uld be too long to entreat how the children of
light are engendered, and how they come in at the door; and how the
children of the world be engendered, and come in another way. Howbeit, I
think all you that be here were not engendered after one generation,
neither that ye all came by your promotions after one manner: God grant
that ye, engendered worldly, do not engender worldly: and as now I much
pass not how ye were engendered, or by what means ye were promoted to
those dignities that ye now occupy, so it be honest, good and profitable,
that ye in this your consultation shall do and engender.

The end of your convocation shall shew what ye have done; the fruit that
shall come of your consultation shall shew what generation ye be of. For
what have ye done hitherto, I pray you, these seven years and more? What
have ye engendered? What have ye brought forth? What fruit is come of
your long and great assembly? What one thing that the people of England
hath been the better of a hair; or you yourselves, either more accepted
before God, or better discharged toward the people committed unto your
cure? For that the people is better learned and taught now, than they
were in time past, to whether of these ought we to attribute it, to your
industry, or to the providence of God, and the foreseeing of the king's
grace! Ought we to thank you, or the king's highness? Whether stirred
other first, you the king, that he might preach, or he you by his
letters, that ye should preach oftener? Is it unknown, think you, how
both ye and your curates were, in [a] manner, by violence enforced to let
books to be made, not by you, but by profane and lay persons; to let
them, I say, be sold abroad, and read for the instruction of the people?
I am bold with you, but I speak Latin and not English, to the clergy, not
to the laity; I speak to you being present, and not behind your backs.
God is my witness, I speak whatsoever is spoken of the good-will that I
bear you; God is my witness, which knoweth my heart, and compelleth me to
say that I say.

Now, I pray you in God's name, what did you, so great fathers, so many,
so long a season, so oft assembled together? What went you about? What
would ye have brought to pass? Two things taken away--the one, that ye
(which I heard) burned a dead man; the other, that ye (which I felt) went
about to burn one being alive: him, because he did, I cannot tell how, in
his testament withstand your profit;