that when the Contention began about Images how of Six Christian Emperors who were the chief Magistrates by Gods Law to be obeyed only one which was Theodosius who Reigned but one year held with Images All the other Emperors and all the Learned Men and Bishops of the East Church and that in assembled Councils condemned them besides the two Emperors before mentioned Valens and Theodosius the Second who were long before these times who strictly forbad that any Images should be made And universally after this time all the Emperors of Greece only Theodosius excepted destroyed continually all Images Now on the contrary part note ye that the Bishops of Rome being no ordinary Magistrates appointed of God out of their Diocess but Usurpers of Princes Authority contrary to Gods Word were the Maintainers of Images against Gods Word and Stirrers up of Sedition and Rebellion and Workers of continual Treason against their Sovereign Lords contrary to Gods Law and the Ordinances of all Human Laws being not only Enemies to God but also Rebels and Traytors against their Princes These be the first bringers in of Images openly into Churches These be the maintainers of them in the Churches and these be the means whereby they have maintained them To wit Conspiracy Treason and Rebellion against God and their Princes Now to proceed in the History most worthy to be known In the Nonage of Constantine the Sixth the Empress Irene his Mother in whose Hands the Regiment of the Empire remained was governed much by the advice of Theodore Bishop and Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople who practised and held with the Bishop of Rome in maintaining of Images most earnestly By whose Counsel and intreaty the Empress first most wickedly digged up the Body of her Father in Law Constantine the Fifth and commanded it to be openly burned and the Ashes to be thrown into the Sea Which Example as the constant report goeth had like to have been put in practice with Princes Corses in our days had the Authority of the Holy Father continued but a little longer The cause why the Empress Irene thus used her Father in Law was for that he when he was alive had destroyed Images and had taken away the sumptuous Ornaments of Churches saying That Christ whose Temples they were allowed Poverty and not Pearls and precious Stones Afterward the said Irene at the persuasion of Adrian Bishop of Rome and Paul the Patriarch of Constantinople and his Successor Tharasius assembled a Council of the Bishops of Asia and Greece at the City Nicea where the Bishop of Rome's Legates being Presidents of the Council and ordering all things as they listed the Council which was assembled before under the Emperor Constantine the Fifth and had decreed that all Images should be destroyed was Condemned as an Heretical Council and Assembly And a Decree was made That Images should be put up in all the Churches of Greece and that Honour and Worship also should be given unto the said Images And so the Empress sparing no diligence in setting up of Images A Decree that Images should be Worshipped nor cost in decking them in all Churches made Constantinople within a short time altogether like Rome itself And now you may see that come to pass which Bishop Serenus feared and Gregory the First forbad in vain to wit that Images should in no wise be Worshipped For now not only the Simple and Unwise unto whom Images as the Scriptures teach be specially a snare but the Bishops and Learned Men also fall to Idolatry by occasion of Images yea and make Decrees and Laws for the maintenance of the same So hard is it and indeed impossible any long time to have Images publickly in Churches and Temples without Idolatry as by the space of little more than One Hundred years betwixt Gregory the First forbidding most strictly the Worshipping of Images and Gregory the Third Paul and Leo the Third Bishops of Rome with this Council Commanding and Decreeing that Images should be Worshipped most evidently appeareth Now when Constantine the young Emperor came to the Age of Twenty years he was daily in less and less estimation For such as were about his Mother persuaded her that it was Gods Determination that she should Reign alone and not her Son with her The Ambitious Woman believing the same deprived her Son of all Imperial Dignity and compelled all the Men of War with their Captains to Swear to her that they would not suffer her Son Constantine to Reign during her Life With which Indignity the young Prince being moved recovered the Regimen of the Empire unto himself by force and being brought up in true Religion in his Father's time seeing the Superstition of his Mother Irene and the Idolatry committed by Images cast down brake and burned all the Idols and Images that his Mother had set up But within a few years after Irene the Empress taken again into her Son's Favour after she had persuaded him to put out Nicephorus his Uncle's Eyes and to cut out the Tongues of his four other Uncles and to forsake his Wife and by such means to bring him into hatred with all his Subjects now further to declare that she was no Changeling but the same Woman that had before digged up and burned her Father-in-Law's Body and that she would be as natural a Mother as she had been a kind Daughter seeing the Images which she loved so well and had with so great cost set up daily destroyed by her own Son the Emperor by the help of certain good Companions deprived her Son of the Empire And first like a kind and loving Mother put out both his Eyes and laid him in Prison where after long and many Torments she at the last most cruelly slew him In this History joined to Eutropius it is written That the Sun was darkned by the space of xvij days most strangely and dreadfully and that all Men said that for the horribleness of that cruel and unnatural Fact of Irene and the putting out of the Emperor's Eyes the Sun had lost his light But indeed God would signifie by the darkness of the Sun into what darkness and blindness of Ignorance and Idolatry Christendom should fall by the occasion of Images The bright Sun of his eternal Truth and light of his Holy Word by the mists and black Clouds of Mens Traditions being blemished and darkned as by sundry most terrible Earthquakes that happened about the same time God signified that the quiet estate of true Religion should by such Idolatry be most horribly tossed and turmoiled And here may you see what a gracious and virtuous Lady this Irene was how loving a Neece to her Husband's Uncles how kind a Mother-in-Law to her Son's Wife how loving a Daughter to her Father-in-Law how natural a Mother to her own Son and what a stout and valiant Captain the Bishops of Rome had of her for the setting up and maintenance of their Idols or Images Surely they could
of the West would not acknowledg for their Emperor for they had already created them another And so there became two Emperors And the Empire which was before one was divided into two Parts upon occasion of Idols and Images and the worshipping of them Even as the Kingdom of the Israelites was in old time for the like cause of Idolatry divided in King Rehoboham's time And so the Bishop of Rome having the Favour of Charles the Great by this means assured to him was wondrously enhanced in Power and Authority and did in all the West Church especially in Italy what he list where Images were set up garnished and worshipped of all sorts of Men But Images were not so fast set up and so much honoured in Italy and the West but Nicephorus Emperor of Constantinople and his Successors Scauratius the two Michaels Leo Or Staurtius Theophorus and other Emperors their Successors in the Empire of Greece continually pulled them down brake them burned them and destroyed them as fast And when Theodorus the Emperor would at the Council of Lyons have agreed with the Bishop of Rome and have set up Images He was by the Nobles of the Empire of Greece deprived and another chosen in his place and so rose a jealousie suspicion grudge hatred and enmity between the Christians and Empires of the East Countries and West which could never be quenched nor pacified So that when the Sarazens first and afterward the Turks invaded the Christians the one part of Christendom would not help the other By reason whereof at the last the Noble Empire of Greece and the City Imperial Constantinople was lost and is come into the hands of the Infidels who now have overrun almost all Christendom and possessing past the middle of Hungary which is part of the West Empire do hang over all our heads to the utter danger of all Christendom Thus we see what a sea of mischiefs the maintenance of Images hath brought with it what an horrible Schism between the East and the West Church what an hatred between one Christian and another Councils agaist Councils Church against Church Christians against Christians Princes against Princes Rebellions Treasons unnatural and most cruel Murders the Daughter digging up and burning her Father the Emperor's Body the Mother for love of Idols most abominably murthering of her own Son being an Emperor at the last the tearing in sunder of Christendom and the Empire into two pieces till the Infidels Sarazens and Turks common Enemies to both parts have most cruelly vanquished destroyed and subdued the one part the whole Empire of Greece Asia the less Thracia Macedonia Epirus and many other great and goodly Countries and Provinces and have won a great piece of the other Empire and put the whole in dreadful fear and most horrible danger For it is not without a just and great cause to be dreaded lest as the Empire of Rome was even for the like cause of Images and the worshipping of them torn in pieces and divided as was for Idolatry the Kingdom of Israel in old time divided so like punishment as for the like offence fell upon the Jews will also light upon us that is lest the cruel Tyrant and Enemy of our Commonwealth and Religion the Turk by God's just vengeance should likewise partly Murder and partly lead away into Captivity us Christians