C. Quod Petro dictum est, dictum est tantum rectoribus ecclesiae : Principes non sunt reclores

ecclesiae: Ergo non dictum est principibus. Resp. Neganda est minor: delude inajorem sic intelligo ex Aug. Quod dictum est Petro, dictum est ecclesiae universae fidelium, quatenus fidem habet in Christum, super quam fidem aedificatur ecclesia. Unde liquet dictum hoc non magis spectare ad clcrum quam ad principes fideles, &c.
7. Fallacia est a divisis ad conjuncta. Sunt enim variae in ecclesia Christi functiones, quae vari6 sunt ad alios atque alios refereiidae. Quae vero foris sunt et juris ordinisque externi, et ad casti- gationcm attinent, propria sunt principuin. Tantum ad clerum spectat dispcnsatio sermonis Dei, et sacramentorum administratio. Jam hiec omnia quae disjungenda erant, perperam confundit hie theologus in una persona.
8. Episcopi si probi fuerint dici fortasse patres possunt suorum principum, sed in Christo tamen, hoc est, non nisi in eis quae ad salutis tantum curani, doctrinae videlicet et sacrainentorum, spcctant. In ceteris vero principes patres sunt et curam gerunt episcoporum, non illi principum.
9. Iterum hie peccatur in falsa libertatis definitione.
10. Ut facile hie intelligas, lector, suam dignitatem et possessiones quacri ab episcopis, potius quam gloriam Jesu Christi !
11. Proximus honor secundum Deum debetur regibus in sua cujusque ditione, juxta scripturae theologiani. quEe dicit : Deum timete, regem honorilicate : at contra hie theologus inverso scripturae ordine arguit, bonorem Deo jiroximum deberi — primum Romanoe sedi,deinde episcoporum ordiai, et post ha;c regibus.
AXOTIIER LETTER TO KINO HENRY. 223
cum," &c. Whicli epistle, for that T would not overcharge the volume nenryii. of these histories witli too much matter superfluous, 1 thought here ~a~iT to omit. The other he sent afterwards, whereof the words be these: — 1166.
Another Letter of Becket, sent to King Henry II ' To his lord and friend Henry, by the grace of (}od, king of England, duke of Normandy and Aquitain, eai-1 of Anjou : Thomas, by the same grace, humble minister of the church of Canterbury, (sometime his temporally, but now more his in the Lord), health and true repentance v/ith amendment. I have long looked for that tlie Lord would look upon you, and that you would convert and repent, departing fi-om your perverse way ; and cut off from you your wicked and perverse counsellors, by whose instigation, as it is thought, you are fallen into' that deep, whereof the Psalm speaketh, " A sinner, when he cometh to the depth of mischiefs, is without all care or fear." And albeit we have hitherto quietly suffered and borne, considering and earnestly looking if there would any messenger come that would say : " Your sovereign lord, the king, who now a long time hath erred and been deceived, and led even to the destruction of the church, through God's mercy, with abundant humilitj^, doth now again make speed for the deliverance of the church, and to make satisfaction and amendment;" Aet notwithstanding we cease not, day by day, continually to call upon Almighty God with most humble devotion, that that which we have long desired for you, and by yoii, we may speedily obtain with abundant effect. And this is one point, that the care of the church of Canterbury, whereunto God hath presently apjiointed us albeit unworthy, 3'ou being king, doth specially consti'ain me, in that as yet we are detained in exile, to write unto your majesty letters commonitory, exhortatory, and of con-ection. But I woidd to God they were Ixilly able to correct, lest that I be too great a cloaker of your outrages, if there be any, as indeed there are ; for the which we are not a little sorry. I mean especiallj' of them which are done by you in every place, about the church of God and the ecclesiastical persons, without any reverence either of dignity or person ; and lest also that I appear negligent to the great danger of my soul ; for without doubt he beareth the offence of him which doth commit any offence, who neglecteth to correct that which another ought to amend ; for it is Mnritten, " Not only they which do commit e\'il, but also they that consent thereunto, are counted partakers of the same." For they verily do consent, who, when they both might and ought, do not resist, or at the least reprove ; for the error which is not resisted is allowed, and the tnith, when it is not defended, is oppressed ; neither doth it lack a privy note of society in him, who ceaseth to withstand a manifest mischief.2 For like as, most noble prince, a small city doth not diminish the prerogative of so mighty a kingdom as yom-s, so your royal power ought not to oppress or change the measure of the religious dispensation ; for it is proWded always by the laws, that all judg- ments against priests shoidd proceed by the determination of priests ; for whatsoever bishops they are, albeit that they do err as other men do, not exceeding in any point contrary to the religion of faith, they ought not, nor can in any case be judged of the secular power.^ Tnily it is the part of a good and religious prince to repair the ruinous churches, to build new, to honour the priests, and with great reverence to defend them, after the example of the godly prince of most happy memory, Constantine,* who said, when a complaint
Certain Notes or Blenches upon this Epistle.
1. The scope of this epistle is this, to prove that bishops and priests ought not to come under the covert and controlment of temporal power.
2. This similitude holdeth not. For, though the smallness of a city blemisheth not the prero- gative of a kingdom, yet the evilness and rebellion of a city do worthOy blemish its own prerogative.
3. So saith the pope's decree (Dist. 10), but the scripture of God importeth otherwise. Abiathar the priest was deposed by King Solomon, not for any heresy, but for other causes (1 Kings ii.). Jonathas took his priesthood of King Alexander; and Simon of Demetrius (1 Maccab. vii. 9;