The second Tome of Homilees of such matters as were promised and intituled in the former part of Homilees Set out by the aucthoritie of the Queenes Maiestie And to be read in euery parishe Church agreeably 1571. The Table of homilees ensuyng 1 OF the ryght vse of the Churche 2 Against peril of Idolatrie iii. partes 3 For repayryng and kepyng cleane the Churche 4 Of good workes And first of fastyng ii partes 5 Agaynst gluttonie and dronkennesse 6 Agaynst excesse of apparrell 7 An Homilee of prayer iii. partes 8 Of the place and time of prayer ii partes 9 Of common prayer and sacramentes 10 An information for them which take offence at certayne places of holye scripture ii partes 11 Of almes deedes iii. partes 12 Of the Natiuitie 13 Of the passion for good Friday ii Homilees 14 Of the Resurrection for Easter day 15 Of the worthy receauing of the sacrament ii partes 16 An Homilee concerning the cōming downe of the holye Ghost for Whitsunday ii partes 17 An Homilee for rogation weeke iiii partes 18 Of the state of matrimonie 19 Agaynst idlenesse 20 Of repentaunce and true reconciliation vnto god iii. partes 21 An Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion vi partes ¶ An admonition to all Ministers ecclesiasticall FOR that the Lorde doth require of his seruaunt whom he hath set ouer his householde to shewe both faythfulnesse and prudence in his office it shal be necessarye that ye aboue al other do behaue your selfe moste faythfully and diligently in your so hygh a function that is aptly playnely and distinctly to reade the sacred scriptures diligently to instruct the youth in their Catechisme grauely and reuerently to minister his most holy Sacramentes prudently also to choose out such Homilees as be most meete for the time for the more agreeable instruction of the people committed to your charge with such discretion that where the Homilee may appeare to long for one readyng to diuide the same to be read part in the fore noone and part in the after noone And where it may so chaunce some one or other chapter of the olde Testament to fal in order to be read vppon the Sundayes or holye dayes whiche were better to be chaunged with some other of the newe Testament of more edification it shal be wel done to spende your tyme to consyder wel of such chapters before hand wherby your prudence and diligence in your office may appeare so that your people may haue cause to glorifie God for you and be the redyer to imbrace your labours to your better commendatiō to the discharge of your cōsciences their owne An Homilee of the ryght vse of the Churche or temple of God and of the reuerence due vnto the same ¶ The first part WHERE there appeareth at these dayes great slacknesse negligence of a great sorte of people in resorting to the Church there to serue God their heauenly father accordyng to their most bounden duetie as also muche vncomely and vnreuerent behauiour of many persons in the same when they be there assembled and thereby maye iust feare aryse of the wrath of GOD and his dreadfull plagues hanging ouer our heades for our greeuous offences in this behalfe amongst other many great sinnes which we dayly and hourely commit before the Lorde Therefore for the discharge of al our consciences and the auoydyng of the common peryl plague hangyng ouer vs let vs consyder what may be sayde out of Gods holy booke concernyng this matter whereunto I pray you geue good audience for that it is of great wayght and concerneth you all Although the eternall and incomprehensible maiestie of God the Lorde of heauen and earth whose seate is heauen the earth his footestole can not be inclosed in temples or houses made with mans hande as in dwelling places able to receaue or conteyne his maiestie accordyng as is euidently declared by the prophete Esaias and by the doctrine of saint Steuen and saint Paul in the Actes of the Apostles And where kyng Salomon who builded vnto the Lorde the most glorious temple that euer was made sayth Who shal be able to buylde a meete or worthye house for hym if heauen and the heauen aboue all heauens can not contayne hym howe muche lesse can that whiche I haue builded And further confesseth What am I that I shoulde be able to buylde thee an house O Lord But yet for this purpose only it is made that thou mayest regarde the prayer of thy seruaunt and his humble supplication Muche lesse then be our Churches meete dwellyng places to receaue the incomprehensible maiestie of god And in deede the cheefe and speciall temples of God wherein he hath greatest pleasure and moste delyghteth to dwell and continue in are the bodyes and myndes of true Christians and the chosen people of GOD accordyng to the doctrine of the holye scripture declared in the firste Epistle to the Corinthians Knowe ye not sayth Saint Paul that ye be the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you If any man defyle the temple of God hym wyll God destroye For the temple of God is holy which ye are And agayne in the same Epistle Knowe ye not that your body is the temple of the holye ghost dwellyng in you whom ye haue geuen you of God and that ye be not your owne for ye are dearely bought Glorifie ye nowe therefore God in your body and in your spirite whiche are Gods. And therefore as our sauiour Christe teacheth in the Gospell of saint John they that worshyp God the father in spirite and trueth in what place so euer they do it worshyp hym a ryght for suche worshyppers doth God the father looke for For God is a spirite those that worshyp hym must worship him in spirit and trueth sayth our sauiour Christe Yet all this notwithstandyng the material Church or temple is a place appoynted aswell by the vsage and continuall examples expressed in the olde Testament as in the newe for the people of God to resort together vnto there to heare Gods holy worde to call vpon his holy name to geue hym thankes for his innumerable and vnspeakeable benefites bestowed vppon vs and duely and truely to celebrate his holy sacramentes In the vnfayned doyng and accomplyshyng of the whiche standeth that true and right worshipping of God afore mentioned and the same Churche or temple is by the scriptures both of the olde Testament and the newe called the house and temple of the Lorde for the peculier seruice there done to his maiestie by his people for the effectuous presence of his heauenlye grace where with he by his sayde holye word endueth his people so there assembled And to the sayde house or temple of God at all tymes by common order appoynted are all people that be godly in deede bounde with all diligence to resorte vnlesse by sicknesse or other moste vrgente causes they be letted therefro And
in stone tymber mettall and other lyke matter and were not onlye set vp but began to be worshypped also And therefore Serenus Byshoppe of Massile the heade towne of Gallia Narbonensis nowe called the Prouince a godly and learned man who was about sixe hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christe seeyng the people by occasion of images fal to most abominable idolatrie brake to peeces all the images of Christe and saintes whiche were in that citie and was therfore complayned vpon to Gregorie the first of that name Byshop of Rome who was the first learned Byshop that dyd alowe the open hauyng of images in Churches that can be knowen by any wrytyng or historie of antiquitie And vpon this Gregorie do all image worshyppers at this day ground theyr defence But as all thinges that be amysse haue from a tollerable beginning growen worse and worse tyll they at the last became vntollerable So dyd this matter of images Firste men vsed priuately stories paynted in tables clothes and walles Afterwardes grosse and embossed images priuately in theyr owne houses Then afterwardes pictures first and after them embossed images began to creepe into Churches learned and godly men euer speaking agaynst them Then by vse it was openly mayneteyned that they might be in Churches but yet forbidden that they shoulde be worshypped Of which opinion was Gregorie as by the sayde Gregories Epistle to the forenamed Serenus Bishop of Massile playnely appeareth Whiche Epistle is to be founde in the booke of the Epistles of Gregorye or Register in the tenth part of the fourth Epistle where he hath these wordes That thou diddest forbid images to be worshipped we praise altogether but that thou diddest breake them we blame For it is one thyng to worshyp the pycture and another thyng by the pycture of the storie to learne what is to be worshypped For that whiche scripture is to them that reade the same doth picture perfourme vnto idiottes or the vnlearned beholdyng and so foorth And after a fewe wordes therefore it shoulde not haue ben broken whiche was set vp not to be worshipped in Churches but onlye to instruct the mindes of the ignoraunt And a lytle after thus thou shouldest haue sayde If you wyll haue images in the Churche for that instruction wherefore they were made in olde tyme I do permit that they may be made and that you may haue them And shewe them that not the syght of the storie