as did the Assyrian and Babylonian Kings Murder and lead away the Israelites and lest the Empire of Rome and Christian Religion be so utteâ—ly brought under foot as was then the Kingdom of Israel and true Religion of God whereunto the matter already as I have declared shrewdly inclineth on our part the greater part of Christendom within less than three hundred years space being brought into Captivity and most miserable thraldom under the Turk and the Noble Empire of Greece clean everted Whereas if the Christians divided by these Image matters had holden together no Infidels and Miscreants could thus have prevailed against Christendom And all this mischief and misery which we have hitherto fallen into do we owe to our mighty gods of Gold and Silver Stock and Stone in whose help and defence where they cannot help themselves we have trusted so long until our enemies the Infidels have overcome and overrun us almost altogether A just reward for those that have left the mighty living God the Lord of Hosts and have stooped and given the Honour due to him to dead blocks and stocks who have Eies and see not Feet and cannot go and so forth and are cursed of God and all they that make them and that put their trust in them Thus you understand well-beloved in our Saviour Christ by the judgment of the old Learned and Godly Doctors of the Church and by ancient Histories Ecclesiastical agreeing to the verity of God's Word alledged out of the Old Testament and the New that Images and Image-worshipping were in the Primitive Church which was most pure and uncorrupt abhorred and detested as abominable and contrary to true Christian Religion And that when Images began to creep into the Church they were not only spoken and written against by Godly and Learned Bishops Doctors and Clerks but also condemned by whole Councils of Bishops and learned Men assembled together yea the said Images by many Christian Emperors and Bishops were defaced broken and destroyed and that above seven hundred and eight hundred years ago and that therefore it is not of late days as some would bear you in hand that Images and Image-worshipping have been spoken and written against Finally you have heard what mischief and misery hath by the occasion of the said Images fallen upon whole Christendom besides the loss of infinite Souls which is most horrible of all Wherefore let us beseech God that we being warned by his Holy Word forbidding all Idolatry and by the Writing of old Godly Doctors and Ecclesiastical Histories written and preserved by God's Ordinance for our admonition and warning may flee from all Idolatry and so escape the horrible punishment and plagues as well worldly as everlasting threatned for the same which God our Heavenly Father Grant us for our only Saviour and Mediator Jesus Christ's sake Amen The Third Part of the Homily against Images and the worshipping of them containing the confutation of the principal Arguments which are used to be made for the maintenance of Images Which part may serve to instruct the Curates themselves or Men of good understanding NOw ye have heard how plainly how vehemently and that in many places the Word of God speaketh against not only Idolatry and worshipping of Images but also against Idols and Images themselves I mean always thus herein in that we be stirred and provoked by them to worship them and not as though they were simply forbidden by the New Testament without such occasion and danger And ye have heard likewise out of Histories Ecclesiastical the beginning proceeding and success of Idolatry by Images and the
Christians and none other for that were to bind Gods People unto the yoke and burthen of Moses his Policy yea it were the very way to bring us which are set at liberty by the freedom of Christs Gospel into the bondage of the Law again which God forbid that any man should attempt or purpose But to this end it serveth to shew how far the order of Fasting now used in the Church at this day differeth from that which was then used Gods Church ought not neither may it be so tyed to that or any other Order now made or hereafter to be made and devised by the Authority of Man but that it may lawfully for just causes alter change or mitigate those Ecclesiastical Decrees and Orders yea recede wholly from them and break them when they tend either to Superstition or to Impiety when they draw the People from God rather than work any edification in them This Authority Christ himself used and left it to his Church He used it I say for the Order or Decree made by the Elders for washing oft times which was diligently observed of the Jews yet tending to Superstition our Saviour Christ altered and changed the same in his Church into a profitable Sacrament the Sacrament of our Regeneration or New Birth This Authority to mitigate Laws and Decrees Ecclesiastical the Apostles practised when they writing from Jerusalem unto the Congregation that was at Antioch Acts 15. signified unto them that they would not lay any further burthen upon them but these necessaries that is that they should abstain from things offered unto Idols from blood from that which is strangled and from fornication notwithstanding that Moses Law required many other observances This Authority to change the Orders Decrees and Constitutions of the Church was after the Apostles time used of the Fathers about the manner of Fasting as it appeareth in the Tripartite History Tripart hist l. 9. c. 38. where it is thus written Touching Fasting we find that it was diversly used in divers places by divers men For they at Rome fast three weeks together before Easter saving upon the Saturdays and Sundays which Fast they call Lent And after a few lines in the same place it followeth They have not all one uniform Order in Fasting For some do fast and abstain both from fish and flesh Some when they fast eat nothing but fish Others there are which when they Fast eat of all water-fowls as well as of fish grounding themselves upon Moses that such Fowls have their substance of the Water as the Fishes have Some others when they Fast will neither eat Herbs nor Eggs. Some fasters there are that eat nothing but dry bread Others when they Fast eat nothing at all no not so much as dry bread Some fast from all manner of food till Night and then eat without making any choice or difference of meats And a thousand such like divers kinds of Fasting may be found in divers places of the World of divers men diversly used Euseb lib. 5. cap. 24. And for all this great diversity in Fasting yet Charity the very true bond of Christian Peace was not broken neither did the diversity of Fasting break at any time their agreement and concord in Faith To abstain sometimes from certain meats not because the meats are evil but because they are not necessary this abstinence saith St. Augustine is not evil Dogma Ecclesiast c. 66. And to restrain the use of meats when necessity and time shall require this saith he doth properly pertain to Christian men Thus ye have heard good People first that Christian Subjects are bound even in Conscience to obey Princes Laws which are not repugnant to the Laws of God Ye have also heard that Christs Church is not so bound to observe any Order Law or Decree made by Man to prescribe a form in Religion but that the Church hath full Power and Authority from God to change and alter the same when need shall require which hath been shewed you by the example of our Saviour Christ by the practice of the Apostles and of the Fathers since that time Now shall be shewed briefly what time is meet for Fasting for all times serve not for all things but as the Wise man saith Eccles 3. All things have their times There is a time to weep and a time again to laugh a time to mourn and a time to rejoyce c. Our Saviour Christ excused his Disciples and reproved the Pharisees because they neither regarded the use of Fasting nor considered what time was meet for the same Which both he teacheth in his answer Mat. 9. saying The children of the marriage cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them Their question was of Fasting his answer is of Mourning signifying unto them plainly that the outward Fast of the Body is no Fast before God except it be accompanied with the inward Fast which is a mourning and a lamentation of the Heart as is before declared Concerning the time of Fasting he saith The days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them in those days they shall fast By this it is manifest that it is no time of Fasting while the Marriage lasteth and the Bridegroom is there present But when the Marriage is ended Luke 5. Mat. 6. and the Bridegroom gone then is it a meet time to Fast Now to make plain unto you what is the sense and meaning of these words We are at the marriage and again The bridegroom is taken from us Ye shall note that so long as God revealeth his mercy unto us and giveth us of his benefits either Spiritual or Corporal we are said to be with the Bridegroom at the Marriage So was that good Old Father Jacob at the Marriage when he understood that his Son Joseph was alive and Ruled all Egypt under King Pharaoh So was David in the Marriage with the Bridegroom when he had gotten the Victory of great Goliath and had smitten off his Head Judith and all the People of Bethulia were the Children of the Wedding and had the Bridegroom with them when God had by the Hand of a Woman slain Holofernes the grand Captain of the Assyrians Host and discomfited all their Enemies Thus were the Apostles the Children of the Marriage while Christ was corporally present with them and defended them from all dangers both spiritual and corporal But the Marriage is said then to be ended and the Bridegroom to be gone when Almighty God smiteth us with Affliction and seemeth to leave us in the midst of a number of Adversities So God sometimes striketh private men privately with sundry adversities as trouble of Mind loss of Friends loss of Goods long and dangerous Sicknesses c. then is it a fit time for that man to humble himself to Almighty God by Fasting and to mourn and bewail his sins with a sorrowful heart and to Pray unfeignedly saying with the Prophet David Turn
