A SPEECH MADE BY KING HENRY THE 8 th'.  
To the House of COMMONS the 23. of December, 1546. And in the 38. year of his Reign.  
LONDON; Printed for Edward Blackmore, at the sign of the Angel in Paul's Churchyard. 1642   

A SPEECH MADE BY KING HENRY THE 8 th'.  
To the House of COMMONS the 23. of December, 1546. and in the 38. year of his Reign.  
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 & ample a manner, as I myself am, and can do: wherefore I taking upon me to answer your eloquent Oration Mr. Speaker, say that where you, in the name of our beloved Commons, have both praised and extolled me, for the notable quality that you have conceived to be in me, I most hearty 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, and aught to have, of which gifts I recognise 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 withal my wit and diligence, to get and acquire to me such notable virtues, and princely qualities, as you have alleged to be incorporated in my person: these thanks for your loving admonition and good counsel first remembered, I eftsoons thank you again, because that you considering our great charge, not for our pleasure, but for our defence, nor for our gain, but to our great cost, which we have lately sustained, as well in defence of your and our 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 minds granted to us a certain subsidy here in an act specified, which verily we take in good part, regarding more your kindness, than the profit thereof; as he that setteth more by your loving hearts then by your substance: Besides, this hearty kindness I cannot a little rejoice, when I consider the perfect trust, and confidence, which you have put in me, as men having undoubted hope, and unfeigned belief in my good do, and just proceed for you, without my desire or request, have committed to mine order and dispositions, 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 minished, or poor and miserable to be unreleeved, 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 to mine, even Christian, neither a Lover of the public wealth, nor yet one that feared God, to whom account must be rendered of all our do; 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, since I find such kindness on your part towards me; I cannot choose, but love and favour you; affirming, that no Prince in the world more favoureth his subjects then I do you, nor no subjects, or Commons more loved and obeyed their Sovereign Lord, than I perceive you do me; for whose defence my treasure shall not be hidden, nor if necessity require my person shall not be unadventured; yet although I wish you, and you wish me to be in this perfect love and concord: This friendly amity cannot continue, except both you my Lords Temporal, and my Lords Spiritual; and you my loving subjects study and take pains to amend one thing, which surely is amiss, and fare out of order (to which I must hearty require you, which is that Charity and Concord is not among you, but disorder and dissension beareth rule in every place. Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians, in the 13. ch. 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 among you, when the one calleth another Heretic, and Anabaptist, and he calleth him again Papist, Hypocrite, and Pharisee; be these tokens of Charity amongst you, are these signs of fraternate love between you, no, no, I assure you that this lack of Charity amongst 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; for if I know a man which liveth in Adultery, I must judge him a lecherous, and a carnal person, if I see a man boast and brag himself, I cannot but deem him a proud man: I see here daily that you of the Clergy preach one against another, teach one contrary to another, envy one against another without Charity or discretion; some be too stiff in their old Mumpsimus, other be too usie and curious in their new Sumpsimus: Thus all men almost be in variety and discord, and few or not preaching truly and sincerely the word of God, according as they ought to do, shall judge you charitable persons doing this; no, no, I cannot so do: alas, how can the poor souls live in concord's, when you Preachers sow amongst them in your Sermons debate and discord: of you they look for light, and you bring them to darkness. Amend these crimes I exhort you, and set out 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 an untrue Officer: although I say the spiritual men be in some fault, that Charity is not kept amongst you, yet you of the temporality be not clear & unspotted of malice and envy, for you rail on Bishops, speak scandalously 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 fantastic opinions, and vain expositions: for in such high causes you may lightly err; and although you be permitted to read Holy Scripture, and to have the word of God in your mother tongue, you must understand it is licenced you so to do, only to inform your own consciences, and instruct your children and family, and not to dispute and make Scripture a railing and taunting stock against Priest 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 it so faintly, and coldly; for of this I am sure that Charity was never so faint amongst you, and virtuous 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 fear God, to the which I as your suprem Head, and Sovereign Lord exhort and require you, and then I doubt not but that love and league that I speak of in the beginning shall never be discouraged, or broken between us, ne to the making of Laws which we have 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 of 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 hath passed both the Houses; they shall be read openly, that ye may hear them.  
FINIS.