whiche is opened by the picture but that worshyppyng whiche was inconueniently geuen to the pictures did mistike you And if any woulde make images not to forbid them but auoide by all meanes to worship any image By these sentences taken here and there out of Gregories Epistle to Serenus for it were to long to rehearse the whole ye may vnderstand wherunto the matter was now come vi hundreth yeres after Christe that the hauyng of images or pyctures in the Churches were then maynteyned in the west part of the worlde for they were not so frowarde yet in the easte Churche but the worshyppyng of them was vtterlye forbidden And you may withall note that seeyng there is no grounde for worshyppyng of images in Gregories wrytyng but a playne condemnation thereof that suche as do worshyp images do vniustly alleage Gregorie for them And further if images in the Churche do not teachemen accordyng to Gregories mynde but rather blynde them it foloweth that images shoulde not be in the Churche by his sentence who onely woulde they shoulde be placed there to the ende that they might teache the ignoraunt Wherefore if it be declared that images haue ben and be worshypped and also that they teache nothyng but errours and lyes which shall by Gods grace hereafter be done I truste that then by Gregories owne determination al images and image worshippers shal be ouerthrowen But in the meane season Gregories aucthoritie was so great in all the west Churche that by his incouragement men set vp images in all places but their iudgement was not so good to consider why he would haue them set vp but they fell all on heapes to manifest idolatrie by worshyppyng of them which Bishop Serenus not without iust cause feared woulde come to passe Now if Serenus his iudgemēt thinking it meete that images whervnto idolatrie was committed should be destroied had taken place idolatrie had ben ouerthrowen For to that which is not no man committeth idolatrie But of Gregories opinion thynkyng that images might be suffered in churches so it were taught that they should not be worshipped what ruine of religion and what myschiefe insued afterwarde to all Christendome experience hath to our great hurt and sorowe proued First by the scisme rysing betwene the East and the West Churche about the sayde images Nexte by the diuision of the Empire into twoo partes by the same occasion of images to the great weakening of all Christendome whereby last of all hath followed the vtter ouerthrowe of the christian religion and noble empire in Grece and all the east partes of the worlde and the encrease of Mahomets false religion and the cruel dominion tyrannie of the Sarasens Turks who do nowe hange ouer our neckes also that dwell in the west partes of the worlde readye at all occasions to ouerrunne vs And all thys do we owe vnto our idols and images and our idolatrie in worshipping of them But nowe geue you eare a little to the processe of the historie wherin I do much follow the histories of Paulus Diaconus others ioyned with Eutropius an olde writer For though some of the aucthours were fauourers of images yet doe they most playnely and at large prosecute the histories of those times whom Baptist Platina also in his historie of Popes as in the lyues of Constantine and Gregorie the seconde byshoppes of Rome and other places where he intreateth of this matter doth chieflye followe After Gregories time Constantine bishop of Rome assembled a councell of bishoppes in the west Churche and did condempne Philippicus then emperour and John bishop of Constantinople of the heresie of the Monothelites not without a cause in deede but very iustly When he had so done by the consent of the learned about him the sayd Constantine Bishop of Rome caused the images of the auncient fathers which had ben at those sixe councels which were alowed and receaued of all men to be paynted in the entrie of saint Peters Church at Rome When the Grekes had knowledge hereof they began to dispute and reason the matter of images with the Latines and held this opinion that images could haue no place in Christes Churche and the Latines helde the contrarie toke part with the images So the east west Churches which agreed euil before vpon this contention about images fell to vtter enmitie which was neuer well reconciled yet But in the meane season Philippicus and Arthemius or Anastasius Emperours commaunded images and pictures to be pulled downe rased out in euery place of their
dominion After them came Theodosius the third he commaunded the defaced images to be paynted agayne in their places but this Theodosius raigned but one yere Leo the third of that name succeeded him who was a Syrian borne a very wyse godly mercifull valiaunt prince This Leo by proclamation commaunded that al images set vp in churches to be worshipped should be plucked downe and defaced and required specially the bishop of Rome that he should do the same and himselfe in the meane season caused all images that were in the imperial citie Constantinople to be gathered on an heape in the middest of the citie and there publiquely burned them to ashes and whyted ouer and rased out al pictures paynted vpoÌ„ the walles of the temples punished sharplie diuers maynteyners of images And when some did therefore report him to be a tyraunt he aunswered that such of al other were most iustly punished whiche neither worshipped God aryght nor regarded the imperial maiestie and aucthoritie but malicioustie rebelled agaynst holsome and profitable lawes When Gregorius the third of that name bishop of Rome hearde of the Emperours doinges in Grece concerning images he assembled a councell of Italian Byshops agaynst him and there made decrees for Images and that more reuerence and honour shoulde yet be geuen to them then was before and stirred vp the Italians against the Emperour first at Rauenna and moned them to rebellion And as Aspurgensis and Anthonius Bishop of Florence testifie in their Cronicles he caused Rome all Italie at the last to refuse their obedience and the payment of any more tribute to the Emperour and so by treason rebellion maynteyned their idolatrie Whiche example other bishoppes of Rome haue continually folowed and gone through with all most stoutly After this Leo which raigned xxxiiii yeres succeeded his sonne Constantine the fifth who after his fathers example kept images out of the temples And being moued with the councell whiche Gregorie had assembled in Italie for images agaynst his father he also assembled a councell of all the learned men and Bishoppes of Asia Grece although some writers place this councel in Leo Isauricus his fathers latter daies In this great assemble they sate in councel from the fourth of the Idus of Februarye to the sixth of the Idus of August and made concerning the vse of images this decree It is not lawfull for them that beleue in God through Jesus Christ to haue any images neyther of the creatour nor of any creatures set vp in temples to be worshipped but rather that all images by the lawe of God and for the auoyding of offence ought to be taken out of the Churches And this decree was executed in all places where anye images were founde in Asia or Grece And the Emperour sent the determination of this councel holden at Constantinople to Paule then Bishop of Rome and commaunded hym to cast all images out of the Churches whiche he trusting in the frendship of Pipine a mightye prince refused to do And both he and his successour Stephanus the third who assembled another councell in Italie for images condempned the Emperour and the councell of Constantinople of heresie and made a decree that the holye images for so they called them of Christe the blessed Uirgin and other sayntes were in deede worthy honour and worshipping When Constantine was dead Leo the fourth his sonne raigned after him who maried a woman of the citie of Athens named Theodora who also was called Hyrene by whom he had a sonne named Constantine the sixth and dying whylest his sonne was yet young left the regiment of the empyre gouernaunce of his young sonne to his wyfe Hyrene These thynges were done in the Churche about the yere of our Lord 760. Note here I pray you in this processe of the storie that in the Churches of Asia and Grece there were no images publiquely by the space of almost seuen hundred yeares And there is no doubt but the primitiue Churche next the Apostles tyme was most pure Note also that when the contention beganne about images howe of sixe Christian Emperours who were the chiefe magistrates by Gods lawe to be obeyed onelye one whiche was Theodosius who raigned but one yere helde with images All the other Emperours and all the learned men and Bishops of the Easte Churche and that in assembled councels condemned them besydes the two Emperors before mentioned Valenâ— and Theodosius the seconde who were long before these tymes who strayghtly forbad that any Images should be made And vniuersally after this tyme all the emperours of Grece only Theodosius excepted destroyed continually all images Nowe on the contrarie parte note ye that