denied, but divers good reasons alleged, that he should think it denied with reason, and so to be contented with an answer. It was told him, in reducing that which was commonly called the mass to the order of the primitive Church, and the institution of Christ, the King's Majesty and his whole realm had their consciences well quieted, against the which if any thing should be willingly committed, the same should be taken as an offence to God, and a very sin against a truth known. Wherefore to license by open act such a deed, in the conscience of the King's Majesty and his realm, were even a sin against God. The most that might herein be borne, was, that the King's Majesty might, upon hope of your Grace's reconciliation, suspend the execution of his law, so that you would use the license as it was first granted. Whatsoever the ambassador hath said to others, he had no other manner grant from us; nor having it thus granted, could allege any reason against it. And where in

your letter your Grace noteth us as breakers of the promise made to the Emperor, it shall appear who hath broken the promise; whether we that have suffered more than we licensed, or you that have transgressed that was granted. Now therefore we pray your Grace confer the doings of your chaplains with every point of the premises; and if the same cannot be excused, then think also how long the law hath been spared. If it prick our consciences somewhat, that so much should be used as by the promise you may claim, how much more should it grieve us to license more than you can claim? And yet could we be content to bear a great burden to satisfy your Grace, if the burden pressed not our consciences: whereof we must say as the Apostle said, Gloriatio nostra est hæc, testimonium conscientiæ nostræ.

For the other part of your Grace's letter, by the which we see you misconstrue our good wills in writing to you, howsoever the law had proceeded against your chaplains, our order in sending to you was to be liked, and therein truly had we special regard of your Grace's degree and estate. And because the law of itself respecteth not persons, we thought to give respect to you, first signifying to you what the law required, before it should be executed; that being warned, your Grace might either think no strangeness in the execution, or for an example of obedience cause it to be executed yourself.

Others we see perplexed with suddenness of matters; your Grace we would not have unwarned, to think any thing done on a sudden. Truly we thought it more commendable for your Grace to help the execution of a law, than to help the offence of one condemned by law. And in giving you knowledge what the King's laws required, we looked for help in the execution by you the King's Majesty's sister. The greater personage your Grace is, the nigher to the King, so much more ought your example to further the laws. For which cause it hath been called a good commonwealth where the people obeyed the higher estates, and they obeyed the laws. As nature hath joined your Grace to the King's Majesty to love him most entirely, so hath reason and law subdued you to obey him willingly. The one and the other we doubt not but your Grace remembereth: and as they both be joined together in you his Majesty's sister, so we trust you will not sever them; for indeed your Grace cannot love him as your brother, but you must obey his Majesty as his subject. Example of your obedience and reverence of his Majesty's laws is instead of a good preacher to a great number of his Majesty's subjects, who, if they may see in you negligence of his Majesty or his laws, will not fail but follow on hardly, and then their fault is not their own but yours, by example; and so may the King's Majesty, when he shall come to further judg ment, impute the fault of divers evil people (which thing God forbid) to the sufferance of your Grace's doings. And therefore we most earnestly from the depth of our hearts desire it, that as nature hath set your Grace nigh his Majesty by blood, so your love and zeal to his Majesty will further his estate by obedience. In the end of your letter two things be touched which we cannot pretermit; the one is, you seem to charge us with permission of men to break laws and statutes. We think indeed it is too true, that laws and proclamations be broken daily, the more pity it is; but that we permit them, we would be sorry to have it so proved. The other is, that we have suffered bruits to be spoken of you; and that also must be answered as the other. It is pity to see men so evil, as whom they may touch with tales and infamies they care not, so they miss not the best. Such is the boldness of people, that neither we can fully bridle them to raise tales of you, nor of ourselves. And yet whensoever any certain person may be gotten, to be charged with any such, we never leave them unpunished. Indeed the best way is, both

for your Grace, and also us, that when we cannot find and punish the offender, let us say as he said that was evil spoken of; Yet will I so live, as no credit shall be given to my backbiters. Certainly, if we had credited any evil tale of your Grace, we would friendly have admonished you thereof, and so also proceeded, as either the tale-tellers should have been punished, or else to have proved their tales. And therefore we pray your Grace to think no unkindness in us, that any evil bruits have been spread by evil men; but think rather well of us, that howsoever they were spread, we believed them not.

