the principall and most vsual causes as specially ambition and ignoraunce By ambition I meane the vnlawful and restles desire in men to be of higher estate then God hath geuen or appoynted vnto them By ignoraunce I meane no vnskilfulnesse in artes or sciences but the lacke of knowledge of Gods blessed wyll declared in his holye worde whiche teacheth both extremely to abhorre all rebellion as the roote of all mischeefe and specially to delyght in obedience as the begynnyng and foundation of all goodnesse as hath ben also before specified And as these are the two cheese causes of rebellion so are there specially two sortes of men in whom these vices do raigne by whom the deuill the aucthour of al euill doth cheefely stirre vp all disobedience and rebellion The restlesse ambitious hauing once determined by one meanes or other to atcheeue to theyr intended purpose when they can not by lawfull and peaceable meanes clime so hygh as they do desyre they attempt the same by force and violence wherein when they can not preuaile agaynst the ordinarie aucthoritie and power of lawfull princes and gouernours them selues alone they do seeke the ayde and helpe of the ignoraunt multitude abusing them to theyr wicked purpose Wherfore seeing a fewe ambitious and malitious are the aucthours heades and multitudes of ignoraunt men are the ministers and furtherers of rebellion the cheefe poynt of this part shal be aswell to notifie to the simple and ignorant men who they be that haue ben and be the vsuall aucthours of rebellion that they may knowe them and also to admonishe them to beware of the subtill suggestions of suche restles ambitious persons and so to flee them that rebellions though attempted by a fewe ambitious through the lack of mayntenaunce by any multitudes maye speedyly and easyly without any great labour daunger or domage be repressed and clearely extinguished It is well knowen as well by all histories as by dayly experience that none haue eyther more ambitiously aspired aboue Emperours Kinges and Princes nor haue more pernitiously moued the ignoraunt people to rebellion agaynst theyr Princes then certayne persons whiche falsely chalenge to them selues to be onlye counted and called spirituall I must therefore heare yet once agayne breefely put you good people in remembraunce out of Gods holye worde howe our Sauiour Jesus Christe and his holy Apostles the heades and cheefe of all true spirituall and ecclesiastical men behaued them selues towards the princes and rulers of their tyme though not the best gouernours that euer were that you be not ignoraunt whether they be the true disciples and folowers of Christe and his Apostles and so true spirituall men that eyther by ambition do so highly aspyre or do most malitiously teach or most pernitiously do execute rebellion agaynst theyr lawfull princes beyng the worst of all carnall workes and mischeuous deedes The holye scriptures do teache most expresly that our sauiour Christe him selfe and his apostle saint Paul saint Peter with others were vnto the magistrates and higher powers which ruled at their beyng vppon the earth both obedâ—â—nt them selues and dyd also diligently and earnestly exhort all other Christians to the lyke obedience vnto their princes and gouernours whereby it is euident that men of the Cleargie and ecclesiasticall ministers as theyr successours ought both them selues specially and before others to be obedient vnto their princes and also to exhort all others vnto the same Our sauiour Christe like wyse teachyng by his doctrine that his kingdome was not of this worlde dyd by his example in fleeing from those that would haue made him kyng confirme the same expresly also forbidding his Apostles and by them the whole Cleargie all princely dominion ouer people and nations and he and his holy Apostles like wyse namely Peter Paul dyd forbid vnto all ecclesiasticall ministers dominion ouer the Churche of Christe And in deede whiles that ecclesiasticall ministers continued in Christes Church in that order that is in Christes worde prescribed vnto them and in Christian kyngdomes kept them selues obedient to their owne princes as the holy scripture do teache them both was Christes Churche more cleare from ambitious emulations and contentions and the state of Christian kyngdomes lesse subiect vnto tumultes and rebellions But after that ambition and desyre of dominion entred once into ecclesiasticall ministers whose greatnes after the doctrine and example of our sauiour shoulde cheefely stande in humbling of them selues and that the Byshop of Rome being by the order of Gods worde none other then the bishop of that one see and diocesse and neuer yet well able to gouerne the same did by intollerable ambition chalenge not only to be the head of all the Churche dispersed throughout the worlde but also to be Lorde of all the kyngdomes of the worlde as is expresly set foorth in the booke of his owne Cannon lawes most contrary to the doctrine and example of our sauiour Christe whose Uicar and of his holy apostles namely Peter whose successour he pretendeth to be after his ambition entred and this chalenge once made by the Byshop of Rome he became at once the spoyler destroyer both of the Church which is the kyngdome of our sauiour Christe and of the Christian Empyre and all Christian kyngdomes as an vniuersall tyraunt ouer all And whereas before that chalenge made there was great amitie and loue amongst the Christians of al countreis herevpon began emulation and much hatred betweene the Bishop of Rome and his Cleargie and freendes on the one part and the Grecian Cleargie and Christians of the East on the other part for that they refused to acknowledge any such supreme aucthoritie of the Bishop of Rome ouer them the Bishop of Rome for this cause amongst other not onlye namyng them and taking them for schismatikes but also neuer ceassing to persecute them and the Emperours who had their see and continuaunce in Grece by stirring of the subiectes to rebellion agaynst their soueraigne lordes and by raysyng deadly hatred and most cruell warres betweene them and other Christian princes And when the Byshops of Rome had translated the title of the Emperour and as much as in them dyd lye the Empyre it selfe from their lorde the Emperour of Grece and of Rome also by ryght vnto the Christian princes of the West they became in short space no better vnto the West Emperours then they were before vnto the Emperours of Grece For the vsuall discharging of subiectes from their othe of fidelitie made vnto the Emperours of the West their soueraigne lordes by the Byshops of Rome the vnnaturall stirring vp of the subiectes vnto rebellion agaynst their princes yea of the sonne agaynst the father by the Byshoppe of Rome the most cruell and blooddy warres raysed amongst Christian princes of all kyngdomes the horrible murder of infinite thousandes of Christian men beyng slayne by Christians and whiche ensued therevpon the pitifull losses of so manye goodlye Cities countreys
dominions and kyngdomes sometime possessed by Christians in Asia Africa and Europa the miserable fall of the Empyre and Church of Grece sometime the moste florishyng part of Christendome into the handes of Turkes the lamentable diminishing decay and ruine of Christian religion the dreadfull encrease of Paganitie and power of the Infidelles and miscreantes and al by the practise and procurement of the Byshop of Rome cheefely is in the histories and chronicles written by the Byshop of Romes owne fauourers and frendes to be seene and is well knowen vnto all suche as are acquainted with the saide histories The ambitious intent and most subtill driftes of the Byshops of Rome in these their practises appeared euidently by their bolde attempt in spoyling and robbing the Emperours of their Townes Cities Dominions kingdomes in Italie Lumbardie Cicilie of auncient right belonging vnto the Empyre by the ioyning of them vnto their Byshoprike of Rome or els geuing them vnto straungers to holde them of the Churche Byshops of Rome as in capite and as of the cheefe lordes thereof in whiche tenure they holde the most part therof euen at this day By these ambitious in deede trayterous meanes and spoylyng of their soueraigne lordes the Byshops of Rome of Priestes and none other by right then the Bishops of one citie and diocesse are by false vsurpation become great lordes of many dominions myghtie Princes yea or Emperours rather as claymyng to haue diuers princes and kinges to their vassals liege men and subiectes as in the same histories written by their owne familiers and courtiers is to be seene And in deede since the tyme that the Byshops of Rome by ambition treason vsurpation atcheued and atteined to this height and greatnesse they behaued them selues more lyke princes kinges Emperours in al things then remained like priestes bishops and ecclesiastical or as they would be called spirituall persons in any one thing at al. For after this rate they haue handled other kings princes of other Realmes throughout Christendome as well as theyr Soueraigne lordes the Emperours vsually dischargyng their subiectes of their othe of fidelitie and so stirring them vp to rebellion against their naturall princes whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified vnto you Wherefore let al good subiectes knowing these the speciall instrumentes and ministers of the deuil to the stirring vp of al rebellions auoyde and flee them the pestilent suggestions of such forraigne vsurpers and their adherentes and embrace al obedience to God and their naturall princes and Soueraignes that they may enioy gods blessinges and their princes fauour in all peace quietnes securitie in this worlde and finally attaine through Christ our sauiour lyfe euerlasting in the world to come which God the father for the same our sauiour Jesus Christ his sake graunt vnto vs al to whō with the holy ghost be al honour glory world without ende Amen Thus haue you heard the sixt part of this Homilee now good people let vs pray The prayer as before The sixt and last part of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion NOw whereas the iniuries oppressions rauenie and