the Byshoppes of Rome beyng no ordinarie magistrates appoynted of God out of their diocesse but vsurpers of princes aucthoritie contrarie to gods word were the mainteyners of images against Gods word and stirrers vp of sedition and rebellion and workers of continuall treason against theyr soueraigne Lords contrary to gods lawe and the ordinaunces of all humane lawes beyng not onely enemies to God but also rebels and traytours against their Princes These be the first bringers in of images openly into Churches these be the mainteiners of them in the Churches and these be the meanes wherby they haue maynteyned them â—to wit conspiracie treason and rebellion agaynst God and their princes Nowe to proceede in the historie most worthye to be knowen In the nonage of Constantine the sixth the Empresse Hyrene his mother in whose handes the regiment of the Empire remayned was gouerned muche by the aduyse of Theodore Byshop and Tharasius patriarche of Constantinople who practised and helde with the Bishop of Rome in mainteining of images most earnestly By whose councell and entreatie the Empresse first most wickedly digged vp the body of her father in lawe Constantine the fifth and commaunded it to be openly burned the ashes to be throwen into the sea Whiche example as the constant report goeth hadde lyke to haue ben put in practise with Princes corses in our dayes had the aucthoritie of the holy father continued but a little longer The cause why the Empresse Hyrene thus vsed her father in lawe was for that he when he was alyue had destroyed images and had taken away the sumptuous ornamentes of Churches saying that Christ whose temples they were allowed pouertie and not pearles and pretious stones Afterward the said Hyrene at the perswasion of Adrian bishop of Rome Paul the patriarch of Constantinople his successour Tharasius assembled a councel of the bishops of Asia and Grece at the citie Nicea where the bishop of Romes legares being presidentes of the councell and ordring all thinges as they listed the counsell which was assembled before vnder the Emperour Constantine the fift and had decreed that all images shoulde be destroyed was condempned as an hereticall councell and assemble And a decree was made that images shoulde be set vp in all the Churches
whosoeuer doth not this shall seeme to haue reproched and done villanye to the image of god For what honour of God is this to runne to images of stocke and stone and to honour vayne and dead figures of God and to despise man in whom is the true image of God And by and by after he sayth Understande ye therefore that this is the suggestion of the serpent satan lurkyng within you whiche perswadeth you that you are godlye when you honour insensible dead images and that you be not vngodly when you hurt or leaue vnsuccoured the lyuely and reasonable creatures All these be the wordes of Clemens Note I pray you howe this most auncient and learned doctour within one hundred yeres of our sauiour Christes tyme moste playnely teacheth that no seruice of God or religion acceptable to him can be in honouryng of dead images but in succouring of the poore the liuely images of God according to saint James who sayth This is the pure and true religion before God the father to succour fatherlesse and motherlesse chyldren and wyddowes in theyr affliction and to hepe hym selfe vndefyled from this worlde True religion then and pleasing of god standeth not in makyng settyng vp payntyng gylding clothing decking of dumbe and dead images which be but great puppettes and mawmettes for old fooles in dotage and wicked idolatrie to dally and play with nor in kyssyng of them cappyng kneelyng offeryng to them in sensyng of thē setting vp of candels hanging vp of legges armes or whole bodies of waxe before them or praying askyng of them or of saintes thynges belongyng onlye to God to geue But al these thynges be vayne and abominable and moste damnable before god Wherefore all suche do not only bestowe theyr money and labour in vayne but with theyr paynes and coste purchase to them selues gods wrath vtter indignation and euerlasting damnation both of bodye and soule For ye haue hearde it euidently proued in these Homilees against idolatrie by Gods word the doctours of the Churche ecclesiasticall histories reason and experience that images haue ben and be worshypped and so idolatrie committed to them by infinite multitudes to the great offence of Gods maiestie and daunger of infinite soules and that idolatrie can not possiblye be separated from images set vp in Churches and Temples gylded and decked gorgeouslye and that therfore our images be in deede verye idols and so all the prohibitions lawes curses threatnynges of horrible plagues as well temporall as eternall conteyned in the holy scripture concerning idols and the makers mainteyners and worshyppers of them apparteyne also to our images set vp in Churches and Temples to the makers maynteyners and worshyppers of them And all those names of abomination which Gods word in the holy scriptures geueth to the idols of the Gentiles apparteyne to our images beyng idolles like to them and hauyng lyke idolatrie committed vnto them And Gods owne mouth in the holye scriptures calleth them vanities lyes deceyptes vncleanlynesse fylthynesse dounge mischeefe and abomination before the Lorde Wherefore Gods horrible wrath and our moste dreadfull daunger can not be auoyded without the destruction and vtter abolishing of all suche images and idols out of the Churche and Temple of God whiche to accomplyshe GOD put in the myndes of all Christian princes And in the meane tyme let vs take heede and be wyse O ye beloued of the Lord and let vs haue no straunge gods but one only god who made vs when we were nothing the father of our Lord Jesus Christe who redeemed vs when we were lost and with his holye spirite who doth sanctifie vs For this is lyfe euerlastyng to knowe hym to be the onlye true God and Jesus Christe whom he hath sent Let vs honour and worship for religions sake none but him and hym let vs worshyp and honour as he will him selfe and hath declared by his word that he wil be honoured and worshipped not in nor by images or idolles whiche he hath moste strayghtly forbidden neyther in kneelyng lyghtyng of candels burnyng of incense offeryng vp of gyftes vnto images idols to beleue that we shall please hym for all these be abomination before God but let vs honour and worshyp god in spirite and trueth fearyng and louing hym aboue all thynges trustyng in hym onlye callyng vppon hym and praying to hym only praysyng and laudyng of hym onlye and all other in hym and for hym For suche worshyppers doth our heauenly father loue who is the most purest spirite and therefore wyll be worshypped in spirite and trueth And suche worshyppers were Abraham Moyses Dauid Helias Peter Paul John and all other the holye patriarkes prophetes apostles martyrs and all true saintes of God who all as the true friendes of God were enemies and destroyers of images and idols as the enemies of God and his true religion Wherefore take heede and be wyse O ye beloued of the Lorde and that whiche others contrarie to gods worde bestowe wickedly and to their damnation vpon dead stockes stones no images but enemies of god and his saintes that bestowe ye as the faithfull seruauntes of God according to Gods worde mercifully vpon poore men and women fatherlesse children wydowes sicke persons straungers prisoners and such others that be in any necessitie that ye may at that great daye of the Lorde heare that most blessed and comfortable saying of our Sauiour Christ Come ye blessed into the kingdome of my father prepared for you before the beginning of the worlde For I was hungrye and ye gaue me meate thirstie and ye gaue me drinke naked ye clothed me harbourlesse and ye lodged me in prison and ye visited me sicke ye comforted me For whatsoeuer ye haue done for the poore and needie in my name for my sake that haue ye done for me To the which his heauenly kingdome God the father of mercies bring vs for Jesus Christes sake our onelye sauiour mediatour and aduocate to whom with the holy ghost one immortall inuisible and most glorious God be all honour and thankesgeuing and glorie world without end Amen ⧠An Homilee for repairing and keping cleane and comelye adourning of Churches IT is a cōmon custome vsed of all mē when they intend to haue their freendes or neighbours to com to their houses to eate or drink with them or to haue anye solempne assembly to treate talke of anye matter they will haue their houses which they kepe in continuall reparations to be cleane and fine lest they should be counted sluttish or litle to regard their frendes and neighbours How much more then ought the house of God whiche we commonlye call the Church to be sufficiently repaired in all places and to be honorably adourned and garnished and to be kept cleane and sweete to the comfort of the people that shall resort thereto It appeareth in the holy scripture how Gods house which was called his holy temple and was the mother Churche of all
