be heard: If therfore (I say) beyng enforced therunto, and against my will, do exercise vpon him the censure of due seueritie: in so doing (I suppose) I make rather with hym, then against hym, and rather deserue at hys hande thanke for my correction, then note or suspicion of vnkindnes or punishment for the fact. Some tymes a man agaynst his wyll receaueth a benefite: as when necessity causeth a man to be restrained from doyng that which he ought not: he that doth so restraine hym (though he stop him) doth not hurt hym, but rather profiteth hym for his soules health. An other thing that defendeth vs from ingratitude, is our father and patron Christ. Which, in that he is our father (to whome we as children owe obedience) then are we bound as children by necessitie to obey his commaundemēt, in warnyng the euil doer: in correcting the disobedient: and in bridlyng the obstinate: which if we do not, we run into daūger, to haue hys bloud required at our hāds. Ye set forth like-MarginaliaIf the kyng had bene an adulterer or tyrant against the true doctrine or preachyng of Christ, then myght this reason serue & God more to be obeyed then man Now where did Becket learne, that the king in his temporall right was not to be obeyed?
Take heede ye marre all and ye open that dore.wise and shewe, what losse we therby may sustaine of our tēporalties: But ye speake no word of þ^e losse of our soules.

Moreouer, as concernyng the departure of the king frō the homage of the Church of Rome (which in your letters ye seeme to pretend, or rather threaten) God forbid I say, that the deuotion or fayth of our kyng shoulde euer swerue away from the obedience and reuerence of the Church of Rome, for any temporall commodity or incommodity: which thyng to do is very damnable in any priuate subiect, muche more in the prince which draweth many other with hym: therfore, God forbid that euer any faithful man should once thynke so haynous a deede. And you according to your discretion take hede, lest the wordes of your mouth infect any person or persons therin: occasionyng them by your words to such daungerous and damnable matter: like to the goldē cup which is called the cup of Babilon, which for the outward gold no man will refuse to drinke of, but after they haue dronke therof, they are poysoned.

And where ye lay to my charge for the suspendyng of the reuerend father bishop of Salisbury, and for excommunicatyng of Iohn, Deane of the same church for a scismaticke MarginaliaThis Iohn was called a schismaticke, because he tooke part with Reginald Archb. of Colen a& the Emperour against Alexander the Pope.(by knowledge and processe had of the matter) to this I answer: That both these are iustly and condignly excommunicate, and if ye vnderstand perfectly the condicion of the matter, and the right order of iudgements, ye will say no lesse. For this standeth with good autoritie (as ye know) that in manifest and notorious crimes, this knowledge and order of procedyng is not requisite. Perpend with your selues diligently, what the bishop of Salisbury did (concernyng the Deanry) after that he was prohibited of the Pope and of vs, vnder payne of excommunication: and then shall you better vnderstand (vpon so manifest disobedience) suspention did rightly follow: as ye read in the decree of Saint Clement, saying: MarginaliaClements decree.If they do not obey their Prelates, all maner of persons of what order so euer they be, whether they shall be Princes, of high or low degree, and all other people: shall not only be infamed, but also banished from the kingdome of God, and the fellowship of the faithful. As concernyng Iohn of Oxford, this we say: that excommunication commeth diuers wayes. MarginaliaDiuers wayes of excōmunicationSome are excommunicate by the law, denouncyng them excommunicate. Some by the sentence of the Prelate. Some by communicatyng wyth them which are excommunicate. Now, he that hath fallen into this damnable heresy, in participating with schismatickes, whome the Pope hath excommunicate: he draweth to hymselfe the spotte and leprosie of lyke excommunication. Wherfore, seyng he (contrary to the Popes expresse commaundement and ours, beyng charged vnder payne of excommunication to the contrary) toke vpon hym, the Deanery of Salesbury: we haue denounced him, and hold him excommunicate: and all his doynges we disanull, by the autoritie of the. viij. Synode saying. MarginaliaThe counsell speaketh of such which be worthely excommunicated.If any man either priuely or apartly shall speake or communicate with hym that is excommunicated: draweth to hymself the punishment of lyke excommunication. And now for so much as you (brother bishop of London) which ought to know that saying of Gregory. vij MarginaliaThis Gregori otherwyse called Hldebrand was he that first toke away priestes mariage cōdemning all priestes for fornicators which had wives.if any bishop shall consent to the fornication of priestes, deacons. &c. within hys precinct: for reward, fauour, or petition, or doth not by the autoritie of hys office correct the vice: let hym be suspended from hys office. And agayne that saying of Pope Leo, which is this: If any bishop shall institute or consecrate such a priest as shall be vnmeete and vnconuenient: if he scape with the losse of his own proper dignity, yet he shall lose the power of institutyng any more. &c.

