A second admonition to the parliament

They would bear men in hand that we despise authority / and contemn laws / but they shamefully slander us to you / that so say. For it is her majesties authority we fly to / as the supreme governor¹ in all causes / & over all persons within her dominions appointed by God / and we fly to the laws of this realm / the bonds of all peace & good orders in this land. And we beseech her majesty §20to have y• hearing of this matter of Gods / and to take the defence of it upon her. And to fortify it by law / that it may be received by common order throughout her dominions. For though the orders be / & ought to be drawn out of the book of God / yet it is her majesty that by her princely authority should see every of these things put in practise / and punish those that neglect them / making laws therefore / for the church may keep these orders / but never in peace / except the comfortable §30and blessed assistance of the states & governors link in to see them accepted in their countries / and used. For otherwise the church may and must keep God his orders / but always in troubles and persecution / which is like to light upon us / except a reformation of Religion / or a direct Proviso for us be made / for surely only this is God his order / & ought to be used in his ⟨p. 61⟩church / so y• in conscience we are forced to speak for it / and to use it / & in conscience / & in the reverence of God / we are forced to speak as we do of that reformation / which we now use / not so much for ought else / as to set out the deformities thereof / that we might think upon the amending of them. It is showed in the former treatises / how we think of the time and the persons / when / and by whom it was first made and authorised: yea & we know / that hetherunto y• state §10that now is / hath not been sufficiently instructed in any better then they use / wherefore we lay the fault where the fault is / upon the bishops / & that sort who are so soft set / & fat fed / that they think they cannot better themselves by god his orders / not for worldly ease & pomp / and therefore they neither have dealt / nor will deal themselves / to change the course / nor for ought I see / will suffer any other to deal / but their authority & friends shall fail them / but they will oppress them.