house of God is a place appoynted by the holy scriptures where the lyuely word of God ought to be read taught hearde the Lordes holy name called vpon by publique prayer heartie thankes geuen to his maiestie for his infinite and vnspeakeable benefits bestowed vpon vs his holy Sacramentes duely and reuerently ministred that therfore all that be godly in deede ought both with diligence at times appoynted to repayre together to the said Church and there with all reuerence to vse and behaue them selues before the Lorde And that the sayde Church thus godly vsed by the seruauntes of the Lorde in the Lordes true seruice for the effectuous presence of Gods grace wherewith he doth by his holy word and promises endue his people there present and assembled to the attaynement aswell of commodities worldly necessary for vs as also of all heauenly gyftes lyfe euerlastyng is called by the worde of GOD as it is in deede the temple of the Lorde and the house of God and that therefore the due reuerence thereof is stirred vp in the heartes of the godly by the consyderation of these true ornamentes of the sayde house of God and not by any outwarde ceremonies or costly and glorious deckyng of the sayde house or temple of the Lorde contrarie to the which most manyfest doctrine of the scriptures contrary to the vsage of the primitiue Church whiche was most pure and vncorrupt and contrary to the sentences and iudgementes of the most auncient learned and godly doctours of the Churche as hereafter shall appeare the corruption of these latter dayes hath brought into the Churche infinite multitudes of images and the same with other partes of the temple also haue decked with golde and siluer paynted with colours set them with stone pearle clothed them with silkes and pretious vestures phantasyng vntruely that to be the cheefe deckyng adournyng of the temple or house of God and that all people should be the more moued to the due reuerence of the same if all corners thereof were glorious and glisteryng with golde and pretious stones Whereas in deede they by the sayde images and suche glorious deckyng of the temple haue nothing at all profited suche as were wyse and of vnderstandyng but haue thereby greatly hurt the simple and vnwyse occasionyng them thereby to commit most horrible idolatrie And the couetous persons by the same occasion seemyng to worshyp peraduenture worshippyng in deede not onely the images but also the matter of them golde and siluer as that vice is of all others in the scriptures peculierly called idolatry or worshipping of images Against the which foule abuses and great enormities shal be alleaged vnto you First the aucthoritie of Gods holy worde aswell out of the olde Testament as of the newe And secondly the testimonies of the holy and ancient learned fathers and doctours out of their owne workes and auncient histories ecclesiasticall both that you may at once knowe their iudgementes and withall vnderstande what maner of ornamentes were in the temples in the primatiue church in those times whiche were moste pure and sincere Thirdly the reasons and argumentes made for the defence of images or idols and the outragious decking of temples and Churches with golde syluer pearle and pretious stone shal be confuted and so this whole matter concluded But least any shoulde take occasion by the way of doubtyng by wordes or names it is thought good heere to note first of all that although in common speache we vse to call the lykenesse or similitudes of men or other thynges images and not idols yet the scriptures vse the saide two wordes idols and images indifferently for one thyng alway They be wordes of diuers tongues and soundes but one in sense and signification in the scriptures The one is taken of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an idoll and the other of the Latin worde Imago an image and so both vsed as Englishe termes in the translatyng of scriptures indifferently accordyng as the Septuaginta haue in their translation in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and saint Hierome in his translation of the same places in Latin hath Simulachra in Englishe images And in the newe Testament that whiche saint John calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Hierome lyke wyse translateth Simulacrum as in all other lyke places of scripture vsually he doth so translate And Tertullian a most ancient doctour and wel learned in both the tongues Greeke Latin interpretyng this place of Saint John Beware of idols that is to say sayeth Tertullian of the images them selues The Latin wordes whiche he vseth be Effigies and Imago to say an image And therfore it forceth not whether in this processe we vse the one terme or the other or both together seyng they both though not in common Englishe speache yet in scripture signifie one thyng And though some to blynde mens eyes haue heretofore craftily gon about to make them to be taken for wordes of diuers signification in matters of religion and haue therefore vsually named the lykenesse or similitude of a thyng set vp amongst the heathen in their temples or other places to be worshipped an idoll But the lyke similitude with vs set vp in the Churche the place of worshippyng they call an image as though these two wordes idoll and image inscripture dyd differ in proprietie and sense whiche as is aforesayde differ onely in sound and language and in meaning be in dede all one specially in the scriptures and matters of religion And our images also haue ben and be and yf they be publiquely suffred in Churches and temples euer wil be also worshipped and so idolatrie committed to them as in the last part of this Homilie shall at large be declared and proued Wherefore our images in temples and Churches be in deede none other but Idols as vnto the whiche idolatrie hath ben is and euer wyll be committed And first of all the scriptures of the olde Testament condemnyng and abhorring aswell all idolatrie or worshyppyng of images as also the very idols or images them selues speciallye in temples are so many and plentiful that it were almoste an infinite worke and to be conteyned in no small volume to recorde all the places concerning the same For when God had chosen to him selfe a peculier and speciall people from amongst all other nations that knewe not God but worshypped idols and false gods he gaue vnto them certayne ordinaunces and lawes to be kept and obserued of his sayde people But concerning none other matter did he geue either mo or more earnest and expresse lawes to his sayde people then those that concerned the true worshyppyng of hym and the auoyding and fleeyng of idols and images and idolatrie for that that both the sayde idolatrie is moste repugnaunt to the ryght worshipping of him and his true glorye aboue all other vices and that he knewe the pronenesse and inclination of mans corrupt kynde and nature to
shoulde not worshippe images and that we should not haue images in the Temple for feare and occasion of worshyppyng them though they be of them selues thynges indifferent For the Christian is the holye Temple and lyuely image of God as the place well declareth to suche as wyll reade and weight it And where as all godly men dyd euer abhorre that any kneelyng and worshipping or offeryng should be vsed to them selues when they were alyue for that it was the honour due to God onlye as appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles by Saint Peter forbidding it to Cornelius and by Saint Paul and Barnabas forbiddyng the same to the Citezins in Lyftra Yet we lyke mad men fall downe before the dead idols orimages of Peter and Paul and geue that honour to stockes and stones whiche they thought abhominable to be geuen to them selues beyng alyue And the good angell of God as appeareth in the booke of S. Johns reuelation refused to be kneeled vnto when that honour was offered hym of John Beware sayth the angell that thou do it not for I am thy felowe seruaunt But the euyll angell satan desyreth nothyng so muche as to be kneeled vnto and thereby at once both to robbe God of his due honour and to worke the damnation of suche as make hym so lowe curtesie as in the storic of the Gospell appeareth in sundry places Yea and he offered our Sauiour Christe all earthly goodes on the condition that he woulde kneele downe and worshyp hym But our Sauiour repelleth Satan by the Scriptures saying it is wrytten Thou shalt worshyppe thy Lorde God and hym alone shalt thou serue But we by not worshyppyng and seruyng God alone as the Scriptures teacheth vs and by worshypping of images contrary to the Scriptures plucke satan to vs and are readye without rewarde to folowe his desyre yea rather then fayle we wyll offer hym gyftes and oblations to receaue our seruice But let vs brethren rather folowe the counsell of the good angell of GOD then the suggestion of subtyll satan that wycked angell and olde serpent Who accordyng to the pryde whereby he firste fell attempteth alwaye by suche sacriledge to depryue God whom he enuyeth of his due honour and because his owne face is horrible and vglye