tyrannie of the bishop of Rome vsurping aswell agaynst their natural lords the Emperours as against al other Christian kinges and kingdomes and their continual stirring of subiectes vnto rebellions agaynst theyr soueraigne lordes whereof I haue partlye admonished you before were intollerable and it may seeme more then maruell that any subiectes woulde after suche sorte holde with vnnaturall forraigne vsurpers agaynst theyr owne soueraigne lordes and naturall countrey It remayneth that I do declare the meane whereby they compassed these matters and so to conclude this whole treatie of due obedience and agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion You shall vnderstande that by ignoraunce of Gods worde wherein they kept all men speciallye the common people they wrought brought to passe all these thinges makyng them beleue that all they sayde was true all that they dyd was good and godlye and that to holde with them in all thinges agaynst father mother prince countrey and all men was most meritorious And in deede what mischeefe wyll not blinde ignoraunce leade simple men vnto By ignoraunce the Juishe Cleargie induced the common people to aske the deliuerie of Barabbas the seditious murtherer to sue for the cruell crucifiyng of our sauiour Christe for that he rebuked the ambition suberstion and other vices of the hie priestes and cleargie For as our sauiour Christe testifieth that those who crucified hym wyst not what they dyd so doth the holy apostle saint Paul say If they had knowen yf they had not ben ignoraunt they woulde neuer haue crucified the Lorde of glory but they knew not what they dyd Our sauiour Christ him selfe also foreshewed that it shoulde come to passe by ignoraunce that those who should persecute and murther his true apostles and disciples shoulde thinke they dyd God acceptable sacrifice good seruice as it also is verified euen at this day And in this ignoraunce haue the Byshoppes of Rome kept the people of God specially the common sorte by no meanes so muche as by withdrawyng of the word of God from them and by keping it vnder the vale of an vnknowen straunge tongue For as it serued the ambitious humour of the Byshops of Rome to compell all nations to vse the natural language of the citie of Rome where they were Byshops whiche shewed a certayne acknowledging of subiection vnto them so yet serued it muche more their craftie purpose thereby to keepe all people so blinde that they not knowyng what they prayed what they beleued what they were commaunded by God myght take all their commaundementes for Gods. For as they woulde not suffer the holy scriptures or Churche seruice to be vsed or had in any other language then the latine so were verye fewe euen of the moste simple people taught the Lordes prayer the articles of the fayth and the ten commaundementes otherwyse then in latine whiche they vnsterstoode not by whiche vniuersal ignorance al men were redy to beleue whatsoeuer they sayd to do whatsoeuer they commaunded For to imitate the apostles phrase If the Emperours subiectes had knowen out of Gods worde their duetie to their prince they would not haue suffered the Byshop of Rome to perswade them to forsake their Soueraigne lord the Emperour against their othe of fidelitie and to rebel against him only for that he cast images vnto the which idolatrie was committed out of the Churches which the Byshop of Rome bare them in hande to be heresie If they had knowen of Gods word but asmuch as the ten commaundementes they should haue founde that the Byshop of Rome was not onlye a traytour to the Emperour his liege Lorde but to God also and an horrible blasphemer of his maiestie in calling his holy worde and commaundement heresye and that which the Byshop of
all the same so resortyng thyther ought with all quietnesse and reuerence there to behaue them selues in doing their bounden duetie seruice to almightie God in the congregation of his Saintes All which thinges are euident to be prooued by Gods holye worde as hereafter shall playnelye appeare And firste of all I wyll declare by the scriptures that it is called as it is indeede the house of God and temple of the Lorde He that sweareth by the temple sayth our sauiour Christe sweareth by it and hym that dwelleth therein meanyng God the father whiche he also expresseth playnely in the Gospell of Saint John saying Do not make the house of my father the house of marchaundize And in the booke of the Psalmes the Prophete Dauid sayth I wyll enter into thyne house I wyll worshyp in thy holy temple in thy feare And it is in almost infinite places of the scripture specially in the prophetes and booke of psalmes called the house of God or the house of the Lorde Sometyme it is named the tabernacle of the Lord and sometime the sanctuarye that is to say the holy house or place of the Lorde And it is in lykewyse called the house of prayer as Salomon who buylded the temple of the Lorde at Hierusalem doth ofte call it the house of the Lorde in the whiche the Lordes name should be called vpon And Esaias in the. 50. Chapter My house shal be called the house of prayer amongst all nations Which text our sauiour Christ alleageth in the newe Testament as doth appeare in three of the Euangelistes and in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publicane whiche went to pray in which parable our sauiour Christ sayth They went vp into the temple to pray And Anna the holy wydo we and prophetisse serued the Lorde in fastyng and prayer in the temple nyght and day And in the storie of the Actes it is mentioned how that Peter John went vp into the temple at the houre of prayer And saint Paul praying in the temple at Hierusalem was rapte in the spirite and did see Jesus speaking vnto him And as in all conuenient places prayer may be vsed of the godly priuately So it is most certaine that the Churche or temple is the due and appoynted place for common and publique prayer Nowe that it is lykewise the place of thankes geuyng vnto the Lorde for his innumerable and vnspeakeable benefites bestowed vppon vs appeareth notably in the latter ende of the Gospell of saint Luke and the begynnyng of the storie of the Actes where it is written that the Apostles and disciples after the assention of the lord continued with one accorde dayly in the temple alwayes praysyng and blessyng God. And it is lykewyse declared in the first Epistle to the Corinthians that the Churche is the due place appoynted for the reuerent vse of the Sacramentes It remayneth nowe to be declared that the Churche or temple is the place where the lyuely worde of God and not mans inuentions ought to be read taught and that the people are bounde thyther with all diligence to resort and this proofe likewise to be made by the scriptures as hereafter shall appeare In the storie of the actes of the apostles we reade that Paul and Barnabas preached the worde of God in the temples of the Jewes at Salamine And when they came to Antiochia they entred on the Sabbath day into the Synagogue or Churche and sate downe and after the lesson or readyng of the lawe and the prophetes the ruler of the temple sent vnto them saying Ye men and brethren yf anye of you haue any exhortation to make vnto the people saye it And so Paul standyng vp and makyng scilence with his hande sayde Ye men that be Israelites and ye that feare God geue eare and so foorth preachyng to them a sermon out of the scriptures as there at large appeareth And in the same storie of the actes the seuenteenth Chapter is testified howe Paul preached Christ out of the Scriptures at Thessalonica And in the fifteenth Chapter James the apostle in that holy councell and assemblie of his felowe Apostles sayth Moyses of olde tyme hath in euery Citie certayne that preache hym in the Synagogues or temples where he is read euerye Sabbath day By these places ye maye see the vsage of readyng of the Scriptures of the olde Testament among the Jewes in theyr Synagogues euery Sabbath daye and sermons vsually made vpon the same Howe muche more then is it conuenient that the Scriptures of God and specially the Gospell of our sauiour Christ should be read and expounded to vs that be Christians in our Churches speciallye our sauiour Christe and his apostles allowyng this most godly and necessarie vsage and by theyr examples confirming the same It is written in the stories of the Gospels in diuers places that Jesus went rounde about all Galilee teachyng in theyr Synagogues preaching the Gospell of the kyngdome In which places is his great diligence in continuall preachyng and teachyng of the people most euidently set foorth In Luke ye reade howe Jesus accordyng to his accustomed vse came into the temple and howe the booke of Esaias the prophete was deliuered him howe he read a text therein made a sermon vpon the same And in the. xix is expressed howe he taught dayly in the temple And it is thus written in the. viii of John Jesus came agayne earlye in the mornyng into the temple and all the people came vnto hym and he sate downe and taught them And in the. xviii of John our sauiour testifieth before Pilate that he spake openly vnto the world and that he alwayes taught in the Synagogue and in the temple whyther all the Jewes resorted and that secretely he spake nothing And in saint Luke Jesus taught in the temple and all the people came early in the morning vnto hym that they myght heare hym in the temple Here ye see aswell the diligence of our sauiour in teaching the worde of God in the temple dayly and specially on the Sabbath dayes as also the redynesse of the people resortyng altogether and that early in the morning into the Temple to heare hym The same example of diligence in preachyng the worde of God in the Temple shall ye fynde in the Apostles and the people resortyng vnto them Act. the. v. Howe the Apostles although they had ben whypped and scourged the day before and by the hygh priest commaunded that they shoulde preache no more in the name of Jesus yet the day folowyng they entred earlye in the mornyng into the Temple and dyd not ceasse to teache and declare Jesus Christe And in sundrye other places of the storye of the Actes ye shall fynde lyke diligence both in the Apostles in teachyng and in the people in commyng to the temple to heare Gods worde And it is testified in the