Therfore, forsomuch I say, as you (knowing thys) haue double wise offended agaynst the sentence of these Canons: we commaunde you, and in the vertue of obedience enioyne you, that if it be so: within three monethes after the receite hereof, you will submit and offer your selfe to due correction and satisfaction to the counsell of our fellow byshops, for these your so great excesses: Least other (through your example) run into the like offence, and we shall be constrayned to proceede agaynst you wyth seuerer sentence.

Finally (in the closing vp of your letter) where ye bring in for your appellation agaynst me, a safegarde for you: which rather in deede is an hindraunce to you: that we should not proceede agaynst the inuaders of the Church goods, nor agaynst the kyng in lyike censure, as we haue done against the biyshop of Salisbury (as ye say) and hys Deane. To this I answer, God forbid that we haue, or els should hereafter proceede or doe any thing agaynst the kyng or his land, or against you or your Churches, inordinately or otherwise then is conuenient. But what if you shall exceede in the same or like transgression, as the Byshop of Salesbury hath done: thinke ye then your appellation shall helpe you from the discipline of our seueritie, that ye shall not be suspended? Marke ye diligētly whether this be a lawfull appeale, and what is the forme thereof. We know that euery one that appealeth, eyther doth it in his owne name, or in the name of another: If in his owne name, eyther it is for some greuance inferred alreadye, or els for that he feareth after to be inferred against him. MarginaliaDiscussing of a true appellationConcerning the first, I am sure there is no greuaunce that you can complaine of as yet (God be thanked) that you haue receaued at my hand, for the which you should appeale frō me: neither haue you (I trust) any cause speciall agaynst me so to doe. If ye doe it for feare that is to come, least I should trouble you or your Churches: consider whether this be the feare that ought to fall in constant men, or whether this be the appeale which ought to suspende or stay our power and authoritie that we haue vpon you & your Churches. It is thought therfore of wise men (and we also iudge no lesse) your appeale to be of no force.

MarginaliaThe forme of a true appellationFirst, for that it hath not the right forme of a perfecte appellation, and also because it is not consonant to reason, and lacketh order and helpe of the law.

Furthermore, if your appellation be in an other mans name, either it is for the kyng (as most like it is) or for some other. If it be for the king, then ye ought first to vnderstand, that appellations are wont to be made to repell, and not to inferre iniury: or to release such as be oppressed, that they should not be oppressed any more.

Wherfore if any man shall enter any appellation (not trusting to the suertie of his cause, but to delay the tyme that sentence be not geuen vpon him) that appellation is not to be receaued. For what state will there be of the Church, if the liberty therof beyng taken away: the goodes of the Church spoyled: the byshops driuen from their places: or at least not receiued with full restitution of theyr goods: the inuaders and spoylers thereof: may defend themselues by appealing, therby to saue themselues from the penalty of their desert?

What a ruine of the Church will this be? See what ye haue done, and what ye say. Be you not the vicars of Christ, representing hym in earth? Is it not your office to correct and to bridle ill doers, whereby they may cease to persecute the Church? And is it not inough for them to be fierce and to rage against þ^e church, but that you should take their part, setting your selues against vs, to the destruction of the Church? Who euer heard of so monstrous doinges? Thus it shall be heard and sayd in all nations & countries: that the suffraganes of the church of Canterbury (which ought to stand with their metropolitane vnto death in defence of the Church) now go about by the kings commaundement so much as in them doth lye, to suspend his autoritie: least he should exercise his discipline of correction vpon them that rebell against the Church. MarginaliaOne person can not both be the appeale maker, & the party appealed.Thys one thing I know, that you cannot sustaine two sortes of persons at once: both to be the appeale makers, and to be appealed vp your selues. You be they, which have made the appellation: and you be they against whom the appellation is made. Is there any more Churches thē one, and the body of the same? And how meete were it than, that you being the members of the church, should hold together with the head therof? I am afraid brethern least it may be said of vs: These be the priestes which haue sayde where is the Lord? and hauing the law do not know the law. Furthermore this I suppose you (beyng discret mē) are not ignorāt of: that such as enter any appellatiō there, are not wont to be heard: vnlesse the matter of their appel-