to conuey it to hymselfe by the mediation of gylte stockes and stones and withall to make vs the enemies of God and his owne suppliantes and slaues and in the ende to procure vs for a rewarde euerlastyng destruction and damnation Therfore aboue all thinges if we take our selues to be Christians in deede as we be named let vs credite the worde obey the lawe and folowe the doctrine and example of our Sauiour maister Christe repelling satans suggestion to idolatrie and worshyppyng of images accordyng to the trueth alleaged and taught out of the Testament and Gospell of our sayde heauenly doctour and scholemaister Jesus Christe who is God to be bicssed for euer Amen ¶ The seconde part of the Homilee agaynst perill of Idolatrie YOu haue hearde welbeloued in the fyrst parte of this Homilee the doctrine of the word of God against idols images agaynste idolatrie and worshipping of images taken out of the scriptures of the olde Testament the newe and confirmed by the examples as well of the Apostles as of our Sauiour Christ him selfe Nowe although our Sauiour Christe taketh not or needeth not anye testimonie of men and that whiche is once confirmed by the certaintie of his eternall trueth hath no more neede of the confirmation of mans doctrine and wrytinges then the bryght sunne at noone tyde hath neede of the light of a litle candle to put away darknes and to encrease his lyght yet for your further contentation it shall in this second part be declared as in the begynnyng of the firste parte was promised that this trueth and doctrine concernyng the forbidding of images and worshipping of them taken out of the holy Scriptures aswell of the olde Testament as the newe was beleued and taught of the olde holy fathers and most ancient learned Doctours and receaued in the olde primatiue Churche which was most vncorrupt and pure And this declaration shal be made out of the sayd holy Doctours owne wrytynges and out of the auncient histories ecclesiasticall to the same belongyng Tertullian a most auncient wryter and Doctor of the Churche who lyued about one hundreth and threescore yeres after the death of our Sauiour Christe both in sundrye other places of his workes and speciallye in his booke wrytten agaynst the maner of crownyng and in another litle treatise entituled of the souldyers crowne or garlande doth moste sharplye and vehementlye wryte and inuey agaynste images or idols And vpon S. Johns wordes the firste Eyistle and. v. Chapter saith thus Saint John saith he depelye consydering the matter sayth My litle chyldren keepe your selues from images or idols He sayth not nowe keepe your selues from idolatrie as it were from the seruice and worshyppyng of them but from the images or idols them selues that is from the verye shape and lyknes of them For it were an vn worthye thyng that the image of the lyuyng God should become the image of a dead idoll Do not you thynke those persons whiche place images and idols in Churches and Temples yea shryne them euen ouer the Lordes Table euen as it were of purpose to the worshipping and honouring of them take good heede to either S. Johns counsels or Tertullians For so to place images and idols is it to keepe them selues from them or els to receaue and imbrace them Clemens in his booke to James brother of the Lorde sayth What can be so wycked or so vnthankfull as to receaue a benefite of God and to geue thankes therefore vnto stockes and stones Wherefore awake ye vnderstande your health for God hath neede of no man nor requireth any thyng nor can be hurt in any thyng But we be they whiche are eyther holpen or hurte in that we be thankfull to God or vnthankfull Origenes in his booke agaynste Celsus sayth thus Christian men and Jewes when they heare these wordes of the lawe Thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God shalt not make any image do not onlye abhorre the Temples aulters and images of the gods but if neede be wyll rather dye then they shoulde defyle them selues with anye impietie And shortlye after he sayth In the common wealth of the Jewes the caruer of idols and image maker was cast farre of and forbidden least they shoulde haue any occasion to make images whiche myght plucke certayne foolishe persons from God and turne the eyes of their soules to the contemplation of earthly thynges And in an other place of the same booke It is not only sayth he a mad and â—rantike parte to worshyp images but also once to dissemble or wynk at it And a man may know God and his onely sonne and those whiche haue had suche honour geuen them by God
that they be called Gods But it is not possible that anye should by worshypping of images get any knowledge of God. Athanasius in his booke agaynst the Gentiles hath these wordes Let them tell I pray you how God maye be knowen by an image If it be by the matter of an image then there needeth no shape or fourme seeyng that God hath appeared in all materiall creatures whiche do testifie his glorye Nowe if they say he is knowen by the fourme or fashion is he not better to be knowen by the lyuyng thynges themselues whose fashions the images expresse For of suretie the glorye of God shoulde be more euidentlye knowen if it were declared by reasonable and lyuyng creatures rather then by dead and vnmoueable images Therefore when ye do graue or paynte images to the ende to knowe God thereby surelye ye do an vnworthye and vnfitte thyng And in an other place of the same booke he sayth The inuention of images came of no good but of euil and whatsoeuer hath an euyll begynnyng can neuer in any thyng be iudged good seeyng it is altogether naught Thus far Athanasius a very auncient holy and learned Byshop and Doctor who iudgeth both the first beginnyng the end and altogether of images or idols to be naught Lactantius likewise an old and learned wryter in his booke of the Origine of errour hath these words God is aboue man and is not placed beneath but is to be sought in the hyghest region Wherfore there is no doubt but that no religion is in that place wheresoeuer any image is For if religion stande in godly thinges and there is no godlynesse but in heauenly thynges then be images without religion These be Lactantius wordes who was aboue xiii hundreth yeres ago and within three hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christe Cirillus an olde holy doctour vpon the Gospell of Saint Iohn hath these wordes Many haue left the creatour and haue worshypped the creature neyther haue they ben abashed to say vnto a stocke thou art my father vnto a stone thou begottest me For many yea almost all alas for sorowe are fallen vnto suche folly that they haue geuen the glorie of deitie or God head to thinges without sense or feelyng Epiphanius Byshop of Salamine in Cipres a verye holye and learned man who lyued in Theodosius the Emperours tyme about three hundreth and ninetie yeres after our Sauiour Christes ascention writeth this to Iohn Patriarke of Hierusalem I entred sayth Epiphanius into a certayne Churche to pray I founde there a lynnen cloth hangyng in the Churche doore paynted and hauyng in it the image of Christe as it were or of some other Saint for I remember not well whose image it was therefore when I did see the image of a man hanging in the Churche of Christ contrary to thauethoritie of the scriptures I did teare it and gaue councell to the kepers of the Churche that they shoulde winde a poore man that was dead in the sayde cloth and so bury hym And afterwardes the same Epiphanius sendyng another vnpaynted cloth for that paynted one whiche he had torne to the sayde Patriarche wryteth thus I pray you wyll the elders of that place to receaue this clothe whiche I haue sent by this bearer and commaunde them that from hencefoorth no suche paynted clothes contrary to our religion be hanged in the Churche of Christe For it becommeth your goodnes rather to haue this care that you take away such scrupulositie which is vnsitting for the Churche of Christe and offensiue to the people committed to your charge And this Epistle as worthy to be read of many dyd saint Ierome hym selfe translate into the Latine tongue And that ye may knowe that saint Ierome had this holy and learned Bishop Epiphanius in most high estimation and therfore dyd translate this Epistle as a wrytyng of aucthoritie heare what a testimonie the sayde saint Ierome geueth him in another place in this treatie agaynst the errours of Iohn Byshop of Hierusalem where he hath these wordes Thou hast sayth saint Jerome Pope Epiphanius whiche doth openlye in his letters call thee an Ieritike Surely thou art not to be preferred before hym neyther for age nor learnyng nor godlynesse of lyfe nor by the testimonie of the whole worlde And shortlye after in the same treatie sayth Saint Jerome Bishop Epiphanius was euer of so great veneration and estimation that Valens the Emperour who was a great persecutour dyd not once touche hym For heritikes beyng princes thought it theyr shame yf they shoulde persecute suche a notable man And in the trypartite ecclesiasticall hystorie the. ix booke and xlviii Chapter is