ALthough my Chauncellor for the time being, hath before this time used very eloquent­ly and substantially to make an­swer to such Orations as have beene set forth in this high Court of Parliament, yet is hee not so able to open and set forth my minde and meaning, and the secrets of my heart in so plain and ample manner as I my selfe am and can doe.

Wherefore I taking upon me to answer your elo­quent Oration Mr. Speaker, say that where you in the name of our welbeloved Commons, hath both praised and extolled me for the notable qualities that you have conceived to be in me, I most hearti­ly thanke you all that you have put me in remem­brance of my duty, which is to endeavour my selfe to obtaine and get such excellent qualities, and ne­cessary vertues as a Prince or Governour should or [Page] ought to have, of which gifts I recognize my selfe both bare and barren, but of such small qualities as God hath endowed mee withall, I render to his goodnesse my most humble thankes, intending with all my wit and diligence to get and acquire to me such Noble Vertues and Princely Qualities as you have alledged to be incorporate in my person.

These thanks for your loving admonition and good counsell first remembred, I eftsoones thanke you again, because that you considering Our great charges (not for Our pleasure, but for your defence, 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 fortresse which was to this Realme most displesant and noy­some, and shall be by Gods grace hereafter to our Nation most profitable and pleasant, have freely of your owne mindes granted to Us a certaine Subsidy here in an Act specified, which verily wee take in good part, regarding more your kindnesse then the profit thereof, as he that setteth more by your loving hearts, then by your substance.

Besides this hearty kindnesse I can not a little re­joice when I consider the perfect trust & sure confi­dence which you have put in me, as men having un­doubted hope, and unfained beliefe in my good do­ings, and just proceedings for you, without any de­sire or request, have committed to mine order and disposition all Chauntreyes, Colledges, Hospitalls, and other places specified in a certaine Act, firme­ly trusting that I will order them to the glory of [Page] God, and the profit of the Common wealth.

Surely if I contrary to your expectation, should suffer the Ministers of the Church to decay, or lear­ning (which is so great a jewell) to bee minished, or poore and miserable people to be unrelieved, you might say that I being put in so speciall a trust as I am in this case, were no trusty friend to you, nor charitable man to any poore Christian, neither a lo­ver of the Publicke-wealth, nor yet one that feared God, to whom account must bee rendred of all our doings. Doubt not I pray you, but your expectati­on shall be served more godly and goodly then you will wish or desire as hereafter you shall plainly perceive.

Now sithence I finde such kindnesse on your part otward me, I cannot chuse but love and favour you, affirming that no Prince in the world more favou­reth his subjects then I doe you, nor no Subjects or Commons more love and obey their Soveraigne Lord then I perceive you doe me, for whose de­fence my treasure shal not be hidden, nor if necessity require my person shall not be unadventured: yet although I with you, and you with me, bee in this perfect love and concord, this friendly amity can­not continue, except you my Lords Temporall, and you my Lords Spirituall, and you my loving Sub­jects study and take paines to amend one thing which surely is amisse, 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.

[Page] Saint Paul saith in the Corinthians and in the 13. Chaper, Charity is gentle, Charity is not envious, Charity is not proud, and so forth in the said Chap­ter: Behold then what charity and love is amongst you when one calleth the other Heretick and Ana­baptist, and hee calleth him againe Papist, Hypo­crite and Pharisee, bee these tokens of charity a­mongst you? Are these signes of fraternall love between you? No, no, I assure you that this lack of charity among your selves, will be the hindrance and asswaging of the fervent love betweene us, as I said before, except this wound be salved and cleer­ly made whole.

I must needs judge the fault and occasion of this discord to bee 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 carnall person, if I see a man boast and brag himselfe, 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, inveigh one against another without cha­rity or discretion. Some bee so stiffe in their old Mumpsimus, others be so busie and envious in their new Sumpsimus. Thus all men almost be in variety and discord, and few or none preach truly & sincere­ly the word of God according as they ought to do.

Shall I judge you charitable persons doing thus? No, no, I cannot doe so; alas how can the poore soules live in concord, when you Preachers sow a­mongst them in your Sermons debate and discord? [Page] Of you they looke for light, and you bring them to darkenesse. Amend these crimes I exhort you, and set forth Gods 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 Spirituall men be in some fault, that charity is not kept amongst you, yet you of the Temporality be not cleane and unspotted of malice and envy, for you raile on Bishops, speake slande­rously of Priests, and rebuke and taunt Preachers, both contray 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 Councell, or to us, to whom is committed by God the high authority to reforme and order such causes and behaviours, and be not judges your selves of your owne phantasticall opi­nions, and vaine expositions, for in such high causes ye may lightly erre.

And although you bee permitted to read holy Scripture, and to have the word of God in your mo­ther tongue, you must understand that it is licenced you so to doe, onely to enforme your owne consci­ence, and to instruct your children and family, and not to dispute and make Scripture a railing and taunting stocke against Priests and Preachers (as many light persons doe) I am very sory to know and heare how unreverently that most pretious je­well [Page] the word of God is disputed, rimed, sung and jangled in every Alehouse and Taverne, 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 lesse used, nor God himselfe amongst Chri­stians was never lesse reverenced, honoured and ser­ved. Therefore as I said before, be in charity one with another, like brother and brother; love, dread and feare God, (to the which I as your supreame head and Soveraigne 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 to the making of Lawes which bee 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 vaine, and your Common-wealth nothing relieved. Now to your Petition concer­ning our Royall Assent to be given to such Acts as have passed both Houses: They shall be read open­ly that ye may hear them. Then were they openly read, and to many his Grace assented, and diver he assented not unto. This the Kings Oration was to his Subjects there present such comfort, that the like joy could not bee unto them in this world. And thus the Acts made as the manner is, and his Assent given, his Grace rose and departed.