maynteyners and worshyppers haue vsed and vse the same outwarde rites maner of honouryng and worshipping theyr images as the Gentiles dyd vse before their idols and that therefore they commit idolatrie aswell inwardly and outwardlye as dyd the wycked Gentiles idolaters And concerning the first part of the idolatrious opinions of our image maynteyners What I pray you be suche saintes with vs to whom we attribute the defence of certayne countreyes spoylyng God of his due honour herein but Dij tutelares of the Gentiles idolaters Suche as were Belus to the Babylonians and Assyrians O siris and Isis to the Egyptians Vulcane to the Lemnians and such other What be such saintes to whom the sauegarde of certayne cities are appointed but Dij praesides with the Gentiles idolaters Suche as were at Delphos Apollo at Athens Minerua at Carthage Iuno at Rome Quirinus c. What be such saints to whom contrary to the vse of the primitiue Churche Temples and Churches be buylded and aulters erected but Dij patroni of the Gentiles idolaters Such as were in the Capitol Iupiter in Paphus temple Venus in Ephesus temple Diana such lyke Alas we seeme in thus thynkyng and doyng to haue learned our religion not out of Gods worde but out of the Pagan poets who say Excessere omnes aditis arisque relictis Dij quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is to say All the gods by whose desence this Empire stoode are gone out of the temples and haue forsaken their aulters And where one saint hath images in diuers places the same saint hath diuers names thereof moste lyke to the Gentiles When you heare of our Lady of Walsingham our Lady of Ipswich our Lady of Wilsdon suche other what is it but an imitation of the Gentiles idolaters Diana Agrotera Diana Coriphea Diana Ephesia c. Venus Cipria Venus Paphia Venus Gnidia Whereby is euidently meant that the saint for the image sake shoulde in those places yea in the images them selues haue a dwellyng whiche is the grounde of theyr idolatrie For where no images be they haue no such meanes Terentius varro sheweth that there were three hundred Iupiters in his tyme there were no fewer Veneres and Dianae we had no fewer Christophers Ladies and Marie Magdalens and other saintes Oenomaus and Hesiodus shewe that in theyr time there were thirtie thousande Gods. I thinke we had no fewer saintes to whom we gaue the honour due to god And they haue not only spoyled the true liuing God of his due honour in temples cities countreyes and landes by suche deuises and inuentions as the Gentiles idolaters haue done before them but the Sea and waters haue aswell speciall saintes with them as they had Gods with the Gentiles Neptune Tritron Nereus Castor Pollux Venus and suche other In whose places be come saint Christopher saint Clement and diuers other and specially our Lady to whom shypmen syng Aue maris stella Neyther hath the fyre scaped theyr idolatrious inuentions For in steade of Vulcane and Vesta the Gentiles gods of the fyre our men haue placed saint Agatha and make letters on her day for to quenche fyre with Euerye artificer and profession hath his speciall saint as a peculier god As for example scollers haue saint Nicholas and saint Gregorie paynters saint Luke neyther lacke souldiers theyr Mars nor louers theyr Venus amongest Christians All diseases haue theyr speciall saintes as gods the curers of them The pockes saint Roche the fallyng euyll saint Cornelis the toothe ache saint Appoline c. neyther do beastes and cattell lacke theyr Gods with vs for saint Loy is the horseleache and saint Anthonie the swinehearde c. Where is Gods prouidence and due honour in the meane season who sayth The heauens be myne and the earth is myne the whole worlde and al that in it is I do geue victorie and I put to flight of me be al councels and helpe c. Except I kepe the citie in vayne doth he watch that kepeth it thou Lorde shalt saue both men and beastes But we haue left hym neyther heauen nor earth nor water nor countrey nor citie peace no warre to rule and gouerne neyther men nor beastes nor theyr diseases to cure that a godlye man myght iustlye for zelous indignation crye out O heauen O earth and seas what madnesse and wickednesse agaynst God are men fallen into What dishonour do the creatures to theyr creator and maker And yf we remember God sometime yet because we doubt of his habilitie or will to helpe we ioyne to hym another helper as he were a nowne adiectiue vsyng these sayinges suche as learne God and saint Nicholas be my speede such as neese God helpe and saint John to the horse God and saint Loy saue thee Thus are we become like horses and moyles whiche haue no vnderstandyng For is there not one God only who by his power and wysdome made all thynges and by his prouidence gouerneth the same and by his goodnes maynteyneth and saueth them Be not all thynges of hym by hym and through hym Why doest thou turne from the creatour to the creatures This is the maner of the Gentiles idolaters but thou art a Christian and therefore by Christe alone hast accesse to God the father and helpe of him only These thynges are not wrytten to any reproche of the saintes them selues who were the true seruauntes of God and dyd geue all honour to him taking none vnto themselues and are blessed soules with God but against our foolishnes and wickednes makyng of the true seruauntes of God false gods by attributyng to them the power and honour whiche is Gods and due to hym only And for that we haue suche opinions of the power and redy helpe of saintes al our Legendes Hymnes Sequences and Masses dyd conteyne stories laudes and prayses of them and prayers to them yea and sermons also altogether of them and to theyr prayses Gods worde beyng cleane layde asyde And this we do altogether agreeable to the saintes as dyd the Gentiles idolaters to theyr false gods For these opinions whiche men haue had of mortall persons were they neuer so holye the olde moste godlye and learned Christians haue written agaynst the faygned gods of the Gentiles and Christian princes haue destroyed theyr images who yf they were nowe lyuyng woulde doubtlesse lykewyse both wryte agaynst our false opinions of saintes and also destroye theyr images For it is euident that our image maynteyners haue the same opinion of saintes whiche the Gentiles had of theyr false gods and thereby are moued to make them images as the Gentiles dyd If aunswere be made that they make saintes but intercessours to God and meanes for suche thynges as they woulde obteyne of God that is euen after the Gentiles idolatrious vsage to make them of saintes gods called Dij Medioximi to be meane intercessours and helpers to God as though he dyd not heare or shoulde be weerye yf he
assemble synodes and counsels and made seuere decrees agaynst images and worshyppyng of them as hath ben at large in the seconde parte of this Nomilee before declared But all their wrytyng preachyng assemblyng in counselles decreeyng and makyng of lawes ecclesiasticall coulde nothyng helpe eyther to pull downe images to whom idolatrie was committed or agaynst idolatrie whilest images stood For those blynde bookes and dumbe Scholemaisters I meane images and idols for they call them laye mens bookes and Scholemaisters by their carued and paynted wrytynges teachyng and preachyng idolatrie preuayled agaynst all their wrytten bookes and preachyng with lyuely voyce as they call it Well if preachyng and wrytyng could not keepe men from worshyppyng of images and idolatrie if pennes and wordes coulde not do it you woulde thynke that penaltie and swordes myght do it I meane that prynces by seuere lawes and punishmentes myght stay this vnbridled affection of al men to idolatrie though images were set vp and suffered But experience proueth that this can no more help agaynst idolatrie then wrytyng and preachyng For Christian Emperours whose aucthoritie ought of reason and by Gods law to be greatest aboue eight in number and sixe of them successiuelye raigning one after another as is in the histories before rehearsed makyng moste seuere lawes and proclamations agaynst idols and idolatrie images and the worshipping of images and executing most greeuous punishmentes yea the penaltie of death vpon the mainteiners of images and vppon idolaters and image worshyppers could not bryng to passe that either images once set vp myght throughly be destroyed or that men shoulde refrayne from the worshyppyng of them beyng set vp And what thynke you then wyll come to passe yf men of learnyng shoulde teache the people to make them and shoulde maynteyne the settyng vp of them as thynges necessarie in religion To conclude it appeareth euidently by all stories and wrytynges and experience of tymes past that neither preaching neyther wrytyng neyther the consent of the learned nor aucthoritie of the godly nor the decrees of counsels neyther the lawes of prynces nor extreame punyshmentes of the offendours in that behalfe nor no other remedy or meanes can help agaynst idolatrie if images be suffered publiquelye And it is truely sayde that tymes past are scholemaisters of wysedome to vs that folow and lyue after Therefore in tymes past the vertuest and best learned the moste diligent also and in number almoste infinite auncient fathers Byshops and Doctours with their wrytyng preachyng industrie earnestnes aucthoritie assembles and counselles coulde do nothyng agaynst images idolatrie to images once set vp What can we neyther in learning nor holinesse of lyfe neither in diligence neither aucthoritie to be compared with them but men in contempt and of no estimation as the world goeth now a fewe also in number in so great a multitude malice of men What can we do I say or bryng to passe to the stay of idolatrie or worshippyng of images if they be alowed to stand publiquely in temples and Churches And if so many so mightie Emperours by so seuere lawes and proclamations so rigorous and extreame punishmentes and executions coulde not stay the people from settyng vp and worshypppng of images what wyll ensue thynke you when men shall