You have more than satisfied all our expectations, brethren, by electing a prolocutor whom we know to be well-endowed with the gifts of nature, fully embued with the Christian faith, cultured, educated and serious, and therefore worthy indeed to be honoured by another famous man, with the very compliments which apply to them both. I therefore freely grant to you the referendary whom you have asked for, and let us direct our minds together to those matters which lie behind today's celebration. Unsuited as I am to the task, yet mindful of my duty, I shall try my best to expound them to you in Latin (for such is the custom, I suppose in order to prevent the inexpert from hearing). There will be no elegance in my speech; if I make the attempt after a lapse of forty years or more, I shall not succeed, and so I shall limit myself to simple and familiar language, praying God that what comes out of my heart may enter into yours and bear fruit there. For I am not after any kind of applause, not even yours. My only concern is that I might share with you, if I can, something which will make us wiser and better, and that we may be found faithful and useful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ in that great day.

We meet together, fathers and brethren, ready to labour for the true religion and for good manners, for that is all that is required of us. Since no business has been transacted for a long time now, intelligent people keep asking why we gather together here, with such laughable solemnity (for so they regard it), when we have been given nothing, and will be given nothing to do. Allow me, I pray, to make some reply to this complaint, which is all too prevalent, before I go on to other matters.

Do such people think it right to belittle the fact that this sacred synod is grounded in the same very ancient law as the house of lords and the house of commons, and that we appear because we have been summoned by order of our most excellent prince?