52. To Henry, King of the English

To Henry, his beloved lord, by the grace of God King of England, Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, offers faithful prayers and service.

It belongeth to me, if I hear that you are doing aught which is bad for your soul, not to hide this from you, lest, which God forbid! God should be displeased with you for doing what doth not please Him, and with me for my silence. I hear that your excellency is inflicting punishment on the English clergy, and exacting fines from them, because they have not obeyed the order of the council which by your favour I held in London with other bishops and clerks. This has hitherto been unheard of, and never practised in the Church of God by any king or other ruler whatsoever. For according to the law of God it belongs to none to punish this class of offence save to the bishops, each in his own diocese; or if these bishops should herein be neglectful, to the archbishop and primate. I therefore beg you, as a most dear lord whose soul I love more than this life of mine, and advise as one truly faithful to you both to your body and your soul, that you commit not this grave sin against ecclesiastical custom; and if you have already begun, that you desist alto gether. And I tell you that you must needs greatly fear lest money so obtained (not to mention how much it injures the soul) should, when you come to spend it, less avail than it will afterwards injure, your earthly affairs. Lastly, you know that in Normandy you received me into your peace, and restored to me my archbishopric; and that the notice and punishment of such offences chiefly pertains to the archbishop, for I am bishop rather for spiritual oversight than for temporal possession. May Almighty God in this and all your other actions so direct your heart according to His will, as that after this life He may guide you to His glory.