commend them as necessarie bookes of the lay men Let vs therefore of these latter dayes learne this lessen of the experience of the auncient antiquitie that idolatrie can not possiblie be separated from images anye long tyme but that as an vnseparable accident or as a shadowe foloweth the body when the sunne shyneth so idolatrie foloweth and cleaueth to the publique hauing of images in Temples and Churches And finally as idolatrie is to be abhorred and auoyded so are images whiche can not be long without idolatrie to be put away and destroyed Besides the whiche experimentes and proofes of tymes before the very nature and origine of images them selues draweth to idolatrie most violently and mans nature and inclination also is bent to idolatrie so vehemently that it is not possible to seuer or parte images nor to kepe men from idolatrie if images be suffred publiquely That I speake of the nature and origin of images is this Euen as the fyrste intention of them is naught no good can come of that whiche had an euyll begynnyng for they be altogether naught as Athanasius in his boke against the gentiles declareth and saint Jerome also vppon the prophet Jeremie the. vi Chapter and Eusebius the seuenth booke of his ecclesiasticall historie the. xviii Chapter testifieth that as they first came from the Gentiles which were idolaters and worshippers of images vnto vs and as the inuention of them was the beginning of spirituall fornication as the worde of God testifieth Sap. 14. So will they naturally as it were and of necessitie turne to their origine from whence they came and draw vs with them most violently to idolatrie abominable to God and all godly men For if the origine of images and worshipping of them as it is recorded in the eight chapter of the booke of wysedome began of a blynde loue of a fonde father framing for his comfort an image of his soÌ„ne being dead and so at the last men fel to the worshiping of the image of him whom they did know to be deade Howe much more will men women fall to the worshipping of the images of God our sauiour Christ his saintes if they be suffered to stande in churches temples publiquely For the greater thoppinion is of the maiestie holines of the person to whom an image is made the sooner will the people fall to the worshipping of the sayd images Wherfore the images of God our sauiour Christ the blessed virgin Mary the apostels martirs and other of notable holinesse are of all other images most daungerous for the peril of idolatrie and therefore greatest heede to be taken that none of them be suffered to stande publiquely in Churches and temples For there is no great dread least any should fall to the worshipping of the images of Annas Cayphas Pilat or Iudas the traytour if they were set vp But to the other it is alredy at full proued that idolatrie hath benâ— is and is most lyke continually to be committed Nowe as was before touched and is here more largely to be declared the nature of man is none otherwyse bent to worshipping of images if he maye haue them and see them then it is bent to whoredome and adultrie in â—he company of harlots And as vnto a man geuen to the lust of the fleshe seyng a wanton harlot sitting by her and imbracing her it profiteth little for one to saye be ware of fornication God will condempne fornicatours and adulterers For neyther will he being ouercome with greater enticementes of the strumpet geue eare or take heede to suche godlye admonitions and when he is left afterwardes alone with the harlot nothing can follow but wickednes Euen so suffer images
a figure to signifie and not an example to follow that those outward thinges were suffered for a tyme vntill Christ our Lorde came who turned all those outwarde thinges into spirite fayth and trueth And the same saynt Jerome vpon the seuenth chapter of Jeremy saith God commaunded both the Jewes at that time and nowe vs who are placed in the Churche that we haue no trust in the goodlinesse of building and gylte rooffes and in walles couered with tables of marble and say the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the lord For that is the temple of the lorde wherein dwelleth true fayth godly conuersation and the company of all vertues And vppon the Prophet Agge he descrybeth the true and ryght decking of ornamentes of the Temple after this sorte I sayth Saint Jerome do thinke the siluer wherewith the house of God is decked to be the doctrine of the scriptures of the whiche it is spoken The doctrine of the Lorde is a pure doctrine siluer tryed in fyre purged from drosse purified seuen tymes And I do take golde to be that which remayneth in the hid sense of the saintes and the secrete of the heart and shyneth with the true lyght of god Which is euident that the Apostle also meant of the saintes that buylde vppon the foundation of Christ some siluer some golde some precious stones that by the Golde the hid sense by siluer godlye vtteraunce by precious stones workes whiche please God myght be signified With these mettals the Churche of our sauiour is made more goodly and gorgeous then was the synagogue in olde tyme With these liuely stones is the Churche and house of Christ builded and peace is geuen to it for euer All these be saint Hieromes sayinges No more dyd the olde godly Bishops and doctours of the Churche allowe the outragious furniture of Temples and Churches with plate vesselles of golde siluer and precious vestures Saint Chrisostome sayth In the ministerie of the holy Sacramentes there is no neede of golden vesselles but of golden mindes And saint Ambrose saith Christe sent his Apostles without golde and gathered his Church without golde The Churche hath golde not to hepe it but to bestowe it on the necessities of the poore The Sacramentes looke for no golde neyther do they please God for the cōmendation of golde which are not bought for golde The adournyng and deckyng of the Sacramentes is the redemption of captyues Thus much saint Ambrose Saint Hierome commendeth Exuperius Byshop of Tolose that he caryed the Sacrament of the Lordes bodye in a wycker basket and the Sacrament of his blood in a glasse and so caste couetousnes out of the Churche And Bonifacius Byshop and martyr as it is recorded in the decrees testifieth that in olde tyme the ministers vsed treene and not golden vessels And Zepherinus the. xvi Byshoppe of Rome made a decree that they shoulde vse vesselles of glasse Lykewyse were the vestures vsed in the Churche in olde tyme very playne and single and nothyng costly And Rabanus at large declareth that this costly and manifolde furniture of vestmentes of late vsed in the Churche was fet from the Jewishe vsage and agreeth with Aarons apparelling almost altogether For the maintenaunce of the which Innocentius the Pope pronounceth boldly that all the customes of the olde lawe be not abolished that we might in suche apparel of Christians the more willingly become Jewish This is noted not agaynst Churches temples which are most necessary ought to haue theyr due vse and honour as is in another Homilee for theyr purpose declared nor against the conuenient cleanlinesse and ornamentes thereof but agaynst the sumptuousnes abuses of Temples and Churches For it is a Churche or Temple also that glistereth with no marble shyneth with no golde nor syluer glittereth with no pearles nor precious stones but with plainnesse and frugalitie signifieth no proude doctrine nor people but humble frugall and nothyng esteemyng earthly and outwarde thynges but gloriouslye decked with inwarde ornamentes according as the prophet declareth saying The kings daughter is altogether glorious inwardlye Nowe concernyng outragious deckyng of images and idolles with paynting gyldyng adournyng with precious vestures pearle and stone what is it els but for the further prouocation and intisement to spirituall fornication to decke spirituall harlottes moste costly and wantonlye which the idolatrious Churche vnderstandeth wel enough For shee beyng in deede not only an harlot as the scriptures calleth her but also a foule fylthye olde withered harlot for she is in deede of auncient yeres and vnderstandyng her lacke of naturall and true beawtie and great lothsomenesse whiche of her selfe she hath doth after the custome of suche harlottes paynte her selfe and decke tire her selfe with golde pearle stone and all kinde of precious iewels that she shyning with the outward beawtie and glory of them may please the foolyshe fantasie of fonde louers and so entice them to spirituall fornication with her Who yf they sawe her I wyll not say naked but in simple apparell woulde abhorre her as the fowlest and fylthyest harlot that euer was seene Accordyng as appeareth by the discription of the garnyshyng of the great strumpette of all strumpettes the mother of whoredome set foorth by saint John in his reuelation who by her glorye prouoked the Princes of the earth to committe whoredome with her Whereas on the contrarye part the true Churche of GOD as a chaste matrone espoused as the scripture teacheth to one husbande our sauiour Jesus Christe whom alone she is content onlye to please and serue and looketh not to delyght the eyes or phantasies of any other straunge louers or wooers is content with her naturall ornamentes not doubtyng by suche sincere simplicitie best to please him which can well skil of the difference betweene a paynted visage and true naturall beawtie And concerning such glorious gildyng and decking of images both Gods worde wrytten in the. x. Chapter of the prophete Hierome and saint Hieromes commentaries vppon the same are moste worthye to be noted Firste the wordes of the scriptures be these The workeman with his are he wed the tymber out of the wood with the worke of his handes he decked it with golde and syluer he ioyned it with nayles and pinnes and the stroke of an hammer that it myght holde together They be made smothe as the Palme and they can not speake yf they be borne they remoue for they can not go Feare ye them not for they can neyther do euyll nor good Thus sayth the prophete Upon which text saint Hierome hath these wordes This is the description of idols which the Gentiles worshyp theyr matter is vyle corruptible And whereas the artificer is mortal the thinges he maketh must nedes be corruptible he decketh it with siluer and golde that with glitteryng or shynyng of both mettals he may deceaue the simple Which errour in deede hath passed ouer from the
