Let nothing seem little or despicable to you, in matters which concern Religion, and the Churches peace, so as to neglect a speedy reforming and effectual suppressing Errors, and Schisms, which seem at first but as a hand-bredth, but by seditious Spirits as by strong winds are soon made to cover and darken the whole Heaven.
When you have done justice to God, your own soul and his Church, in the profession and preservation both of truth and unitie in Religion. The next main hinge on which your prosperitie will depend, and move, is, That of civil Justice, wherein the setled Laws of these Kingdoms, to which you are rightly heir, are the most excellent rules you can govern by; which by an admirable temperament give very much to Subjects industry, libertie, and happiness; and yet reserve enough to the Majestie and Prerogative of any King, who owns his people as Subjects, not as slaves; whose subjection, as it preserves their propertie, peace, and safetie; so it will never diminish your Rights, nor their ingenuous Liberties; which consists in the enjoyment of the fruits of their industry, and the benefit of those Laws to which themselves have consented.
Never charge your Head with such a Crown, as shall by its heaviness oppress the whole body, the weakness of whose parts cannot return any thing of strength, honor, or safety, to the Head, but a necessary debilitation and ruine.
Your Prerogative is best shewed, and exercised in remitting, rather then exacting the rigor of the Laws, there being nothing worse, then legal tyrannie.
In these two points, the preservation of established Religion and Laws, I may (without vanity) turn the reproach of my sufferings, as to the worlds censure, into the honor of a kinde of Martyrdom, as to the testimony of my own Conscience. The troublers of my Kingdoms having nothing else to object against me but this, That I prefer Religion, and Laws established, before those alterations they propounded.
And so indeed I do, and ever shall, till I am convinced by better Arguments, then what hitherto have been chiefly used towards me, Tumults, Armies, and Prisons.
I cannot yet learn that lesson, nor I hope ever will you, That it is safe for a King to gratifie any Faction with the perturbation of the Laws, in which is wrapt up the publike Interest, and the good of the communitie.
How God will deal with me, as to the removal of these pressures, and indignities, which his justice by the very unjust hands of some of my Subjects, hath been pleased to lay upon me, I cannot tell: nor am I much solicitous what wrong I suffer from men, while I retain in my soul, what I believe is right before God.
I have offered all for Reformation and Safety, that in Reason, Honor and Conscience, I can; reserving onely what I cannot consent unto, without an irreparable injury to my own soul, the Church, and my people, and to you also; as the next and undoubted Heir of my Kingdoms.