I See And Hear Daily That

This passage comes from Henry VIII's final major speech to Parliament in November 1545, in which he rebuked the clergy for preaching divisively and failing to practice the charity they urged on others. By this point the English Reformation had produced a cacophony of competing theological positions — Protestant reformers, conservative Catholics, and various positions in between — all claiming scriptural authority. Henry's frustration reflects the inherent contradiction of his position: he had broken with Rome to establish himself as arbiter of doctrine, but the resulting fragmentation of religious authority proved impossible to control.