them to beware of the subtil suggestions of such restless ambitious Persons and so to flee them that Rebellions though attempted by a few Ambitious through the lack of maintainance by any multitudes may speedily and easily without any great labor danger or damage be re-ressed and clearly extinguished It is well known as well by all Histories as by daily Experience that none have either more ambitiously aspired above Emperors Kings and Princes nor have more perniciously moved the ignorant People to Rebellion against their Princes than certain Persons which falsly challenge to themselves to be only counted and called Spiritual I must therefore here yet once again briefly put you good People in remembrance out of Gods holy Word how our Saviour Jesus Christ and his holy Apostles the Heads and chief of all true Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Men behaved themselves towards the Princes and Rulers of their time though not the best Governors that ever were that you be not ignorant whether they be the true Disciples and followers of Christ and his Apostles and so true spiritual Men that either by Ambition do so highly aspire or do most maliciously teach or most perniciously do execute Rebellion against their lawful Princes being the worst of all carnal Works and mischievous Deeds Mat. 17. d. 25. Mark 12. b. 14. Luke 20. d. 25. Mat. 27. Luke 23. Rom. 13. a. 1 c. 1 Tim. 2. a. 1. 1 Pet. 2. c. 13. John 6. b. 15. and 18. f. 36. Mat. 20. d. 25. Mark 10. f. 42. Luke 22. c. 25. Mat. 23. a. 8. Luke 9. f. 46. 2 Cor. 1. d. 24. 1 Pet. 5. a 3. Mat. 18. a. 4. 20. d. 28. Luke 9. f. 48. 22. c. 27. Sex decre lib. 3. tit 16. cap. unic lib. 5. tit 9. cap. 5. iâ— glossa The holy Scriptures do teach most expresly that our Saviour Christ himself and his Apostles St. Paul St. Peter with others were unto the Magistrates and higher Powers which ruled at their being upon the Earth both obedient themselves and did also diligently and earnestly exhort all other Christians to the like obedience unto their Princes and Governors whereby it is evident that Men of the Clergy and Ecclesiastical Ministers as their Successors ought both themselves specially and before other to be obedient unto their Princes and also to exhort all others unto the same Our Saviour Christ likewise teaching by his Doctrin that his Kingdom was not of this World did by his Example in fleeing from those that would have made him King confirm the same expresly also forbidding his Apostles and by them the whole Clergy all Princely Dominion over People and Nations and he and his holy Apostles likewise namely Peter and Paul did forbid unto all Ecclesiastical Ministers dominion over the Church of Christ And indeed whiles the Ecclesiastical Ministers continued in Christs Church in that order that is in Christs Word prescribed unto them and in Christian Kingdoms kept themselves obedient to their own Princes as the Holy Scripture doth teach them both was Christs Church more clear from ambitious Emulations and Contentions and the State of Christian Kingdoms less subject unto Tumults and Rebellions But after that Ambition and desire of Dominion entred once into Ecclesiastical Ministers whose greatness after the Doctrin and Example of our Saviour should chiefly stand in humbling themselves and that the Bishop of Rome being by the order of Gods Word none other than the Bishop of that one See and Diocess and never yet well able to govern the same did by intolerable Ambition challenge not only to he the Head of all the Church dispersed throughout the World but also to be Lord of all Kingdoms of the World as is expresly set forth in the Book of his own Canon Laws most contrary to the Doctrin and Example of our Saviour Christ whose Vicar and of his Apostles namely Peter whose Successor he pretendeth to be After this Ambition entred and his Challenge once made by the Bishop of Rome he became at once the spoiler and destroyer both of the Church which is the Kingdom of our Saviour Christ and of the Christian Empire and all Christian Kingdoms as an Universal Tyrant over all And whereas before that Challenge made there was great amity and love amongst the Christians of all Countries hereupon began Emulation and much Hatred between the Bishop of Rome and his Clergy and Friends on the one part and the Grecian Clergy and Christians of the East on the other part for that they refused to acknowledge any such Supream Authority of the Bishop of Rome over them The Bishop of Rome for this cause amongst other not only naming them and taking them for Schismatics but also never ceasing to persecute them and the Emperors who had their See and continuance in Greece by stirring of the Subjects to Rebellion against their Sovereign Lords and by raising deadly hatred and most cruel Wars between them and other Christian Princes And when the Bishops of Rome had translated the Title of the Emperor and as much as in them did lie the Empire it self from their Lord the Emperor of of Greece and of Rome also by right unto the Christian Princes of the West they became in short space no better unto the West Emperors than they were before unto the Emperors of Greece for the usual discharging of Subjects from their Oath of Fidelity made unto the Emperors of the West their Sovereign Lords by the Bishops of Rome the unnatural stirring up of the Subjects unto Rebellion against their Princes yea of the Son against the Father by the Bishop of Rome the most cruel and bloody Wars raised amongst Christian Princes of all Kingdoms the horrible murder of infinite thousands of Christian Men being slain by Christians and which ensued thereupon the pitiful losses of so many goodly Cities Countries Dominions and Kingdoms sometime possessed by Christians in Asia Africa Europe the miserable fall of the Empire and Church of Greece sometime the most flourishing part of Christendom into the hands of the Turks the lamentable diminishing decay and ruin of Christian Religion the dreadful increase of Paganism and Power of the Infidels and Miscreants and all by the practice and procurement of the Bishop of Rome chiefly is in the Histories and Chronicles written by the Bishop of Romes own Favorers and Friends to be seen and as well known unto all such as are acquainted with the said Histories The ambitious intents and most subtil drifts of the Bishops of Rome in these their Practices appeared evidently by their bold attempt in spoiling and robbing the Emperors of their Towns Cities Dominions and Kingdoms in Italy Lombardy and Sicily of ancient right belonging to the Empire and by joyning of them unto their Bishoprick of Rome or else giving them unto strangers to hold them of the Church and Bishop of Rome as in capite and as of the chief Lords thereof in which tenure they hold the most part thereof
Lord's sight Holy Simeon after that he had his Hearts desire in seeing our Saviour that he ever longed for in his life he embraced and took him in his Arms and said Now Lord Luke 2. let me depart in peace for mine eies have beholden that Saviour which thou hast prepared for all Nations It is truth therefore that the death of the Righteous is called Peace and the benefit of the Lord as the Church saith in the name of the Righteous departed out of this World My soul Psal 116. turn thee to thy Rest for the Lord both been good to thee and rewarded thee And we see by Holy Scripture and other ancient Histories of Martyrs that the Holy Faithful and Righteous ever since Christ's Ascension or going up in their death did not doubt but that they went to Christ in Spirit which is our Life Health Wealth and Salvation Apoc. 14. John in his Holy Revelation saw an hundred forty and four thousand Virgins and Innocents of whom he said These follow the Lamb Jesu Christ wheresoever he goeth And shortly after in the same place he saith I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write happy and blessed are the dead which die in the Lord From henceforth surely saith the Spirit they shall rest from their pains and labours for their works do follow them So that then they shall reap with joy and comfort that which they sowed with labours and pains They that sow in the Spirit of the Spirit shall reap everlasting Life Let us therefore never be weary of well-doing for when the time of Reaping or Reward cometh we shall reap without any Weariness everlasting Joy Therefore while we have time as St. Paul exhorteth us Gal 6. Matth. 