muâ—â— be careful to keepe the christian sabbath day which is the sunday not onely for that it is Gods expresse commaundement but also to declare our selues to be louing children in folowing the example of our gratious Lorde and father Thus it may playnely appeare that Gods will and commaundement was to haue a solemne time and standing day in the weke wherin the people shoulde come together and haue in remembraunce his wonderfull benefites and to render him thankes for them as apparteyneth to louing kynd obedient people This example and commaundement of God the godly Christian people began to follow immediately after the ascention of our Lorde Christ and began to chose them a standing daye of the weeke to come together in Yet not the seuenth day which the Jewes kept but the Lordes day the day of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ the day after the seuenth day which is the first of the weeke Of the which day mention is made of saint Paule on this wyse In the first day of the sabbath let euery man lay vp what he thynketh good meaning for the poore By the first day of the sabbath is meant our Sundaye whiche is the first daye after the Jewes seuenth day And in the Apocalips it is more plaine wher as saint John sayth I was in the spirite vpon the sunday Sithens whiche time Gods people hath alwayes in all ages without any gaynsaying vsed to come together vpon the Sunday to celebrate and honour the Lordes blessed name carefully to kepe that day in holy rest quyetnes both man woman chylde seruaunt and stranger For the trangression and breache of whiche day God hath declared him selfe much to be greued as it may appeare 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 boldenes of those that will be counted gods people who passe nothing at al of keeping and halowing the sundaye And these people are of two sortes The one sort if they haue any businesse to do though there be no extreme neede they must not spare for the sunday they must ryde and iourney on the sunday they must dryue carry on the sunday they must row and ferry on the sunday they must buye and sell on the sunday they muste keepe markets and fayres on the sundaye Finallye they vse all dayes alike workdaies and holy daies al are one The other sort is worse For although they wil not trauell nor labour on the sunday as they do on the weke day yet they wil not rest in holines as God commaundeth but they rest in vngodlines filthines prauncing in their pryde prancking and pricking pointing and painting them selues to be gorgeous and gay they rest in exces superfluitie in glutteny and drunkennesse lyke rattes and swyne they rest in brawling and rayling in quarreling and fyghting they reste in wantonnes in toyishe talkyng in filthy fleshlinesse so that it doth to euidentlye appeare that God is more dishonored and the deuill better serued on the sunday then vpon all the dayes in the weeke besyde And I assure you the beastes whiche are commaunded to rest on the sunday honour God better then this kynde of people For they offende not God they breake not their holyday Wherefore O ye people of God lay your handes vpon your heartes repent amend this greeuous and daungerous wickednesse stand in awe of the commaundement of God gladlye folowe the example of God him selfe be not disobedient to the godly order of Christes Churche vsed and kept from the apostles tyme vntill this day Feare the displeasure and iust plagues of almighty God if ye be negligent and forbeare not labouring and trauayling on the sabbath day or sunday and do not resort together to celebrate magnifie Gods blessed name in quiet holinesse and godly reuerence Nowe 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 holye rest That place is called Goddes Tentple or the churche because the company congregation of Gods people which is properly called the church doth there assemble them selues on the dayes appointed for such assemblies meetinges And sorasmuch as almightie God hath appointed a speciall time to be honored in it is very meete godly and also necessary that there should be a place appoynted where these people should meete and resort to serue their gracious God and mercifull father Trueth it is the holy Patriarches for a great number of yeres had neyther temple nor churche to resort vnto The cause was they were not stayed in any place but were in a continuall perigrination and wandering that they could not conueniently buyld any churche But so soone as God had delyuered his people from their enemies and set them in some libertie in the wildernes he set them vp a costly a curious tabernacle whiche was as it were the paryshe church a place to resort vnto of the whole multitude a place to haue his sacrifices made in and other obseruaunces and rites to be vsed in Furthermore after that God according to the trueth of his promise had placed and quyetlye setled his people in the land of Chanaan now called Jury he commaunded a great and a magnificent temple to be buylded by kyng Salomon as seldome the lyke hath ben seene a temple so decked and adourned so gorgeously garnished as was meete and expedient for people of that tyme whiche would be allured stirred with nothing so much as with suche out warde goodlye gaye thinges This was nowe the temple of God indued also with many gyttes sundry promyses This was the paryshe churche and the mother Churche of all Jury Here was God honoured and serued Hyther was the whole realme of all the Israelites bounde to come at three solempne feastes in the yere to serue their Lord God here But let vs proceede further In the tyme of Christe and his Apostles there was yet no temples nor Churches for Christian men For whye they were alwayes for the moste part in persecution veration and trouble so that there coulde be no libertie nor lycence obteyned for that purpose Yet God delyghted much that they shoulde often resort togyther in a place and therefore after his ascention they remayned togyther in an vpper chamber sometyme they entred into the Temple sometyme into the synagoges sometyme they were in pryson sometymes in theyr houses sometymes in the feeldes c. And this continued so long till the fayth of Chryste Jesus began to multiplye in a great parte of the worlde Nowe when dyuers Realmes were establyshed in gods true religion and God hath geuen them peace and quyetnes then began kynges noble men and the people also stirred vp with a godly zeale and feruentnesse to buylde vp temples and Churches whyther the people might resort the better to do their dutie
towardes God to keepe holy their sabbath daye the daye of rest And to these temples haue the Christians customably vsed to resort from tyme to tyme as vnto meete places where they might with common consent prayse and magnifie Gods name yeelding him thankes for the benefites that he dayly powreth vpon them both mercifully and aboundantlye where they might also heare his holy word read expounded preached sincerely and receaue his holy sacramentes ministred vnto them duely and purely True it is that the chiefe and special temples of God wherin he hath greatest pleasure most delighteth to dwel are the bodies mindes of true christians and the chosen people of God according to the doctrine of holye scriptures declared by Saint Paul. Knowe ye not sayth he that ye be the temple of God and that the spirite of God doth dwell in you The temple of God is holy whiche ye are And againe in the same Epistle Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holye Ghost dwelling in you whom you haue geuen you of God and that ye be not your owne Yet this notwithstanding God doeth alowe the materiall temple made with lyme and stone so oft as his people come together into it to praise his holy name to be his house and the place where he hath promised to be present and where he wil heare the prayers of them that call vpon him The which thing both Christ and his apostles with all the rest of the holy fathers do sufficiently declare by this That albeit they certaynlye knewe that their prayers were heard in what place soeuer they made them though it were in caues in woodes in desartes yet so oft as they could conueniently they resorted to the material temples there with the rest of the congregation to ioyne in prayer and true worship Wherefore dearely beloued you that professe your selues to be Christians and glory in that name disdaine not to folow the example of your maister Christe whose schollers you saye ye be shew you to be lyke them whose scholemates you take vpon you to be that is the Apostles and disciples of Christe Lift vp pure handes with cleane heartes in all places at all tymes But do the same in the temples and Churches vpon the sabbath daies also Our godly predecessours and the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church spared not their goodes to buylde Churches no they spared not their lyues in tyme of persecution and to hazarde their blood that they myght assemble them selues together in Churches And shal we spare a little labour to come to churches Shall neither their example nor our duety nor the commodities that thereby shoulde come vnto vs moue vs If we will declare our selues to haue the feare of God if we will shewe our selues true christians if we will be the folowers of Christ our maister and of those godly fathers that haue liued before vs now haue receaued the rewarde of true and faythfull christians we must both willingly earnestly and reuerently come vnto the material churches and temples to praye as vnto fit places appoynted for that vse And that vppon the sabbath day as at most conuenient tyme for Gods people to cease from bodyly and worldlye businesse to geue them selues to holy rest and godly contemplation parteining to the seruice of almightie God Wherby we may reconcile our selues to God be partakers of his reuerent sacramentes and be deuout hearers of his holye worde so to be established in fayth to godwarde