testified that Epiphanius beyng yet alyue dyd worke miracles and that after his death deuils being expelled at his graue or tombe dyd rore Thus you see what aucthoritie saint Ierome and that moste auncient hystorie geue vnto the holy and learned Byshop Epiphanius whose iudgement of images in Churches and temples then begynnyng by stealth to creepe in is worthy to be noted First he iudged it contrary to Christian religion and the aucthoritie of the scriptures to haue any images in Christes Churche Secondly he reiected not only carued grauen and moulten images but also painted images out of Christes Churche Thirdly that he regarded not whether it were the image of Christe or of any other saint but beyng an image woulde not suffer it in the Churche Fourthlye that he dyd not onlye remoue it out of the Churche but with a vehement zeale tare it a sunder and exhorted that a corse shoulde be wrapped and buryed in it iudgyng it meete for nothyng but to rotte in the earth folowyng herein the example of the good kyng Ezechias who brake the brasen serpent to peeces and burned it to ashes for that idolatrie was committed to it Last of al that Epiphanius thinketh it the duetie of vigilant Byshoppes to be carefull that no images be permitted in the Churche for that they be occasion of scruple and offence to the people committed to theyr charge Nowe wheras neyther saint Hierome who did translate the sayde Epistle nor the aucthours of that most auncient historie ecclesiasticall trypartite who do most highly commende Epiphanius as is aforesaid nor no other godly or learned Bishop at that time or shortly after haue wrytten any thing against Epiphanius iudgement concerning images it is an euident profe that in those dayes whiche were about foure hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christe there were no images publiquely vsed and receaued in the Churche of Christe whiche was then muche lesse corrupt more pure then nowe it is And where as images began at that tyme secretelye and by stealth to creepe out of priuate mens houses into the Churches and that firste in paynted clothes and walles such Byshops as were godlye and vigilante when they espied them remoued them away as vnlawfull contrary to Christian religion as dyd here Epiphanius to whose iudgement you haue not onlye Saint
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
of Grece and that honour and worshippe also should be geuen vnto the sayd images And so the Empresse sparing no diligence in setting vp of Images nor cost in decking them in all churches made Constantinople within a short tyme altogether lyke Rome it selfe And nowe you may see that cummen to passe whiche Bishop Serenus feared and Gregorie the first forbad in vayne to wit that Images should in no wyse be worshipped For nowe not onely the simple and vnwyse vnto whom Images as the scriptures teach be specially a snare but the bishops and learned men also fall to idolatrie by occasion of images yea and make decrees and lawes for the mayntenaunce of the same So harde is it and in deede impossible any long time to haue images publiquely in churches temples without idolatrie as by the space of little more then one hundred yeres betwixt Gregori the first forbidding most strayghtly the worshipping of images and Gregorie the thirde Paule and Leo the third Bishops of Rome with this councel commaunding and decreeing that images should be worshipped most euidently appeareth Nowe when Constantine the younge Emperour came to the age of twentie yeares he was dayly in lesse and lesse estimation for suche as were about his mother perswaded her that it was Gods determination that she should raigne alone and not her sonne with her The ambitious woman beleuing the same depryued her sonne of all imperiall dignitie and compelled all the men of warre with their Capitaynes to sweare to her that they would not suffer her sonne Constantine to raigne during her lyfe With which indignitie the young Prince being moued recouered the regiment of the Empyre vnto him selfe by force and being brought vp in true religion in his fathers tyme seing the superstition of his mother Hyrene and the Idolatrie committed by images cast downe brake and burned al the idols and images that his mother had set vp But within a fewe yeares after Hyrene the Empresse taken agayne into her sonnes fauour after she had perswaded him to put out Nycephorus his vncles eyes and to cut out the tounges of his fowre other vncles to forsake his wyfe and by suche meanes to bring him in hatred with all his subiectes nowe further to declare that she was no chaungeling but the same woman that had before digged vp and burned her father in lawes bodye and that she would be as naturall a mother as she had bene kynde daughter seing the images which she loued so well had with so great cost set vp daily destroyed by her sonne the Emperoure by the helpe of certaine good companions depriued her sonne of the Empire And first lyke a kinde and louyng mother put out both his eyes and layd hym in prison where after long and manye tormentes she at the last most cruellie 〈…〉 ue him In this historie ioyned to Eutropius it is written that the sunne was darkened by the space of xvii dayes most strangely and dreadfully that all men sayde that for the horriblenes of that cruell and vnnaturall fact of Hyrene the putting out of the Emperours eyes the sunne had lost his light But in deede God would signifie by the darkenes of the sunne into what darkenesse and blindenes of ignoraunce and idolatrie all christendom should fall by the occasion of images The bright sunne of his eternall truth and lyght of his holy word by the mistes and blacke cloudes of mens traditions being blemished and darkened as by sūdry most terrible earthquakes that happened about the same tyme God signified that the quiet estate of true religion should by such idolatrie be most horribly tossed and turmoyled And here may you see what a gratious and vertuous lady this Hyrene was how louing a neece to her husbandes vncles how kind a mother in lawe to her sonnes wyfe howe louing a daughter to her father in lawe how naturall a mother to her owne sonne and what a stoute and valiaunt Capitaine the Bishoppes of Rome had of her for the setting vp and maintenaunce of their idols or images Surely they coulde not haue founde a meeter patrone for the maintenaunce of suche a matter then this Hyrene whose ambition and desyre of rule was insatiable whose treason continually studied and wrought was most abominable whose wicked and vnnaturall crueltie passed Medea Progne whose detestable paricides haue ministred matter to Poetes to write their horrible tragidies And yet certaine Historiographers who do put in wryting all these her horrible wickednes for loue they had to images which she mainteined do prayse her as a godly Empresse as sent from god Such is the blyndnes of false superstition if it once take possession in a mans mynde that it will both declare the vices of wicked princes also commend them But not long after the said Hyrene being suspected to the princes and lordes of Grece of treason in alienating the Empire to Charles king of the Francons and for practising a secrete mariage betwene herselfe and the sayd kyng and being conuicted of the same was by the sayd Lordes deposed and depriued againe of the Empire and caried into exile into the Iland Lesbos where she ended her leude lyfe Whyles these tragidies about Images were thus in workyng in Grece the same question of the vse of images in churches began to be moued in Spaine also And at Eliberi a noble citie nowe called Granate was a councel of Spanishe Byshoppes and other learned men assembled and there after long deliberation and debating of the matter it was concluded at length of the whole councell after this sort in the 36. article We thinke that pictures ought not to be in Churches least that which is honoured or worshipped be paynted on walles And in the. xli Canon of that councell it is thus written We thought good to admonishe the faythfull that as much as in them lyeth they suffer no images to be in their houses but if they feare any violence of their seruauntes at the least let them kepe themselues cleane and pure from images if they do not so let them be accompted as none of the Churche Note here I pray you howe a whole and great countrey in the West South partes of Europe nearer to Rome a great deale then to Grece in situatiō of place do agree with the Grekes against images and do not onely forbid them in churches but also in priuate houses and do excommunicate them that do the contrarie and another councell of the learned men of all Spaine also called Concilium Toletanum duodecimum decreed and determined lykewyse agaynst images and image worshippers But when these decrees of the Spanishe councell at Eliberi came to the knowledge of the byshoppe of Rome his adherents they fearyng least al Germanie also would decree against images and forsake them thought to preuent the matter and by the consent helpe of the Prince of Francons whose power was then most great in the West partes of