6. let us do good to all Men and not lay up our Treasure in Earth where Rust and Moths corrupt it which Rust as St. James saith shall bear Witness against us at the great day condemn us and shall like most burning Fire torment our Flesh Let us beware therefore as we tender our own Wealth that we be not in the number of those miserable covetous and wretched Men James 5. which St. James biddeth mâ—arn and lament for their greedy gathering and ungâ—dly keeping of Goods Let us be wise in time and learn to follow the wise Example of the wicked Steward Let us so wisely order our Goods and Possessions committed unto us here by God for a season that we may truly hear and obey this Commandment of our Saviour Christ Luke 16. I say unto you saith he make you Friends of the wicked Mammon that they may receive you into everlasting Tabernacles or Dwellings Riches be called wicked because the World abuseth them unto all Wickedness which are otherwise the good gifts of God and the Instruments whereby God's Servants do truly serve him in using of the same He commanded them not to make them rich Friends to get high Dignities and worldly Promotions to give great gifts to rich Men that have no need thereof but to make them Friends of poor and miserable Men unto whom whatsoever they give Christ taketh it as given to himself And to these Friends Christ in the Gospel giveth so great Honor and Preeminence that he saith They shall receive them that do good unto them into everlasting Houses Not that Men shall be our Rewarders for our well-doing but that Christ will reward us and and take it to be done unto himself whatsoever is done to such Friends Thus making poor Wretches our Friends we make our Saviour Christ our Friend whose Members they are Whose misery as he taketh for his own misery so their Relief Succor and Help he taketh for his Succor Relief and Help and will as much thank us and reward us for our goodness shewed to them as if he himself had received like Benefit at our hands as he witnesseth in the Gospel saying Matth 25. Whatsoever ye have done to any of these simple Persons which do believe in me that have you done to myself Therefore let us diligently foresee that our Faith and Hope which we have conceived in Almighty God and in our Saviour Christ wax not faint and that the love which we bear in hand to bear to him wax not cold But let us study daily and diligently to shew ourselves to be the true Honorers and Lovers of God by keeping of his Commandments by doing of good Deeds unto our needy Neighbours relieving by all means that we can their Poverty with our Abundance and Plenty their Ignorance with our Wisdom and Learning and comfort their Weakness with our Strength and Authority calling all Men back from evil-doing by godly Counsel and good Example persevering still in well-doing so long as we live So shall we not need to fear Death for any of those three Causes afore-mentioned nor yet for any other Cause that can be imagined But contrarily considering the manifold Sicknesses Troubles and Sorrows of this present Life the dangers of this perillous Pilgrimage and the great encumbrance which our Spirit hath by this sinful Flesh and frail Body subject to Death Considering also the manifold Sorrows and dangerous Deceits of this World on every side the intolerable Pride Covetousness and Lechery in time of Prosperity the impatient murmuring of them that be worldly in time of Adversity which cease not to withdraw and pluck us from God our Saviour Christ from our Life Wealth or everlasting Joy and Salvation Considering also the innumerable Assaults of our Ghostly Enemy the Devil with all his fiery Darts of Ambition Pride Lechery Vain-glory Envy Malice Detraction or Backbiting with other his innumerable Deceits 1 Pet. 5. Engines and Snares whereby he goeth busily about to catch all Men under his dominion ever like a roaring Lion by all means searching whom he may devour The faithful Christian-Man which considereth all these Miseries Perils and Incommodities whereunto he is subject so long as he here liveth upon Earth and on the other part considereth that blessed and comfortable state of the Heavenly life to come and the sweet condition of them that depart in the Lord how they are delivered from the continual encumbrances of their mortal and sinful Body from all the Malice Crafts and Deceits of this World from all the assaults of their Ghostly Enemy the Devil to live in peace rest and endless quietness to live in the fellowship of innumerable Angels and with the congregation of perfect and just Men as Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs and Confessors and finally unto the Presence of Almighty God and our Saviour Jesus Christ He that doth consider all these things and believeth them assuredly as they are to be believed even from the bottom of his Heart being established in God in this true Faith having a quiet Conscience in Christ a firm Hope and assured Trust in God's Mercy through the Merits of Jesu Christ to obtain this Quietness Rest and everlasting Joy shall not only be without
Wilt thou be without fear of the Power Do well then and so shalt thou be praised of the same for he is the Minister of God for thy wealth But and if thou do that which is evil then fear for he beareth not the Sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth evil Wherefore ye must needs obey not only for fear of vengeance but also because of conscience and even for this cause pay ye tribute for they are God's Ministers serving for the same purpose Here let us learn of St. Paul the chosen Vessel of God that all Persons having Souls he excepteth none nor exempteth none neither Priest Apostle nor Prophet saith St. Chrysostom do owe of bounden Duty and even in Conscience Obedience Submission and Subjection to the higher Powers which be set in autho ty by God forasmuch as they be God's Lieutenants God's Presidents God's Officers God's Commissioners God's Judges ordained of God himself of whom only they have all their Power and all their Authority And the same St. Paul threatneth no less pain than everlasting damnation to all disobedient persons to all resisters against this general and common Authority forasmuch as they resist not Man but God not Man's device and invention but God's Wisdom God's Order Power and Authority The Second Part of the Sermon of Obedience FOrasmuch as God hath created and disposed all things in a comly order we have been taught in the First Part of the Sermon concerning good Order and Obedience that we ought also in all Commonweals to observe and keep a due order and to be obedient to the Powers their Ordinances and Laws and that all Rulers are appointed of God for a goodly Order to be kept in the World And also how the Magistrates ought to learn how to Rule and Govern according to God's Laws And that all Subjects are bound to obey them as God's Ministers yea although they be evil not only for fear but also for Conscience sake And here good People let us all mark diligently that it is not lawful for Inferiors and Subjects in any case to resist and stand against the Superior Powers For S. Paul's words be plain that whosoever withstandeth shall get to themselves damnation for whosoever withstandeth withstandeth the Ordinance of God Our Saviour Christ himself and his Apostles received many and divers injuries of the unfaithful and wicked Men in Authority yet we never read that they or any of them caused any Sedition or Rebellion against Authority We read oft that they patiently suffered all troubles vexations slanders pangs and pains and death itself obediently without tumult or resistance They committed their Cause to him that judgeth righteously and prayed for their Enemies heartily and earnestly They knew that the Authority of the Powers was God's Ordinance and therefore both in their Words and Deeds they taught ever Obedience to it and never taught nor did the contrary The wicked Judge Pilate said to Christ Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power also to loose thee Jesus answered Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above Whereby Christ taught us plainly that even the wicked Rulers have their Power and Authority from God and therefore it is not lawful for their Subjects to withstand them although they abuse their Power Much less then is it lawful for Subjects to withstand their Godly and Christian Princes which do not abuse their Authority but use the same to God's Glory and to the Profit and Commodity of God's People 1. Pet. 2. The Holy Apostle Peter commandeth Servants to be obedient to their Masters not only if they be good and gentle but also if they be evil and froward Affirming that the Vocation and Calling of God's People is to be Patient and of the suffering side And there he bringeth in the Patience of our Saviour Christ to persuade Obedience to Governors yea although they be wicked and wrong-doers But let us now hear St. Peter himself speak for his words certifie best our Conscience thus he uttereth them in his first Epistle Servants 1 Pet. 2. obey your Masters with fear not only if they be good and gentle but also if they be froward For it is thank-worthy if a man for Conscience toward God endureth grief and suffer wrong undeserved For what praise is it when ye be beaten for your faults if ye take it patiently But when ye do well if you then suffer wrong and take it patiently then is there cause to have thank of God for hereunto verily were ye called For so did Christ suffer for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps All these be the very words of St. Peter 1 Kings 1â— 19 20. Holy David also teacheth us a good Lesson in this behalf who was many times most cruelly and wrongfully persecuted of King Saul and many times also put in jeopardy and danger of his Life by King Saul and his People yet he neither withstood neither used any force or violence against King Saul his mortal and deadly enemy but did ever to his Liege Lord and Master King Saul most true most diligent and most faithful Service Insomuch that when the Lord God had given King Saul into David's hands in his own Cave he would not hurt him when he might without all Bodily peril easily have slain him no he would not suffer one of his Servants once to lay their hand upon King Saul but prayed to God on this wise Lord keep me from doing that thing upon my Master the Lord 's Anointed keep me that I lay not my hand upon him seeing he is the Anointed of the Lord For as truly as the Lord liveth except the Lord smite him or except his day come or that he go down to War and perish in Battel the Lord be merciful unto me that I lay not my hands upon the Lords Anointed And that David might have killed his Enemy King Saul it is evidently proved in the first Book of the Kings both by the cutting off the lap of Saul's Garment and also by plain Confession of King Saul Also another time as is mentioned in the same Book when the most unmerciful and most unkind King Saul did persecute poor David God did again give Saul into David's hands by casting of King Saul and his whole Army into a dead sleep so that David and one Abisai with him came in the night into Saul's Host where Saul lay sleeping and his Spear stuck in the ground at his Head Then said Abisai unto David God hath delivered thine Enemy into thine hands at this time now therefore let me smite him once with my spear to the earth and I will not smite him again the second time meaning thereby to have killed him with one stroke and to have made him sure for ever And David answered and said to Abisai Destroy him not for who