in hope agaynst all aduersitie and in charitie towardes our neighbours And thus running our course as good christian people we may at the last attaine the reward of euerlasting glorie through the merites of our sauiour Iesus Christe to whom with the father and the holye Ghost be all honour and glorye Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer IT hath ben declared vnto you good Christian people in the former Sermon read vnto you at what tyme and into what place ye shal come togyther to prayse God. Now I entende to set before your eies first how zelous desirous ye ought to be to come to your Church Secondly how sore God is greeued with them that do despyse or little regarde to come to the Churche vpon the holy restfull day It may wel appeare by the scriptures that many of the godly Israelites beyng no we in captiuitie for their sinnes among the Babilonians full often wysshed and desyred to be agayne at Hierusalem And at their returne through Gods goodnesse though many of the people were negligent yet the fathers were maruelous deuout to buyld vp the temple that Gods people might repayre thyther to honour him And Kyng Dauid when he was a banished man out of his countrey out of Hierusalem the holye Citie from the sanctuarie from the holye place and from the tabernacle of God What desyre what feruentnesse was in him towardes the holye place What wysshinges and prayers made he to God to be a dweller in the house of the Lorde One thing sayth he haue I asked of the Lorde and this will I still craue that I maye resorte and haue my dwelling in the house of the Lorde so long as I lyue Agayne Oh howe I ioyed when I heard these wordes VVe shall go into the Lordes house And in other places of the Psalmes he declareth for what intent and purpose he hath such a feruente desyre to enter into the Temple and Churche of the Lorde I will fall downe sayth he and worship in the holy temple of the lord Agayne I haue appeared in thy holy place that I myght beholde thy myght and power that I myght beholde thy glory and magnificence Finally he sayth I will shewe foorth thy name to my brethren I will prayse thee in the middes of the congregation Why then had Dauid suche an earnest desyre to the house of God First because there he would worship and honour god Secondly there he would haue a contemplation and a syght of the power and glorye of god Thirdly there he would prayse the name of god with all the congregation and companye of the people These considerations of this blessed prophet of God ought to stirre vp and kindle in vs the lyke earnest desyre to resort to the church especially vppon the holy restfull dayes there to do our duties to serue God there to call to remembraunce how God euen of his mere mercie for the glory of his name sake worketh myghtely to conserue vs in health wealth and godlynesse myghtyly preserueth vs from the assaults and rages of our fierce and cruell enemies and there ioyfully in the number of his faithfull people to prayse and magnitie the Lords holy name Set before your eyes also that auncient father Simeon of whom the scripture speaketh thus to his great commendation and an incouragemēt for vs to do the lyke There was a man at Hierusalem
kepe our feaste the whole tearme of our lyfe with eatyng the bread of purenes of godly life and trueth of Christes doctrine Thus shal we declare that Christes giftes and graces haue their effect in vs and that we haue the ryght beleefe and knowledge of his holy resurrection where truely if we apply our fayth to the vertue thereof and in our lyfe confourme vs to the example signification meant thereby we shal be sure to ryse hereafter to euerlastyng glory by the goodnesse and mercie of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glory thankes geuyng and prayse in infinita seculorum secula Amen ¶ An homilee of the worthy receauyng and reuerent esteeming of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christe THE great loue of our Sauiour Christ towardes mankynd good Christian people doth not onlye appeare in that deare bought benefite of our redemption saluation by his death passiō but also in that he so kindlye prouided that the same most mercyful worke myght be had in continual remembraunce to take some place in vs and not be frustrate of his ende and purpose For as tender parentes are not content to procure for their chyldren costly possessions and liuelode but take order that the same may be conserued and come to their vse So our Lorde and sauiour thought it not sufficient to purchase for vs his fathers fauour agayne whiche is that deepe fountayne of all goodnesse and eternall lyfe but also inuented the wayes most wysely whereby they myght redound to our commoditie profite Amongst the which meanes is the publique celebration of the memorie of his pretious death at the Lordes table Whiche although it seeme of small vertue to some yet beyng ryghtly done by the faythfull it doth not onlye helpe their weaknesse who be by their poysoned nature redyer to remember iniuries then benefites but strengthneth comforteth their in ward man with peace gladnesse and maketh them thankfull to their redeemer with diligent care and godly conuersation And as of olde tyme God decreed his wonderous benefites of the delyueraunce of his people to be kepte in memorie by the eatyng of the passeouer with his rites and ceremonies So our louyng Sauiour hath ordeyned and establyshed the remembraunce of his great mercie expressed in his passion in the institution of his heauenly supper where euery one of vs must be ghestes and not gasers eaters and not lookers seedyng our selues and not hiryng other to feede for vs that we may lyue by our owne meate and not perishe for hunger whiles other deuour all To this his commaundement forceth vs saying Do ye thus drinke ye all of this To this his promise enticeth This is my body whiche is geuen for you this is my blood whiche is shed for you So then as of necessitie we muste be our selues partakers of this table and not beholders of other So we must addresse our selues to frequent the same in reuerent and due maner least as phisike prouided for the body beyng misused more hurteth then profiteth so this comfortable medicine of the soule vndecently receaued tendeth to our greater harme and sorow And saint Paul sayth He that eateth and drynketh vnworthyly eateth and drynketh his owne dampnation Wherefore that it be not saide to vs as it was to the ghest of that great supper Freende howe camest thou in not hauing the mariage garment And that we maye fruitfully vse Saint Paules counsell Let a man proue hym selfe and so eate of that bread and drynke of that cuppe We muste certaynelye knowe that three thynges be requisite in hym which woulde seemely as becommeth suche hygh mysteries resorte to the Lordes table That is Fyrste a ryght and a worthye estimation and vnderstandyng of this mysterie Secondely to come in a sure fayth And thirdely to haue newenesse or purenesse of lyfe to succeede the receauing the same But before all other thynges this we must be sure of especially that this Supper be in suche wyse done and ministred as our Lorde and sauiour did and commaunded to be done as his holy Apostles vsed it and the good fathers in the primatiue Churche frequented it For as that worthy man saint Ambrose sayth he is vnworthy of the Lord that otherwise doth celebrate that mysterie then it was delyuered by him Neither can he be deuout that other waies doth presume thē it was geuen by the aucthor We must then take heede leaste of the memorie it be made a sacrifice least of a cōmunion it be made a priuate eatyng least of two partes we haue but one least applying it for the dead we lose the fruit that be aliue Let vs rather in these matters folowe the aduice of Ciprian in the lyke cases that is cleaue fast to the firste beginnyng holde fast the Lordes tradition do that in the Lordes cōmemoration which he him selfe did he him selfe commaunded his apostles confirmed This caution or foresight yf we vse then may we see to those thynges that be requisit in the worthy receauer wherof this was the fyrste that we haue a ryght vnderstandyng of the thyng it selfe As concerning which thing this we maye assuredlye perswade our selues that the ignoraunt man can neyther worthyly esteeme nor effectually vse those marueilous graces and benefites offered and exhibited in that Supper but eyther wyll lightly regarde them to no small offence or vtterly condempne them to his vtter destruction So that by his negligence he deserueth the plagues of God to fall vppon hym and by contempt he deserueth euerlastyng perdition To auoyde then these harmes vse the aduice of the wyse man who wylleth thee when thou sittest at an earthlye kynges table to take diligent heede what thinges are set before thee So nowe much more at the kyng of kynges table thou must carefully searche and knowe what dainties are prouided for thy soule whyther thou art come not to feede thy senses and belly to corruption but thy in warde man to immortalitie and lyfe nor to consyder the earthlye creatures whiche thou seest but the heauenlye graces which thy fayth beholdeth For this table is not sayth Chrisostome for chattering Jayes but for Egles who flee thither where the dead bodye lyeth And yf this aduertisement of man can not perswade vs to resorte to the lordes table with vnderstandyng see the counsell of GOD in the lyke matter who charged his people to teache their posteritie not onlye the rites and ceremonies of the Passouer but the cause and ende thereof Whence we may learne that both more perfect knowledge is required at this tyme at our handes and that the ignoraunt can not with fruite and profite exercise hym selfe in the Lordes Sacramentes But to come nygher to the matter Saint Paul blaming the Corinthians for the prophaning of the Lordes supper concludeth that ignoraunce both of the thing it selfe and the signification thereof was the cause of their abuse for they came thither