not be without lyes ought not to be made or put to anye vse of religion or to be placed in Churches and Temples places peculierly appoynted to true religion and seruice of god And thus much that no true image of God our sauiour Christe or his saintes can be made wherwithall is also confuted that their allegation that images be the laye mens bookes For it is euident of that whiche is afore rehearsed that they teache no thinges of God of our sauiour Christe and of his saintes but lyes and errours Wherfore either they be no bookes or if they be they be false and lying bookes the teachers of all errour And nowe if it should be admitted graunted that an image of Christe could truely be made yet it is vnlawfull that it shoulde be made yea or that the image of anye saint shoulde be made speciallye to beset vp in Temples to the greate and vnauoydable daunger of idolatrie as hereafter shal be proued And fyrste concernyng the image of Christe that though it myght be had truelye yet it were vnlawfull to haue it in Churches publiquely is a notable place in Ireneus who reproued the heritikes called Gnostici for that they caryed about the image of Christe made truely after his owne proportion in Pilates tyme as they said and therefore more to be esteemed then those lying images of hym which we nowe haue The whiche Gnostici also vsed to set garlandes vppon the head of the sayde image to shewe their affection to it But to go to Gods worde Be not I pray you the wordes of the scripture playne Beware least thou beyng deceaued make to thy selfe to say to any vse of religion anye grauen image or anye similitude of any thyng c. And cursed be the man that maketh a grauen or molten image abhomination before the Lorde c. Be not our images such Be not our images of Christe and his saintes 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ed or molten or caste or similitudes of men and women It is happye that we haue not folowed the Gentiles in makyng of images of 〈…〉 es fyshes and vermynes also Notwithstandyng the image of an Horse as also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Asse that Christe â—ode on haue in di 〈…〉 places ben brought into the Churche and Temple of god And is not that whiche is written in the begynning of the Lordes moste holye lawe and dayly read vnto you moste euident also Thou shalt not make any lykenesse of anye thyng in heauen aboue in earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth c. Coulde anye more beforbidden and sayde then this eyther of the kyndes of images whiche be eyther carued molten or otherwyse similitudes or of thynges whereof images are forbidden to be made Are not all thinges either in heauen earth or water vnder the earth And be not our images of Christe and his saintes lykenesses of thynges in heauen earth or in the water If they continue in their former aunswere that these prohibitions concerne the idols of the Gentiles and not our images Fyrste that aunswere is alreadye confuted concernyng the images of God and the trinitie at large and concerning the images of Christe also by Ireneus And that the lawe of God is lykewyse to be vnderstanded agaynst all our images aswell of Christe as his saintes in Temples and Churches appeareth further by the iudgement of the olde Doctours and the primatiue Churche Epiphanius rentyng a paynted cloth wherein was the picture of Christe or of some saint affyrmyng it to be agaynst our religion that any such image shoulde be had in the temple or Church as is before at large declared iudged that not onlye idols of the Gentiles but that all images of Christe and his saintes also were forbidden by Gods worde and our religion Lactantius affyrming it to be certayne that no true religion can be where an image or picture is as is before declared iudged that aswell all images and pictures as the idols of the gentiles were forbidden els woulde he not so generallye haue spoken and pronounced of them And saint Augustine as is before alleaged greatlye alloweth M. Varro affyrmyng that religion is moste pure without images and sayth hym selfe Images be of more force to crooke an vnhappye soule then to teache and instruct it And he sayth further Euery chyld yea euerye beast knoweth that it is not God that they see Wherefore then doth the holye ghost so ofte monishe vs of that whiche all men knowe Whereunto saint Augustine aunswereth thus For saith he when images are placed in Temples and set in honourable sublimitie begyn once to be worshypped foorthwith breedeth the most vyle affection of errour This is saint Augustines iudgemente of images in Churches that by and by they breede errour and idolatrie The Christian Emperours the learned Byshops all the learned men of Asia Grece and Spayne assembled in counselles at Constantinople and in Spayne vii and. viii C. yeres ago and more condemnyng and destroying al images aswell of Christ as of the Saintes set vp by the Christians as is before at large declared testifie that they vnderstood Gods worde so that it forbad our images as well as the idols of the Gentiles And as it is written Sapi. xiiij that images were not from the beginning neyther shall they continue to the end so were they not in the begynnyng in the primatiue Churche God graunt they may in the ende be destroyed For all Christians in the primatiue Churche as Origen agaynste Celsus Ciprian also and Arnobius do testified were sore charged and complayned on that they had no aulters nor images Wherefore dyd they not I pray you confourme themselues to the Gentiles in makyng of images but for lacke of them sustayned their heauie displeasure if they had taken it to be lawfull by Gods worde to haue images It is euident therefore that they toke al images to be vnlawful in the Churche or Temple of God and therefore had none though the Gentiles therefore were most highly displeased folowing this rule We must obey God rather then men And Zephirius in his notes vppon the Apologie of sertullian gathereth that all his vehement perswasion shoulde be but colde except we know this once for all that Christian men in his tyme dyd moste hate images with their ornamentes And Ireneus as is aboue declared reproueth the heretikes called Gnostici for that they caryed about the image of christ And therefore the primatiue Church which is speciallie to be folowed as most incorrupt and pure had publiquely in Churches neyther idols of the Gentiles nor any other images as thynges directly forbidden by Gods word And thus it is declared by Gods worde the sentences of the Doctours and the iudgement of the primatiue Churche whiche was moste pure and sincere that all images aswell ours as the idols of the Gentiles be by Gods word forbidden and therfore vnlawful specially in Temples and Churches Nowe yf they as their custome
is flee to this aunswere that Gods worde forbiddeth not absolutely all images to be made but that they shoulde not be made to be worshypped and that therefore we maye haue images so we worshyp them not for that they be thynges indifferent which may be abused or wel vsed Which semeth also to be the iudgement of Damascene and Gregorie the firste as is aboue declared And this is one of their cheefe allegations for the maynteynance of images whiche haue ben alleaged since Gregorie the first his tyme. Well then we be come to their seconde allegation whiche in parte we woulde not sticke to graunte them For we are not so superstitious or scrupulous that we do abhorre eyther flowres wrought in Carpettes hangynges and other arrasse eyther the Images of Princes prynted or stamped in their Coynes whiche when Christe did see in a Romane Coyne we reade not that he reprehended it neyther do we condemne the artes of payntyng and image making as wicked of them selues But we would admit and graunt them that images vsed for no religion or superstition rather we meane images of none worshipped nor in daunger to be worshypped of any may be suffred But images placed publiquely in Temples can not possiblye be without daunger of worshyppyng and idolatrie wherfore they are not publiquely to be had or suffered in Temples and Churches The Jewes to whom this lawe was firste geuen and yet beyng a morall commaundement and not ceremoniall as all Doctours interpret it byndeth vs aswel as them the Jewes I saye who shoulde haue the true sense and meanyng of Gods lawe so peculierly geuen vnto them neyther had in the begynnyng anye images publiquely in their Temple as Origines and Iosephus at large declareth neither after the restitution of the Temple would by any meanes consent to Herode Pilate or Petronius that images shoulde be placed only in the Temple at Hierusalem although no worshyppyng of images was requyred at their handes but rather offered them selues to the death then to assent that images shoulde once be placed in the Temple of God neyther woulde they suffer anye image maker among them And Origene addeth this cause least their myndes shoulde be plucked from God to the contemplation of earthly thynges And they are muche commended for this earnest zeale in maynteyning of