the Quietness and Peace of the same And whereof cometh this Contention Strife and Variance but of Pride and Vain-glory Let us therefore humble ourselves under the mighty Hand of God 1 Pet. 5. Luk. 1. which hath promised to rest upon them that be humble and low in Spirit If we be good and quiet Christian Men let it appear in our Speech and Tongues If we have forsaken the Devil let us use no more Devilish Tongues He that hath been a railing Scolder now let him be a sober Counsellor He that hath been a malicious Slanderer now let him be a loving Comforter He that hath been a vain Railer now let him be a ghostly Teacher He that hath abused his Tongue in Cursing now let him use it in Blessing He that hath abused his Tongue in evil-speaking now let him use it in speaking well All Bitterness Anger Railing and Blasphemy let it be avoided from you If you may and if it be possible in no wise be angry But if you may not be clean void of this passion yet then so temper and bridle it that it stir you not to Contention and Brawling If you be provoked with evil-speaking arm yourself with Patience Lenity and Silence either speaking nothing or else being very soft meek and gentle in answering Overcome thine Adversary with Benefits and Gentleness And above all things keep Peace and Unity Be no Peace-breakers but Peace-makers And then there is no doubt but that God the Author of Comfort and Peace will grant us Peace of Conscience and such Concord and Agreement that with one Mouth and Mind we may glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be all Glory now and for ever AMEN HEreafter shall follow Sermons of Fasting Prayer Alms-Deeds of the Nativity Passion Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour Christ Of the due Receiving of his Blessed Body and Blood under the form of Bread and Wine Against Idleness against Gluttony and Drunkenness against Covetousness against Envy Ire and Malice with many other matters as well fruitful as necessary to the edifying of Christian People and the increase of Godly Living GOD Save the KING THE Second PART OF THE HOMILIES LONDON Printed for George Wells at the Sun Abel Swall at the Unicorn in St. Paul's Church-yard and George Pawlett at the Bible in Chancery-Lane 1687. AN ADMONITION TO ALL Ministers Ecclesiastical FOR that the Lord doth require of his Servant whom he hath set over his Houshold to shew both Faithfulness and Prudence in his Office It shall be necessary that ye above all other do behave yourselves most faithfully and diligently in your so high a Function That is aptly plainly and distinctly to Read the Sacred Scriptures diligently to instruct the Youth in their Catechism gravely and reverently to Minister his most Holy Sacraments prudently also to choose out such Homilies as be most meet for the time and for the more agreeable Instruction of the People committed to your charge with such discretion that where the Homily may appear too long for one Reading to divide the same to be Read part in the Forenoon and part in the Afternoon And where it may so chance some one or other Chapter of the Old Testament to fall in order to be Read upon the Sundays or Holy-days which were better to be changed with some other of the New Testament of more Edification it shall be well done to spend your time to consider well of such Chapters before-hand whereby your Prudence and diligence in your Office may appear so that your People may have cause to glorifie God for you and be the readier to embrace your Labours to your better Commendation to the discharge of your Consciences and their own THE TABLE OF Homilies ensuing I. OF the Right Use of the Church Page 93 II. Against Peril of Idolatry Page 102 III. For Repairing and keeping Clean the Church Page 282 IV. Of Good Works And first of Fasting Page 289 V. Against Gluttony and Drunkenness Page 309 VI. Against excess of Apparel Page 322 VII An Homily of Prayer Page 334 VIII Of the Place and Time of Prayer Page 356 IX Of Common-Prayer and Sacraments Page 370 X. An Information of them which take Offence at certain places of Holy Scripture Page 385 XI Of Alms-Deeds Page 402 XII Of the Nativity Page 421 XIII Of the Passion for Good Friday Page 434 443 XIV Of the Resurrection for Easter Day Page 455 XV. Of the Worthy Receiving of the Sacrament Page 467 XVI An Homily concerning the coming down of the Holy Ghost for Whitsunday Page 480 XVII An Homily for Rogation-Week Page 497 XVIII Of the State of Matrimony Page 539 XIX Against Idleness Page 540 XX. Of Repentance and true Reconciliation unto God Page 556 XXI An Homily against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion Page 583 AN HOMILY OF THE Right Use of the Church or Temple of GOD and of the Reverence due unto the same The First Chapter WHereas there appeareth in these days great slackness and negligence of a great sort of People in resorting to the Church there to serve God their Heavenly Father according to their most bounden duty as also much Uncomely and Unreverent behaviour of many Persons in the same when they be there assembled and thereby may just fear arise of the Wrath of God and his dreadful Plagues hanging over Head for our grievous Offences in this behalf amongst other many and great Sins which we daily and hourly commit before the Lord. Therefore for the discharge of all our Consciences and for the avoiding of the common Peril and Plague hanging over us let us consider what may be said out of Gods Holy Book concerning this matter whereunto I pray you give good Audience for that it is of great weight and concerneth you all Although the Eternal and Incomprehensible Majesty of God the Lord of Heaven and Earth whose seat is Heaven and the Earth his Footstool cannot be inclosed in Temples or Houses made with Mans Hand as in dwelling places able to receive or contain his Majesty according as is evidently declared by the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 66. Act. 7.17 3 Reg. 8. 2 Par. 2. and 6. and by the Doctrine of St. Stephen and St. Paul in the Acts of the Apostles And where King Solomon who builded unto the Lord the most glorious Temple that ever was made saith Who shall be able to build a meet or worthy House for him If Heaven and the Heaven above all Heavens cannot contain him how much less can that which I have builded And further confesseth What am I that I should be able to build thee an House O Lord But yet for this purpose only it is made that thou mayest regard the Prayer of thy Servant and his Humble Supplication Much less then be our Churches meet dwelling places to receive the Incomprehensible Majesty of God And indeed the chief and special Temples of God wherein he hath greatest pleasure and most delighteth to dwell
degree or state soever they be In which place he maketh mention by name of Kings and Rulers which are in Authority putting us thereby to acknowledge how greatly it concerneth the profit of the Common-wealth to pray diligently for the Higher Powers Neither is it without good cause that he doth so often in all his Epistles crave the Prayers of Gods People for himself Colos 4. Rom. 15. 2 Thess 3. For in so doing he declareth to the World how expedient and needful it is daily to call upon God for the Ministers of his Holy Word and Sacraments that they may have the door of utterance oppened unto them Ephes 6. that they may truly understand the Scriptures that they may effectually Preach the same unto the People and bring forth the true Fruits thereof to the Example of all other After this sort did the Congregation continually Pray for Peter at Jerusalem Acts 12. and for Paul among the Gentiles to the great increase and furtherance of Christs Gospel And if we following their good Example herein will study to do the like doubtless it cannot be expressed how greatly we shall both help our selves and also please God To discourse and run through all degrees of Persons it were too long Therefore ye shall briefly take this one conclusion for all Whomsoever we are bound by express Commandment to love for those also are we bound in Conscience to pray But we are bound by express Commandment to love all men as our selves therefore we are also bound to Pray for all men even as well as if it were for our selves notwithstanding we know them to be our extream and deadly Enemies For so doth our Saviour Christ plainly teach us in his Gospel saying Love your enemies Matt. 5. bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that persecute you that ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven And as he taught his Disciples so did he practice himself in his life-time Luke 23. praying for his Enemies upon the Cross and desiring his Father to forgive them because they knew not what they did As did also that Holy and blessed Martyr Stephen Acts 7. when he was cruelly stoned to death of the stubborn and stiff-necked Jews to the example of all them that will truly and unfeignedly follow their Lord and Master Christ in this miserable and mortal life Now to entreat of that Question whether we ought to pray for them that are departed out of this World or no Wherein if we will cleave only unto the Word of God then must we needs grant that we have no Commandment so to do For the Scripture doth acknowledge but two places after this life The one proper to the Elect and Blessed of God the other to the Reprobate and Damned Souls as may be well gathered by the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich man Luke 16. Lib. 2. Evang. quaest 1. cap. 38. which place St. Augustine expounding saith in this wise That which Abraham speaketh unto the Rich man in Lukes Gospel namely that the Just cannot go into those places where the Wicked are tormented what other thing doth it signifie but only this that the just by reason of Gods Judgment which may not be revoked can shew no deed of Mercy in helping them which after this life are cast into Prison until they pay the uttermost farthing These words as they confound the Opinion of helping the dead by Prayer so they do clean confute and take away the vain Error of Purgatory which is grounded upon the saying of the Gospel Thou shalt not depart thence until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing Now doth St. Augustine say that those men which are cast into Prison after this life on that condition may in no wise be holpen though we would help them never so much And why Because the Sentence of God is unchangeable and cannot be revoked again Therefore let us not deceive our selves thinking that either we may help other or other may help us by their good and charitable Prayers in time to come For as the Preacher saith When the tree falleth whether it be toward the South Eccles 11. or toward the North in what place soever the tree falleth there it lieth meaning thereby that every mortal man dieth either in the state of Salvation or Damnation according as the words of the Evangelist John do also plainly import saying John 3. He that believeth on the Son of God hath eternal life But he that believeth not on the Son shall never see life but the wrath of God abideth upon him Where is then the third place which they call Purgatory or where shall our Prayers help and profit the dead Lib. 5. Hypogno Chrysost in Heb. 2. Homil. 