because it is necessarie profitable shall God wylling be dissolued in the next part of this Homilee In the meane season let vs as we are most bounde geue heartie thankes to God the father and his sonne Jesus Christ for sendyng downe this comforter into the world humbly beseeching him so to worke in our heartes by the power of this holy spirite that we beyng regenerate and newely borne agayne in all goodnesse righteousnesse sobrietie and trueth may in the end be made partakers of euerlastyng lyfe in his heauenly kyngdome through Jesus Christe our Lorde and sauiour Amen The seconde part of the Homilee concernyng the holy ghoste dissoluing this doubt whether al men rightly chalenge to them selues the holy ghost or no. OUR sauiour Christe departyng out of the worlde vnto his father promised his disciples to sende downe another comforter that shoulde continue with thē for euer direct them into al trueth Which thyng to be faythfully truely perfourmed the scriptures do sufficiently beare witnes Neither must we thinke that this comforter was either promised or els geuen onlye to the Apostles but also to the vniuersall Church of Christe dispearsed through the whole world For vnles the holy ghost had ben alwaies present gouernyng and preseruing the Churche from the begynnyng it coulde neuer haue sustayned so many and great bruntes of affliction and persecution with so litle dammage and harme as it hath And the wordes of Christe are moste playne in this behalfe saying that the spirite of trueth shoulde abyde with them for euer that he woulde be with them alwayes he meaneth by grace vertue and power euen to the worldes ende Also in the prayer that he made to his father a litle before his death he maketh intercession not only for him selfe and his apostles but indifferently for all them that shoulde beleue in hym through their wordes that is to wit for his whole Churche Agayne saint Paule sayth If anye man haue not the spirite of Christe the same is not his Also in the wordes folowyng We haue receaued the spirit of adoption wherby we crye abba father Hereby then it is euident and playne to all men that the holy ghost was geuen not onlye to the apostles but also to the whole body of christes congregation although not in lyke fourme maiestie as he came downe at the feaste of Pentecost But nowe herein standeth the controuersie Whether al men do iustly arrogate to thē selues the holy ghost or no The Byshops of Rome haue for a long tyme made a sore chalenge therunto reasoning for them seues after this sort The holy ghost say they was promised to the Churche and neuer forsaketh the Church But we are the cheefe heades the principall part of the Churche therefore we haue the holy ghost for euer whatsoeuer thynges we decree are vndoubted verities and oracles of the holy ghost That ye may perceaue the weakenes of this argument it is needfull to teach you first what the true Churche of Christe is and then to conferre the Churche of Rome therewith to discerne howe well they agree together The true Churche is an vniuersal congregation or felowship of Gods faythfull and elect people buylt vppon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christe hym selfe beyng the head corner stone And it hath alwayes three notes or marks wherby it is knowne Pure and sound doctrine the sacramentes ministred accordyng to Christes holy institution and the right vse of ecclesiastical discipline This description of the Churche is agreeable both to the scriptures of God and also to the doctrine of the auncient fathers so that none may iustly fynd fault therewith Now if ye wyll compare this with the Churche of Rome not as it was in the begynnnyg but as it is presently and hath ben for the space of nine hundred yeres and odde you shall well perceaue the state thereof to be so farre wide from the nature of the true Churche that nothing can be more For neyther are they buylt vppon the foundation of the apostles and prophetes retaynyng the sound and pure doctrine of Christe Jesu neyther yet do they order eyther the sacraments or els the ecclesiasticall keyes in such sort as he dyd first institute and ordeyne them But haue so intermyngled their owne traditions and inuentions by choppyng chaungyng by addyng and pluckyng away that now they may seeme to be conuerted into a new guyse Christe commended to his Church a sacrament of his body and blood They haue changed it into a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade Christ dyd minister to his apostles the apostles to other men indifferently vnder both kindes They haue robbed the lay people of the cup saying that for them one kind is sufficient Christ ordeyned no other element to be vsed in baptisme but only water wherunto when the word is ioyned it is made as S. Augustine saith a ful perfect sacrament They beyng wyser in their owne conceipte then Christ thinke it is not wel nor orderly done vnles they vse cōiuration vnles they halow the water vnles there be oyle salt spittle tapers and suche other dumbe ceremonies seruing to no vse contrary to the playne rule of S. Paul who wylleth all thynges to be done in the Churche vnto edification Christe ordeyned the aucthoritie of the keyes to excommunicate notorious sinners and to absolue them whiche are truely penitent They abuse this power at their owne pleasure aswell in cursyng the godly with bell booke and candles as also in absoluing the reprobate whiche are knowne to be vnworthy of any Christian societie Whereof he that lust to see examples let them searche their lyues To be shorte looke what our sauiour Christe pronounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospell the same may we boldly and with safe conscience pronounce of the bishops of Rome namely that they haue forsaken dayly do forsake the commaundementes of God to erect set vp their owne constitutions Which thyng beyng true as al they which haue any light of Gods word must needes confesse we may wel conclude according to the rule of Augustine That the byshoppes of Rome their adherents are not the true church of Christe muche lesse then to be taken as cheefe heades and rulers of the same Whosoeuer sayth he do discent from the scriptures concernyng the head although they be found in al places where the Church is appoynted yet are they not in the Churche A playne place concluding directly agaynst the Churche of Rome Where is now the holy ghost whiche they so stoutly do clayme to them selues Where is now the spirite of trueth that wil not suffer them in any wise to erre If it be possible to be there where the true Churche is not then is it at Rome otherwyse it is but a vayne bragge and nothyng els Saint Paule as ye haue hearde before sayth If anye man haue not the spirite of
Ierome the translatour of his Epistle and the wryter of the Historie tripartite but also all the learned and godly Byshops and Clarkes yea and the whole Churche of that age and so vpwarde to our sauiour Christes tyme by the space of about foure hundreth yeres consenting and agreeyng This is written the more largely of Epiphanius for that our image maynteyners nowe a dayes seeing them selues so pressed with this most playne and earnest act and wrytyng of Epiphanius a Byshop and doctour of suche antiquitie holynesse and aucthoritie labour by all meanes but in vayne agaynst the trueth eyther to proue that this Epistle was neyther of Epiphanius wrytyng nor saint Ieromes translation eyther yf it be say they it is of no great forte for this Epiphanius say they was a Iew and beyng conuerted to the Christian fayth and made a Byshoppe retayned the hatred whiche Iewes haue to images still in his mynde and so dyd and wrote agaynst them as a Iewe rather then as a Christian. O Iewishe impudencie and malice of suche deuisers it woulde be prooued and not sayd only that Epiphanius was a iewe Furthermore concernyng the reason they make I would admit it gladly For if Epiphanius iudgement agaynst images is not to be admitted for that he was borne of a Iewe an enemie to images whiche be Gods enemies conuerted to Christes religion then lykewyse foloweth it that no sentence in the old doctours and fathers soundyng for images ought to be of any aucthoritie for that in the primitiue Churche the most part of learned wryters as Tertulian Cipâ—ian Ambrose Austen and infinite others were of Gentiles whiche be fauourers and worshyppers if images conuerted to the Christian fayth and so let some what slyppe out of theyr pennes sounding for images rather as Gentiles then Christians as Eusebius in his History ecclesiasticall and saint Ierome sayth playnelye that images came firste from the Gentiles to vs Christians And much more doth it folowe that the opinion of all the rablement of the Popyshe Church mainteyning images ought to be esteemed of small or no aucthoritie for that it is no maruell that they whiche haue from their childhood ben brought vp amongst images idolles and haue drunke in idolatrie almost with theyr mothers mylke holde with images and idolles and speake and wryte for them But in deede it woulde not be so muche marked whether he were of a Jewe or a Gentile conuerted to Christes religion that wryteth as howe agreeably or contrarily to Gods worde he doth wryte and so to credite or discredite hym Nowe what gods worde sayth of idols and images and the worshyppyng of them you hearde at large in the first part of this Homilee Saint Ambrose in his treatie of the death of Theodosius the Emperour sayth Helene founde the crosse and the tytle on it Shee worshypped the kyng and not the wood surely for that is an ethnyshe errour and the vanitie of the wycked but she worshypped hym that hanged on the crosse and whose name was written in the title and so foorth See both the godly Empresse fact and saint Ambrose iudgement at once They thought it had ben an Heathenyshe errour and vanitie of the wycked to haue worshypped the crosse it selfe which was embrewed with our sauiour Christes owne precious blood And we fal downe before euery crosse peece of tymber whiche is but an image of that crosse Saint Augustine the best learned of al auncient doctours in his xliiii Epistle to Maximus sayth Knowe thou that none of the dead nor any thing that is made of God is worshipped as god of the catholique Christians of whom there is a Churche also in your towne Note that by Saint Augustine suche as worshypped the dead or creatures be no catholique