A.D. 1281. A COUNCIL HELD AT LAMBETH. proper to summon all the inferior prelates of oar province whom the holy canons order to be present at all discussions o f councils, and among the rest, especially those eminent persans of religious holiness, the abbots and priors, not only those who are subject to the episcopal authority, according to the order of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, but others also who are exempt from obedience to the bishops, in consideration of those churches which are not so exempt, and which, by permission of the Lord, they have occupied and retain for their own uses, hoping that we, who were consulting no object but the honour of God, and the general advantage of the Anglican church, should be assisted by their authority, guided by their counsels, and benefitted by the merits of their sanctity. Bui the exempt persons separating themselves as free like àie foals o f wild asses, and not in the least sympathising, or at all events, in a very slight degree, with the distresses of their holy mother, whose bowels many of them rather oppress than honour, as if in effect, or rather through their defect, they wished to prove that prophetic saying of John, in the Apocalypse, to be spoken of them, 'Cast out of doors the halt which is without the temple, and do not measure it, nor suffer it to hear the roaring of the hinds that bring forth their young/ They neither condescended to come to this council in its anxiety to be the counsellors and comforters of their mother the church, like children who belong not to her, halting in the way, but, that their excessive arrogance might not in any respect come short of its presumptions, they would not even condescend to send procurators to excuse their absence, despising that most reverend college, and in some degree imitating Hagar, who despised her illustrious mistress, seeing that she had conceived the son of division ; in the same way too, when formerly the soldiers and servants of God were in distress, and were gloriously exposing themselves to peril, thè Reubenites separated themselves from those who were fighting, and remained quiet within their own borders, delighted with the keeping of the flocks. But we, wishing to correct such audacious and presumptuous ingratitude according to the rules of law and right, and knowing, according to the saying of the Saviour, that those are against us who disdain to be with us; at the same time forbearing severe measures as far as possible, which if we chose we might canonically exercise against all despisers of this kind, do hereby, in virtue