5. in Cyprian contra Demetrianum St. Augustine doth only acknowledge two places after this life Heaven and Hell As for the third place he doth plainly deny that there is any such to be found in all Scripture Chrysostom likewise is of this mind that unless we wash away our sins in this present World we shall find no comfort afterward And St. Cyprian saith that after death Repentance and Sorrow of pain shall be without fruit Weeping also shall be in vain and Prayer shall be to no purpose Therefore he counselleth all men to make provision for themselves while they may because when they are once departed out of this life there is no place for Repentance nor yet for satisfaction Let these and such other places be sufficient to take away the gross Error of Purgatory out of our Heads neither let us dream any more that the Souls of the dead are any thing at all holpen by our Prayers But as the Scripture teacheth us let us think that the Soul of man passing out of the Body goeth straightways either to Heaven or else to Hell whereof the one needeth no Prayer the other is without Redemption The only Purgatory wherein we must trust to be saved is the death and blood of Christ which if we apprehend with a true and stedfast Faith it purgeth and cleanseth us from all our sins even as well as if he were now hanging upon the Cross The blood of Christ 1 John 1. Heb. 9. saith St. John hath cleansed us from all sin Thâ— blood of Christ saith St. Paul hath purged our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 10. Also in another place he saith We be sanctified and made holy by the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ done once for all Yea he addeth more bidem saying With the one oblation of his blessed Body and precious Blood he hath made perfect for ever and ever all them that are sanctified This then is that Purgatory wherein all Christian men put their whole trust and confidence nothing doubting but if they truly repent them of their sins and die in perfect Faith that then they
day Apoc. 1. Sithence which time Gods People hath always in all Ages without any gain-saying used to come together upon the Sunday Numb 15. to celebrate and honour the Lords blessed Name and carefully to keep that day in Holy rest and quietness both Man Woman Child Servant and Stranger For the transgression and breach of which day God hath declared himself much to be grieved as it may appear by him who for gathering of sticks on the Sabbath day was stoned to death But alas all these notwithstanding it is lamentable to see the wicked boldness of those that will be counted Gods People who pass nothing at all of keeping and hallowing the Sunday And these People are of two sorts The one sort if they have any business to do though there be no extream need they must not spare for the Sunday they must ride and journey on the Sunday they must drive and carry on the Sunday they must row and ferry on the Sunday they must buy and sell on the Sunday they must keep Markets and Fairs on the Sunday finally they use all days alike Work-days and Holy-days all are one The other sort is worse For although they will not Travel nor Labour on the Sunday as they do on the Week-day yet they will not rest in Holiness as God commandeth but they rest in ungodliness and filthiness prancing in their Pride pranking and pricking pointing and painting themselves to be gorgeous and gay they rest in excess and superfluity in gluttony and drunkenness like Rats and Swine they rest in brawling and railing in quarrelling and fighting they rest in wantonness in toyish talking in filthy fleshliness so that it doth too evidently appear that God is more dishonoured and the Devil better served on the Sunday than upon all the days in the Week besides And I assure you the Beasts which are commanded to rest on the Sunday honour God better than this kind of People For they offend not God they break not their Holy-days Wherefore O ye People of God lay your hands upon your hearts repent and amend this grievous and dangerous wickedness stand in awe of the Commandment of God gladly follow the example of God himself be not disobedient to the godly Order of Christs Church used and kept from the Apostles time until this day Fear the displeasure and just Plagues of Almighty God if ye be negligent and forbear not labouring and travelling on the Sabbath day or Sunday and do not resort together to celebrate and magnifie Gods blessed Name in quiet Holiness and godly Reverence Now concerning the Place where the People of God ought to resort together and where especially they ought to celebrate and sanctifie the Sabbath day that is the Sunday the day of Holy Rest That Place is called Gods Temple or the Church because the Company and Congregation of Gods People which is properly called the Church doth there assemble themselves on the days appointed for such Assemblies and Meetings And forasmuch as Almighty God hath appointed a special time to be honoured in it is very meet godly and also necessary that there should be a Place appointed where these People should meet and resort to serve their gracious God and merciful Father Truth it is the Holy Patriarchs for a great number of years had neither Temple nor Church to resort unto The cause was they were not staid in any place but were in a continual peregrination and wandring that they could not conveniently build any Church But so soon as God had delivered his People from their Enemies and set them in some liberty in the Wilderness he set them up a costly and a curious Tabernacle which was as it were the Parish Church a place to resort unto of the whole multitude a place to have his Sacrifices made in and other Observances and Rites to be used in Furthermore after that God according to the truth of his Promise had placed and quietly setled his People in the Land of Canaan now called Jury he commanded a great and magnificent Temple to be built by King Solomon as seldom the like hath been seen a Temple so decked and adorned so gorgeously garnished as was meet and expedient for People of that time which would be allured and stirred with nothing so much as with such outward goodly gay things This was now the Temple of God endued also with many gifts and sundry promises This was the publick Church and the Mother-Church of all Jury Here was God honoured and served Hither was the whole Realm of all the Israelites bound to come at three Solemn Feasts in the Year to serve their Lord God here But let us proceed further In the time of Christ and his Apostles there were yet no Temples nor Churches for Christian men For why they were always for the most part in persecution vexation and trouble so that there could be no liberty nor licence obtained for that purpose Yet God delighted much that they should often resort together in a place and therefore after his ascension they remained together in an Upper Chamber sometime they entred into the Temple sometime into the Synagogues sometimes they were in Prison sometimes in their Houses sometimes in the Fields c. And this continued so long till the Faith of Christ Jesus began to multiply in a great part of the World Now when divers Realms were established in Gods true Religion and God had given them peace and quietness then began Kings Noble-men and the People also stirred up with a godly zeal and ferventness to build up Temples and Churches whither the People might resort the better to do their Duty towards God and to keep Holy their Sabbath day the day of Rest And to these Temples have the Christians customably used to resort from time to time as unto meet places where they might with common consent praise and magnifie Gods name yielding him thanks for the benefits that he daily poureth upon them both mercifully and abundantly where they might also hear his Holy Word read expounded and preached sincerely and receive his Holy Sacraments ministred unto them duly and purely True it is that the chief and special Temples of God wherein he hath greatest pleasure and most delighteth to dwell are the bodies and minds of true Christians and the chosen People of God according to the Doctrine of Holy Scriptures declared by St. Paul Know ye not saith he that ye be the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. and that the Spirit of God doth dwell in you The Temple of God is Holy which ye are And again in the same Epistle 1 Cor. 6. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost dwelling in you whom you have given you of God and that ye be not your own Yet this notwithstanding God doth allow the material Temple made with Lime and Stone so oft as his People come together into it to praise his Holy Name to be his House and