Christians The same saint Augustine teacheth in the. xxii booke of the citie of God the tenth Chapter that neyther temples or Churches ought to be buylded or made for martyrs or saintes but to God alone and that there ought no priestes to be appoynted for martyr or saint but to God onlye The same saint Augustine in his booke of the maners of the catholique Churche hath these wordes I knowe that many be worshippers of tombes and pictures I know that there be manye that banquet moste ryotously ouer the graues of the dead and geuyng meate to dead carkases do bury them selues vppon the buried and attribute theyr gluttonye and drunkennesse to religion See he esteemeth worshyppyng of saintes tombes and pictures as good religion as gluttonie and drunkennesse and no bettter at all Saint Augustine greatlye alloweth Marcus Varro affirming that religion is moste pure without images and sayth hym selfe images be of more force to crooken an vnhappy soule then to teache and instruct it And sayth further Euery childe yea euery beast knoweth that it is not God that they see Wherefore then doth the holy ghost so often monyshe vs of that which all men knowe Whereunto saint Augustine hym selfe aunswereth thus For sayth he when images are placed in temples and set in honourable sublimitie and begyn once to be worshypped foorth with breedeth the moste vyle affection of errour This is saint Augustines iudgement of images in Churches that by and by they breede errour and idolatrie It would be to tedious to rehearse al other places whiche might be brought out of the auncient doctours against images and idolatrie Wherefore we shall holde our selfe contented with these fewe at this present Nowe as concernyng histories ecclesiasticall touchyng this matter that ye may knowe why and when and by whom images were first vsed priuately and afterwardes not only receaued into the Christians Churches and temples but in conclusion worshypped also and how the same was gaynesayde resisted and forbidden aswell by godly Bishoppes and learned doctours as also by sundry Christian princes I wil breefely collect into a compendious historie that whiche is at large and in sundrye places written by diuers auncient wryters and historiographers concernyng this matter As the Jewes hauyng moste plaine and expresse commaundement of God that they should neyther make nor worshyp any image as it is at large before declared dyd notwithstandyng by the example of the Gentyles or Heathen people that dwelt about them fall to the makyng of images and worshyppyng of them and so to the committyng of moste abominable idolatrie for the whiche God by his holy prophetes doth most sharpely reprooue and threaten them and afterwarde dyd accomplyshe his sayde threatnynges by extreme punyshyng of them as is also aboue specified Euen so some of the Christians in olde tyme whiche were conuerted from worshyppyng of idols and false Gods vnto the true liuyng GOD and to our sauiour Jesus Christe dyd of a certayne blynde zeale and as men long accustomed to images paynt or carue images of our sauiour Christe his mother Marie and of the Apostles thynkyng that this was a poynt of gratitude and kyndenesse towardes those by whom they had receaued the true knowledge of God and the doctrine
of the Gospell But these pictures or images came not yet into Churches nor were not worshypped of a long tyme after And least you shoulde thynke that I do say this of myne owne head onlye without aucthoritie I alleage for me Eusebius Byshop of Cesarea and the moste auncient aucthour of the ecclesiasticall historie who lyued about the 330. yere of our Lord in Constantinus magnus dayes and his sonne Constantius Emperours in the seuenth booke of his historie ecclesiasticall the xiiii Chapter and saint Jerome vppon the x. Chapter of the prophete Jeremie who both expresly say that the errours of images for so saint Jerome calleth it hath come in and passed to the Christians from the Gentyles by an Heathenyshe vse and custome The cause and meanes Eusebius she weth saying It is no maruell if they whiche beyng Gentiles before and did beleue semed to offer this as a gyft vnto our sauiour for the benefites whiche they had receaued of him Yea and we do see no we that images of Peter and Paul and of our sauiour hym selfe be made and tables to be paynted whiche me thynke to haue ben obserued and kept indifferently by an Heathenishe custome For the Heathen are wont so to honour them whom they iudged honour worthy for that some tokens of old men should be kept For the remembraunce of posteritie is a token of theyr honour that were before and the loue of those that come after Thus farre I haue rehearsed Eusebius wordes Where note ye that both saint Jerome and he agreeth herein that these images came in amongst Christian men by suche as were Gentyles and accustomed to idols and beyng conuerted to the fayth of Christe retayned yet some remnauntes of gentilitie not throughlye purgeth For saint Jerome calleth it an errour manifestlye And the lyke example we see in the Actes of the Apostles of the Jewes who when they were conuerted to Christe woulde haue brought in theyr circumcision whereunto they were so long accustomed with them into Christes religion With whom the Apostles namelye saint Paul had muche ado for the staying of that matter But of circumcision was lesse maruell for that it came first in by Gods ordinaunce and commaundement A man may most iustly wonder of images so directly agaynst gods holy worde and straight commaundement how they should enter in But images were not yet worshypped in Eusebius tyme nor publiquely set vp in Churches and temples and they who priuatly had them dyd erre of a certayne zeale and not by malice but afterwardes they crepte out of priuate houses into Churches and so bread first superstition and last of all idolatrie amongst Christians as hereafter shall appeare In the tyme of Theodosius and Martian Emperours who raigned about the yere of our Lorde 460. and. 1100. yeres ago when the people of the citie of Nola once a yere dyd celebrate the byrth day of saint Felix in the temple and vsed to banquet there sumptuouslye Pontius Paulinus Byshop of Nola caused the walles of the temple to be paynted with stories taken out of the olde Testament that the people beholdyng and consyderyng those pictures might the better abstayne from to muche surfetting and ryot And about the same time Aurelius Prudentius a very learned Christian poet declareth howe he dyd see paynted in a Church the historie of the passion of saint Cassian a scoolemaister and martyr whom his owne scollers at the commaūdement of the tyraunt tormented with the pryckyng or stabbing in of theyr poyntelles or brasen pennes into his body and so by a thousand wounds and mo as sayth Prudentius most cruelly slew him And these were the first payntings in Churches that were notable of antiquitie And so by this example came in painting and afterwarde images of tymber and stone and other matter into the Churches of Christians Nowe and ye wyll consyder this beginning men are not so redye to worshyppe a picture on a wal or in a wyndowe as an embossed and gylte image set with pearle and stone And a processe of a storie painted with the gestures and actions of many persons and commonly the summe of the storie written withall hath another vse in it then one dumbe idoll or image standing by it selfe But from learning by paynted stories it came by lytle and litle to idolatrie Whiche when godly men aswell Emperours and learned Byshoppes as others perceaued they commaunded that suche pyctures images or idols shoulde be vsed no more And I wyll for a declaration therof begin with the decree of the auncient Christian Emperours Valens and Theodosius the seconde who raigned about foure hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christes ascention who forbad that anye images shoulde be made or paynted priuatelye For certayne it is that there was none in temples publiquely in theyr tyme These Emperours dyd write vnto the capitayne of the armie attendyng on the Emperours after this sorte Valens and Theodosius Emperours vnto the captayne of the armie Whereas we haue a diligent care to maynteyne the religion of GOD aboue in all thynges We wyll graunt to no man to set foorth graue carue or paynt the image of our sauiour Christe in colours stone or any other matter but in what place soeuer it shal be founde we commaunde that it be taken away and that all suche as shall attempte any thyng contrary to our decrees or commaundement herein shal be moste sharpely punished This decree is written in the bookes named Libri Augustales the Emperial bokes gathered by Tribunianus Basilides Theophilus Dioscorus Satira men of great aucthoritie and learnyng at the cōmaundement of the Emperour Iustiniane and is alleaged by Petrus Erinilus a notable learned man in the. ix booke and. ix Chapter of his worke entituled De honesta disciplina that is to say of honest learnyng Heare you see what Christian princes of most auncient times decreed agaynst images whiche then began to creepe in amongst the Christians For it is certayne that by the space of three hundreth yeres and more after the death of our sauiour Christe and before these godlye Emperours raigne there were no images publiquely in Churches or temples Howe woulde the idolaters glory if they had so muche antiquitie and aucthoritie for them as is here agaynst them Nowe shortlye after these dayes the Gothes Uandales Hunnes and other barberous and wicked nations burst into Italie and all partes of the westcountreyes of Europe with huge and mightie armies spoyled all places destroyed Cities and burned Libraries so that learning and true religion went to wracke and decayed incrediblye And so the Byshops of those latter dayes beyng of lesse learnyng and in the myddest of warres takyng lesse heede also then did the Byshops afore by ignoraunce of Gods worde and negligence of Byshops and specially barbarous princes not ryghtly instructed in true religion bearyng the rule images came into the Church of Christe in the sayde west partes where these barbarous people ruled not nowe in paynted clothes only but embossed