+Source.+--Edward Hall's _Henry VIII_.
Although my Chancellor for the time being, hath before this time used,
very eloquently and substantially, to make answer to such orations, as
hath been set forth in this high court of Parliament, yet is he not so
able to open and set forth my mind and meaning, and the secrets of my
heart, in so plain and ample manner, as I myself am and can do;
wherefor I taking upon me to answer your eloquent oration, Master
Speaker, say, that where you, in the name of our well-beloved Commons
hath both praised and extolled me, for the notable qualities that you
have conceived to be in me, I most heartily thank you all, that you
have put me in remembrance of my duty, which is to endeavour myself to
obtain and get such excellent qualities, and necessary virtues, as a
Prince or Governor, should or ought to have, of which gifts I
recognize myself both bare and barren; but of such small qualities as
God hath endued me withal, I render to his goodness my most humble
thanks, intending with all my wit and diligence, to get and acquire to
me such notable virtues and princely qualities as you have alleged to
be incorporate in my person. These thanks for your loving admonition
and good counsel first remembered, eftsoons thank you again, because
that you, considering our great charges (not for our pleasure, but for
your defences, not for our gain, but to our great cost), which we have
lately sustained, as well in defence of our and your enemies, as for
the conquest of that fortress, which was to this realm, most
displeasant and noisome, and shall be by God's grace hereafter, to our
nation most profitable and pleasant, have freely of your own mind,
granted to us a certain subsidy specified in a certain act, which
verily we take in good part, regarding more your kindness, than the
profit thereof, as he that setteth more by your loving hearts, than by
your substance. Besides this hearty kindness, I cannot a little
rejoice when I consider the perfect trust and sure confidence which
you have put in me, as men having undoubted hope and unfeigned belief
in my good doings and just proceedings for you, without my desire or
request, have committed to mine order and disposition, all Chantries,
Colleges, Hospitals, and other places specified in a certain act,
firmly trusting that I will order them to the glory of God, and the
profit of the commonwealth. Surely if I contrary to your expectation,
should suffer the ministers of the Church to decay, or learning (which
is so great a jewel) to be ministered, or poor and miserable people to
be unrelieved, you might say that I being put in so special a trust,
as I am in this case, were no trusty friend to you, nor charitable man
to mine even Christian,[70] neither a lover of the public wealth, nor
yet one that feared God, to whom account must be rendered of all our
doings. Doubt not I pray you, but your expectation shall be served,
more godly and goodly than you will wish or desire, as hereafter you
shall plainly perceive.
Now sithence I find such kindness on your part towards me, I can not
chose but love and favour you, affirming that no prince in the world
more favoureth his subjects, than I do you, nor no subjects or commons
more, love and obey, their sovereign lord, than I perceive you do me,
for whose defence my treasure shall not be hidden, nor yf necessity
require my person shall not be unadventured; yet although I with you,
and you with me, be in this perfect love and concord, this friendly
amity can not continue, except both you my lords temporal, and you my
lords spiritual, and you my loving subjects, study and take pain to
amend one thing, which surely is amiss, and far out of order, to the
which I most heartily require you, which is, that charity and concord
is not amongst you, but discord and dissention beareth rule in every
place. S. Paul saith to the Corinthians, in the xiii Chapter, Charity
is gentle, Charity is not envious, Charity is not proud, and so forth,
in the said Chapter: Behold then what love and Charity is amongst you,
when the one calleth the other Heretic and Anabaptist, and he calleth
him again Papist, Hypocrit and Pharisee. Be these tokens of charity
amongst you? Are these the signs of fraternal love between you? No,
no, I assure you, that this lack of charity among yourselves, will be
the hindrance and assuaging of the fervent love between us, as I said
before; except this wound be salved, and clearly made whole, I must
needs judge the fault and occasion of this discord to be partly by
negligence of you the fathers and preachers of the spirituality. If I
see a man boast and bragg himself, I cannot but deem him a proud man.
I see and hear daily that you of the clergy preach one against
another, teach one contrary to another, inveigh one against another
without charity or discretion. Some be too stiff in their old
Mumpsimus, others be too busy and curious in their new Sumpsimus. Thus
all men almost be in variety and discord, and few or none preach truly
and sincerely the word of God, according as they ought to do. Shall I
now judge you charitable persons doing this? No, no, I cannot so do:
alas, how can the poor souls live in concord when you preachers sow
amongst them in your sermons debate and discord? Or if they look for
light, and you bring them to darkness? Amend these crimes I exhort
you, and set forth God's word, both by true preaching, and good
example giving, or else I whom God hath appointed his Vicar, and high
minister here, will see these divisions extinct, and these enormities
corrected, according to my very duty, or else I am an unprofitable
servant, and untrue officer.
Although as I say, the spiritual men be in some fault, that charity is
not kept amongst you, yet you of the temporality be not clean and
unspotted of malice and envy, for you rail on Bishops, speak
slanderously of Priests, and rebuke and taunt Preachers, both contrary
to good order and Christian fraternity. If you know surely that a
bishop or preacher erreth or teacheth perverse doctrine, come and
declare it to some of our Council or to us, to whom is committed by
God the high authority to reform and order such causes and behaviours,
and be not judges yourselves, of your own phantastical opinions, and
vain exposicions, for in such high causes ye may lightly err. And all
though you be permitted to read holy scripture, and to have the word
of God in your mother tongue, you must understand that it is licensed
you so to do, only to inform your own conscience, and to instruct your
children and family, and not to dispute and make scripture a railing
and a taunting stock, against Priests and Preachers (as many light
persons do). I am very sorry to know and hear, how unreverently that
most precious jewel the word of God is disputed, rhymed, sung and
jangled in every Alehouse and Tavern, contrary to the true meaning and
doctrine of the same. And yet I am even as much sorry that the readers
of the same follow it in doing so faintly and coldly; for of this I am
sure, that Charity was never so faint amongst you, and vertuous and
Godly living was never less used, nor God himself amongst Christians
was never less reverenced, honoured or served. Therefore, as I said
before, be in Charity one with another, like brother and brother,
love, dread and serve God (to the which I as your supreme head, and
sovereign lord, exhort and require you) and then I doubt not but that
love and league that I spake of in the beginning shall never be
dissolved or broken between us. And the making of laws, which be now
made and concluded, I exhort, you the makers, to be as diligent in
putting them in execution, as you were in making and furthering the
same, or else your labour shall be in vain, and your commonwealth
nothing relieved. Now to your petition, concerning our royal assent to
be given to such acts as passed both the houses. They shall be read
openly, and ye may hear them.
[Footnote 70: = my fellow Christian.]