c. 10. Num. 16. Ps 77. Some of the Children of Israel being Murmurers against their Magistrates appointed over them by God were stricken with foul Leprosie many were burnt up with Fire suddenly sent from the Lord sometime a great sort of thousands were consumed with the Pestilence sometime they were stinged to death with a strange kind of fiery Serpents and which is most horrible some of the Captains with their Band of Murmurers not dying by any usual or natural death of Men but the Earth opening they with their Wives Children and Families were swallowed quick down into Hell Num. 16. Which horrible destructions of such Israelites as were Murmurers against Moses appointed by God to be their Head and chief Magistrate Num. 16. are recorded in the Book of Numbers and other places of the Scriptures for perpetual memory and warning to all subjects how highly God is displeased with the murmuring and evil speaking of Subjects against their Princes so that as the Scripture recordeth Exod. 16. b. 7 c. Their murmur was not against their Prince only being a mortal Creature but against God himself also Now if such strange and horrible Plagues did fall upon such Subjects as did only murmur and speak evil against their Heads what shall become of those most wicked imps of the Devil that do conspire arm themselves assemble great numbers of Armed Rebels and lead them with them against their Prince and Country spoiling and robbing killing and murdering all good Subjects that do withstand them as many as they may prevail against But those Examples are written to stay us not only from such mischiefs but also from murmuring and speaking once an evil word against our Prince which though any should do never so secretly yet do the Holy Scriptures shew that the very Birds of the Air will bewray them and these so many Examples before noted out of the Holy Scriptures do declare That they shall not escape horrible punishment therefore Now concerning Actual Rebellion Eccl. 10. d. 2 King 15. c. 12. 17. a. 1 c. 11. 18. b. 7.18 Amongst many Examples thereof set forth in the Holy Scriptures the Example of Absalom is notable who entring into Conspiracy against King David his Father both used the advice of very witty Men and assembled a very great and huge company of Rebels the which Absalom though he were most goodly of Person of great Nobility being the Kings Son in great favor of the People and so dearly beloved of the King himself so much that he gave commandment that notwithstanding his Rebellion his life should be saved when for these considerations most Men were afraid to lay hands upon him 2 King 18. a. 5. a great Tree stretched out his Arm as it were for that purpose caught him by the great and long Bush of his goodly Hair lapping about it as he fled hastily bare-headed under the said Tree and so hanged him up by the Hair of his Head in the Air to give an eternal document that neither comliness of Personage 2 King 18. b. 9. neither Nobility nor favor of the People no nor the favor of the King himself can save a Rebel from due punishment God the King of all Kings being so offended with him that rather than he should lack due Execution for his Treason every Tree by the Way will be a Gallows or Gibbet unto him and the Hair of his own Head will be unto him instead of a Halter to hang him up with rather than he should lack one A fearful example of Gods punishment good People to consider Now Achitophel Achitophel though otherwise an exceeding wise Man yet the mischievous Counsellor of Absalom in this wicked Rebellion for lack of an Hangman a convenient Servitor for such a Traytor went and hanged up himself 2 King 15. c. 12. 16. d. 2. 23. 17. f. 23. 2 King 18. c. 7. 8 9. A worthy end of all false Rebels who rather than they should lack due execution will by Gods just Judgment become Hangmen unto themselves Thus hapned it to the Captains of that Rebellion beside forty thousand of rascal Rebels slain in the Field and in the Chase Likewise is it to be seen in the Holy Scriptures how that great Rebellion which the Traitor Seba moved in Israel 2 King 20. was suddenly appeased the head of the Captain Traitor by the means of a silly Woman being cut off And as the Holy Scripture doth shew so doth daily experience prove that the Counsels Conspiracies and attempts of Rebels never took effect neither came to good but to most horrible end For though God doth oftentimes prosper just and lawful Enemies Ps 20.12 which be no Subjects against their Foreign Enemies yet did he never long prosper Rebellious Subjects against their Prince were they never so great in Authority Gen. 14. or so many in number Five Princes or Kings for so the Scripture termeth them with all their multitudes could not prevail against Chedorlaomer unto whom they had promised Loyalty and Obedience and had continued in the same certain years but they were all overthrown and taken Prisoners by him but Abraham with his Family and Kinsfolks an handful of Men in respect owing no subjection unto Chedorlaomer overthrew him and all his Host in Battel and recovered the Prisoners and delivered them So that though War be so dreadful and cruel a thing as it is yet doth God often prosper a few in lawful Wars with Foreign Enemies against many thousands but never yet prospered he Subjects being Rebels against their natural Sovereign were they never so great or noble so many so stout so witty and politic but always they came by the overthrow and to a shameful end so much doth God abhor Rebellion more than other Wars though otherwise being so dreadful and so great a destruction to Mankind Though not only great multitudes of the rude and rascal Commons but sometime also Men of great Wit Nobility and Authority have moved Rebellions against their lawful Princes whereas true Nobility should most abhor such Villanous and true wisdom should most detest such frantic Rebellion though they should pretend sundry causes as the Redress of the Common-wealth which Rebellion of all other mischiefs doth most destroy or Reformation of Religion whereas Rebellion is most against all true Religion though they have made a great shew of holy meaning by beginning their Rebellions with a counterfeit Service of God 2 Reg. 15. c. 12. as did wicked Absalom begin his Rebellion with Sacrificing unto God though they display and bear about Ensigns and Banners which are acceptable unto the rude ignorant common people great multitudes of whom by such false pretences and shews they do deceive and draw unto them yet were the multitudes of the Rebels never so huge and great the Captains never so noble politic and witty the Pretences feigned to be never so good and holy yet the speedy
than one dumb Idol or Image standing by itself But from learning by painted Stories it came by little and little to Idolatry Which when godly Men as well Emperors and learned Bishops as others perceived they commanded that such Pictures Images or Idols should be used no more And I will for a Declaration thereof begin with the Decree of the ancient Christian Emperors Valens and Theodosius the second who reigned about four hundred years after our Saviour Christ's Ascension who forbad that any Images should be made or painted privately For certain it is that there were none in Temples publickly in their time These Emperors did write unto the Captain of the Army attending on the Emperors after this sort Valens and Theodosius Emperors unto the Captain of the Army Whereas we have a diligent care to maintain the Religion of God above in all things we will grant to no Man to set forth grave carve or paint the Image of our Saviour Christ in Colours Stone or any other matter but in what place soever it shall be found we command that it be taken away and that all such as shall attempt any thing contrary to our Decrees or Commandments herein shall be most sharply punished This Decree is written in the Books named Libri Augustales the Imperial Books gathered by Tribonianus Basilides Theophilus Dioscorus and Satira Men of great Authority and Learning at the Commandment of the Emperor Justinian and is alledged by Petrus Crinitus a notable learned Man in the Ninth Book and Ninth Chapter of his Work intituled De honesta Disciplina that is to say Of honest Learning Here you see what Christian Princes of most ancient times decreed against Images which then began to creep in amongst the Christians For it is certain that by the space of three hundred years and more after the death of our Saviour Christ and before these godly Emperors reigned there were no Images publickly in Churches or Temples How would the Idolaters glory if they had so much Antiquity and Authority for them as is here against them Now shortly after these days the Goths Vandals Huns and other barbarous and wicked Nations burst into Italy and all parts of the West Countries of Europe with huge and mighty Armies spoiled all places destroyed Cities and burned Libraries so that Learning and true Religion went to wrack and decayed incredibly And so the Bishops of those later days being of less Learning and in the midst of the Wars taking less heed also than did the Bishops afore by ignorance of Gods Word and negligence of Bishops and especially barbarous Princes not rightly instructed in true Religion bearing the Rule Images came into the Church of Christ in the said West parts where these barbarous People ruled not now in painted Cloth only but embossed in Stone Timber Metal and other like matter and were not only set up but began to be worshipped also And therefore Serenus Bishop of Massile the head Town of Gallia Narbonensis now called the Province a godly and learned Man who was about six hundred years after our Saviour Christ seeing the People by occasion of Images fall to most abominable Idolatry brake to pieces all the Images of Christ and Saints which were in that City and was therefore complained upon to Gregory the first of that Name Bishop of Rome who was the first learned Bishop that did allow the open having of Images in Churches that can be known by any Writing or History of Antiquity And upon this Gregory do all Image-worshippers at this day