Hitherto your Grace seeth we have written somewhat at length of the promise made to you, and our meanings in our former writings. And now for the latter part of our letter, we will, as briefly as we can, remember to you two special matters, whereof the one might suffice to reform your proceedings, and both together, well considered, we trust shall do your Grace much good. The one is, the truth of that you be desired to follow; the other is, the commodity that thereby shall ensue. They both make a just commandment, and because of the first the latter followeth, that shall be first entreated. We hear say, your Grace refuseth to hear any thing reasoned contrary to your old determination, wherein you make your opinion suspicious, as that you are afraid to be dissuaded. If your faith in things be of God, it may abide any storm or weather; if it be but of sand, you do best to eschew the weather. That which we profess, hath the foundation in Scriptures, upon plain texts and no glosses, the confirmation thereof by the use in the primitive Church, not in this latter corrupted. And indeed our greatest change is not in the substance of our faith, no, not in any one article of our Creed. Only the difference is, that we use the ceremonies, observations, and sacraments of our religion, as the Apostles and first Fathers in the primitive Church did: you use the same that corruption of time brought in, and very barbary and ignorance nourished, and seem to be bold for custom against truth, and we for truth against custom. Your Grace in one or two places of your letter seemeth to speak earnestly in the maintenance of your faith, and therein, so that your faith be according to the Scriptures, we must have the like opinion. The saying is very good, if the faith be sound. But if every opinion your Grace hath, we cannot tell how conceived, shall be your faith, you may be much better instructed. St.

Paul teacheth you, that faith is by the word of God. And it was a true saying of him that said, Non qui cuivis credit, fidelis est, sed qui Deo. For where hath your Grace ground for such a faith, to think common prayer in the English Church should not be in English; that images of God should be set up in the Church; or that the sacrament of Christ's body and blood should be offered by the priests for the dead; yea, or that it should be otherwise used than by the Scripture it was instituted? Though you have no Scripture to maintain them, we have evident Scriptures to forbid them. And although fault may be found, that of late baptism hath been used in your Grace's house, contrary to law, and utterly without license, yet is it the worse, that, contrary to the primitive Church, it hath been in a tongue unknown, by the which the best part of the sacrament is unused, and as it were a blind bargain made by the godfathers in a matter of illumination; and thus in the rest of the things in which your Grace differeth from the common order of the realm, where have you ground or reason, but some custom, which oftentimes is mother of many errors? And although in civil things she may be followed where she causeth quiet, yet not in religious, where she excuseth no error, as in Leviticus it is said, Ye shall not do after the custom of Egypt, wherein ye dwelled, nor after the custom of Canaan; no, you shall not walk in their laws, for I am your Lord God, keep you my laws and commandments. The points wherein your Grace differeth in your faith, as you call it, may be showed where, when, how, and by whom they began since the Gospel was preached, the Church was planted, and the Apostles martyred. At which time your faith depended upon the Scripture, and otherwise there was no necessity to believe. For as Hierome saith, "Quod de Scripturis non habet authoritatem, eadem faci"litate contemnitur qua probatur." And because your Grace, as we hear say, readeth sometimes the doctors, we may allege unto you two or three places of other principal doctors. Augustine saith, "Cum Dominus tacuerit, quis nostrum dicat, illa vel illa sunt: "aut si dicere audeat, unde probat?" And Chrysostome's saying is not unlike ; "Multi, inquit, jactant Spiritum Sanctum, sed qui "propria loquuntur, falso illum prætendunt." And if you will have their meaning plain, read the fifth chapter of the first book of Ecclesiastica Historia; and where Constantine had these words in the Council. "In disputationibus, inquit, rerum divi

"narum habetur præscripta Spiritus Sancti doctrina; Evangelici "et Apostolici libri cum prophetarum oraculis plene nobis osten“dunt sensum numinis: proinde, discordia posita, sumamus ex " verbis Spiritus quæstionum explicationes." What plainer sayings may be than these to answer your fault? Again, too infinite it were to remember your Grace of the great number of particular errors, crept into the Church, whereupon you make your foundation. The fables of false miracles and lewd pilgrimages may somewhat teach you. Only this we pray your Grace to remember with yourself, the two words that the Father said of his Son Jesus Christ, Ipsum audite.

To the second point of the commodity that may follow your obedience, we having by the King's authority in this behalf, the governance of this realm, must herein be plain with your Grace. And if our speech offend the same, then must your Grace think it is our charge and office to find fault where it is, and our part to amend it as we may. Most sorry truly we be, that your Grace, whom we should otherwise honour for the King's Majesty's sake, by your own deeds should provoke us to offend you; we do perceive great discommodity to the realm by your Grace's singularity, if it may be so named, in opinion; and in one respect, as you are sister to our sovereign lord and master, we most humbly beseech your Grace to show your affection continually towards him, as becometh a sister. And as your Grace is a subject, and we counsellors to his Majesty's estate, we let you know, the example of your Grace's opinion hindereth the good weal of this realm, which thing we think is not unknown unto you; and if it be, we let your Grace know, it is too true. For God's sake, we beseech your Grace, let nature set before your eyes the young age of the King your brother. Let reason tell you the looseness of the people: how then can you without a wailing heart think that you should be the cause of disturbance? If your Grace see the King, being the ordinary ruler under God, not only of all others in the realm, but of you also, call his people by ordinary laws one way, with what heart can your Grace stay yourself without following; much worse to stay other that would follow their sovereign Lord? Can it be a love in you to forsake him, his rule, and law, and take a private way by yourself? if it be not love, it is much less obedience. If your Grace think the King's Majesty to be over his people as the head in a man's body is over the rest, not only in place but in