ground their Defence But as all things that be amiss have from a tolerable beginning grown worse and worse till they at the last became intolerable So did this matter of Images First Men used privately Stories painted in Tables Cloths and Walls Afterwards gross and embossed Images privately in their own Houses Then afterwards Pictures first and after them embossed Images began to creep into Churches learned and godly Men ever speaking against them Then by use it was openly maintained That they might be in Churches but yet forbidden that they should be worshipped Of which Opinion was Gregory as by the said Gregory's Epistle to the forenamed Serenus Bishop of Massile plainly appeareth Which Epistle is to be found in the Book of Epistles of Gregory or Register in the tenth part of the fourth Epistle where he hath these words That thou didst forbid Images to be worshipped we praise altogether but that thou didst break them we blame For it is one thing to worship the Picture and another thing by the Picture of the Story to learn what is to be worshipped For that which Scripture is to them that read the same doth Picture perform unto Idiots or the unlearned beholding and so forth And after a few words Therefore it should not have been broken which was set up not to be worshipped in Churches but only to instruct the Minds of the ignorant And a little after Thus thou shouldst have said If you will have Images in the Church for that instruction wherefore they were made in old time I do permit that they may be made and that you may have them and shew them that not the sight of the Story which is opened by the Picture but that worshipping which was inconveniently given to the Pictures did mislike you And if any would make Images not to forbid them but avoid by all means to worship any Image By these Sentences taken here and there out of Gregory's Epistle to Serenus for it were too long to rehearse the whole ye may understand whereunto the matter was now come six hundred years after Christ That the having of Images or Pictures in the Churches were then maintained in the West part of the World for they were not so forward yet in the East Church but the worshipping of them was utterly forbidden And you may withal note That seeing there is no ground for worshipping of Images in Gregory's Writing but a plain condemnation thereof that such as do worship Images do unjustly alledge Gregory for them And further if Images in the Church do not teach Men according to Gregory's Mind but rather blind them It followeth that Images should not be in the Church by his sentence who only would they should be placed there to the end that they might teach the ignorant Wherefore if it be declared that Images have been and be worshipped and also that they teach nothing but Errours and Lyes which shall by God's Grace hereafter be done I trust that then by Gregory's own Determination all Images and Image-worshippers shall be overthrown But in the mean season Gregory's Authority was so great in all the West-Church that by his Incouragement Men set up Images in all places But their Judgment was not so good to consider why he would have them set up but they fell all on heaps to manifest Idolatry by worshipping of them which Bishop Serenus not without just cause feared would come to pass Now if
Serenus his Judgment thinking it meet that Images whereunto Idolatry was committed should be destroyed had taken place Idolatry had been overthrown For to that which is not no Man committeth Idolatry But of Gregory's Opinion thinking that Images might be suffered in Churches so it were taught that they should not be worshipped What ruine of Religion and what mischief ensued afterward to all Christendom Experience hath to our great hurt and sorrow proved First By the Schism rising between the East and the West Church about the said Images Next By the Division of the Empire into two parts by the same occasion of Images to the great weakening of all Christendom whereby last of all hath followed the utter overthrow of the Christian Religion and Noble Empire in Greece and all the East parts of the World and the increase of Mahomet's false Religion and the cruel Dominion and Tyranny of the Saracens and Turks who do now hang over our Necks also that dwell in the West parts of the World ready at all occasions to over-run us And all this do we owe unto our Idols and Images and our Idolatry in worshipping of them Eutrop. lib. de rebus Ro. 23. But now give you ear a little to the process of the History wherein I do much follow the Histories of Paulus Diaconus and others joyned with Eutropius an old Writer For though some of the Authors were Favourers of Images yet do they most plainly and at large prosecute the Histories of those times Platina in vitis Constantini Greg. 2. whom Baptist Platina also in his History of Popes as in the Lives of Constantine and Gregory the second Bishops of Rome and other places where he treateth of this matter doth chiefly follow After Gregory's time Constantine Bishop of Rome assembled a Council of Bishops in the West Church and did condemn Philippicus then Emperor and John Bishop of Constantinople of the Heresie of the Monothelites not without a cause indeed but very justly When he had so done by the consent of the learned about him the said Constantine Bishop of Rome caused the Images of the ancient Fathers which had been at those six Councils which were allowed and received of all Men to be painted in the entry of Saint Peter's Church at Rome When the Greeks had knowledge hereof they began to dispute and reason the matter of Images with the Latins and held this Opinion That Images could have no place in Christs Church and the Latins held the contrary and took part with the Images So the East and West Churches which agreed well before upon this contention about Images fell to utter enmity which was never well reconciled yet But in the mean season Philippicus and Arthemius or Anastasius Emperors commanded Images and Pictures to be pulled down and rased out in every place of their Dominion After them came Theodosius the Third he commanded the defaced Images to be painted again in their places But this Theodosius reigned but one year Leo the third of that Name succeeded him who was a Syrian born a very wise godly merciful and valiant Prince This Leo by Proclamation commanded That all Images set up in Churches to be worshipped should be plucked down and defaced And required specially the Bishop of Rome that he should do the same and himself in the mean season caused all Images that were in the Imperial City Constantinople to be gathered on an heap in the midst of the City and there publickly burned them to ashes and whited over and rased out all Pictures painted upon the Walls of the Temples and punished sharply divers maintainers of Images And when some did therefore report him to be a Tyrant he answered That such of all other were most justly punished who neither Worshipped God aright nor regarded the Imperial Majesty and Authority but maliciously rebelled against wholsom and profitable Laws When Gregorius the Third of that Name Bishop of Rome heard of the Emperors doings in Greece concerning the Images he assembled a Council of Italian Bishops against him and there made Decrees for Images and that more Reverence and Honour should yet be given to them than was before and stirred up the Italians against the Emperor first at Ravenna and moved them to Rebellion Treason and Rebellion for the defence of Images And as Vspurgensis and Anthonius Bishops of Florence testifie in their Chronicles he caused Rome and all Italy at the least to refuse Obedience and the payment of any more Tribute to the Emperor And so by Treason and Rebellion maintained their Idolatry Which Example other Bishops of Rome have continually followed and gone through withal most stoutly After this Leo who Reigned Thirty four years succeeded his Son Constantine the Fifth who after his Fathers example kept Images out of the Temples and being moved with the Council which Gregory had assembled in Italy for Images against his Father He also assembled a Council of all the Learned Men and Bishops of Asia and Greece although some Writers place this Council in Leo Isauricus A Council against Images his Fathers later days In this great Assembly they sate in Council from the Fourth of the Idus of February to the sixth of the Idus of August and made concerning the use of Images this Decree It is not lawful for them that believe in God through Jesus Christ to have any Images neither of the Creator nor of any Creatures set up in Temples to be Worshipped but rather that all things by the Law of God and for the avoiding of Offence ought to be taken out of the Churches And this Decree was executed in all places where any Images were found in Asia or Greece And the Emperor sent the Determination of this Council holden at Constantinople to Paul then Bishop of Rome and commanded him to cast all Images out of the Churches Which he trusting in the Friendship of Pipine a Mighty Prince refused to do And both he and his Successor Stephanus the Third who assembled another Council in Italy for Images condemned the Emperor and the Council of Constantinople of Heresie and made a Decree That the Holy Images for so they called them of Christ the Blessed Virgin and other Saints were indeed worthy Honour and Worshipping When Constantine was dead Leo the Fourth his Son Reigned after him who Married a Woman of the City of Athens named Theodora who also was called Irene Or Eirene by whom he had a Son named Constantine the Sixth and dying whilst his Son was yet young left the Regiment of the Empire and Governance of his young Son to his Wife Irene These things were done in the Church about the year of our Lord 760. Note here I pray you in this process of the Story that in the Churches of Asia and Greece there were no Images publickly by the space of almost Seven Hundred years And there is no doubt but the Primitive Church next the Apostles time was most pure Note also