Gods honour and true religion And trueth it is that the Jewes and Turkes who abhorre images idols as directly forbiddenby Gods worde wil neuer come to the trueth of our religion whiles these stumbling blockes of images remayne amongest vs and lye in their way If they obiect yet the brasen serpent which Moyses dyd set vp or the images of the Cherubims or anye other Images whiche the Jewes had in their Temple the aunswere is easy We must in religion obey Gods general lawe which bindeth al men not folowe examples of particuler dispensation which be no warrantes for vs els we may by the same reason resume circūcision sacrifising of beastes other rites permitted to the Jewes Neither can those images of cherubim set in secret wher no man might come nor behold be any example for our publique set-vp of images in Churches and Temples But to let the Jewes go Where they say that images so they be not worshypped as thynges indifferent maye be tollerated in Temples and Churches We inferre and say for the aduersatiue that all our images of God our Sauiour Christ and his Saintes publiquely set vp in Churches Temples places peculierlye appoynted to the true worshipping of God be not thynges indifferent nor tollerable but agaynst Gods lawe and commaundement taking their owne interpretation and exposition of it Firste for that all images so set vp publiquely haue ben worshipped of the vnlearned and simple sorte shortly after they haue ben publiquely so set vp and in conclusion of the wyse learned also Secondly for that they are worshypped in sundry places now in our time also And thirdly for that it is impossible that images of God Christe or his Saintes can be suffered specially in Temples and Churches anye while or space without worshipping of them that idolatrie which is most abhominable before God can not possibly be escaped auoyded without the abolishing and destruction of images pictures in Temples and Churches for that idolatrie is to images speciallye in Temples and Churches an inseparable accident as they tearme it so that images in Churches and idolatrie go alwayes both together and that therefore the one can not be auoyded except the other specially in all publique places be destroyed Wherefore to make images and publiquely to set them vp in Temples and Churches places appoynted peculierly to the seruice of God is to make images to the vse of religion and not onlye agaynst this precept Thou shalt make no maner of image but agaynst this also Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them For they beyng set vp haue ben be and euer will be worshipped And the full proofe of that which in the beginning of the first part of this treatie was touched is here to be made perfourmed To wit that our images and idols of the Gentiles be all one aswell in the things them selues as also in that our images haue ben before be now and euer wil be worshypped in like fourme and maner as the idols of the Gentiles were worshipped so long as they be suffered in Churches and temples Whereupon it foloweth that our images in Churches haue ben be and euer wil be none other but abominable idols and be therefore no thynges indifferent And euerye of these partes shal be proued in order as hereafter foloweth And firste that our images and the idols of the Gentiles be all one concernyng themselues is most euident the matter of them beyng golde siluer or other mettall stone wood clay or plaster as were the idols of the Gentiles and so beyng eyther moulten or caste eyther carued grauen hewed or otherwise fourmed and fashioned after the similitude and likenesse of man or woman be dead and dumbe workes of mans handes hauing mouth and speake not eyes and see not handes and feele not feete and go not and so aswell in fourme as matter be altogether like the idols of the Gentiles Insomuch that al the titles which be geuen to the idols in the Scriptures may be verified of our images Wherfore no doubt but the lyke curses whiche are mentioned in the scriptures wyll lyght vppon the makers and worshippers of them both Secondly that they haue ben and be worshypped in our tyme in lyke fourme and maner as were the idols of the Gentiles is nowe to be proued And for that idolatrie standeth cheefely in the minde it shal in this part first be proued that our image maynteyners haue had and haue the same opinions and iudgement of saintes whose images they haue made and worshipped as the Gentiles idolaters had of theyr gods And afterwarde shal be declared that our image
women shortly after fell on heapes to worshyppyng of them And at the last the learned also were caryed away with the publique errour as with a violent streame or fludde And at the seconde counsell Nicene the Byshoppes and Cleargie decreed that images shoulde be worshypped and so by occasion of these stumblyng blockes not onlye the vnlearned and simple but the learned and wyse not the people onlye but the Byshoppes not the sheepe but also the shepheardes them selues who shoulde haue ben guydes in the ryght way and lyght to shyne in darkenesse beyng blynded by the be witching of images as blynde guydes of the blynde fell both into the pitte of damnable idolatrie In the whiche all the worlde as it were drowned contynued vntylourage by the space of aboue eight hundred yeres vnspoken agaynst in a maner And this successe had Gregories order whiche mischeefe had neuer come to passe had Byshoppe Serenus way ben taken and all idols and images ben vtterly destroyed and abolished for no man worshippeth that that is not And thus you see how from hauing of images priuately it came to publique settyng of them vp in Churches and Temples although without harme at the fyrste as was then of some wyse and learned men iudged and from simple hauing them there it came at the last to worshippyng of them Firste by the rude people who specially as the Scriptures teacheth are in daunger of superstition and idolatrie and afterwardes by the Byshoppes the learned and by the whole Cleargie So that laytie and Clearge learned and vnlearned all ages sectes and degrees of men women and children of whole Christendome an horrible and most dreadfull thyng to thynke haue ben at once drowned in abhominable idolatrie of all other vices most detested of God and moste damnable to man and that by the space of eight hundred yeres and more And to this end is come that beginning of settyng vp of images in Churches then iudged harmelesse in experience proued not onlye harmefull but exitious and pestilent and to the destruction and subuertion of all good religion vniuersaliye So that I conclude as it may be possible in some one Citie or litle Countrey to haue images set vp in temples and Churches and yet idolatrie by earnest and continual preachyng of Gods true worde and the sincere Gospel of our sauiour Christe may be kept away for a short tyme So is it impossible that images once set vp and suffred in temples and Churches any great countreys muche lesse the whole worlde can any long tyme be kepte from idolatrie And the godly wyll respect not onely their owne Citie Countrey and time and the health of men of their age but be carefull for all places and tymes and the saluation of men of all ages At the leaste they wyll not lay such stumblyng blockes and snares for the feete of other countreymen and ages whiche experience hath alredie proued to haue ben the ruine of the worlde Wherefore I make a generall conclusion of all that I haue hitherto sayde yf the stumblyng blockes and poysons of mens soules by settyng vp of images wyl be many yea infinite yf they be suffered and the warnynges of the same stumblyng blockes and remedies for the sayde poysons by preachyng but fewe as is alredy declared yf the stumblyng blockes be easy to be layde the poysons soone prouided and the warnynges and remedies harde to knowe or come by yf the stumblyng blockes lye continuallye in the way and poyson be redye at hand euery where and warnynges and remedies but seldome geuen and if all men be more redy of them selues to stumble and be offended then to be warned all men more redie to drynke of the poyson then to taste of the remedie as is before partly and shall hereafter more fully be declared and so in fine the poyson continually and deepely drunke of many the remedie seldome and fayntly tasted of a fewe Howe can it be but infinite of the weake and infirme shal be offended infinite by ruine shall breake their neckes infinite by deadly vâ—nome be poysoned in their soules And howe is the charitie of God or loue of our neyghbour in our heartes then if when we may remoue suche daungerous stumbling blockes suche pestilent poysons we wyll not remoue them What shall I saye of them whiche wyll laye stumbling blockes where before was none and set snares for the feete nay for the soules of weake and simple ones and worke the daunger of their eternal ruine for whom our Sauiour Christe shed his precious blood where better it were that the artes of painting playstering caruing grauing and foundyng had neuer ben founde nor vsed then one of them whose soules in the syght of God are so precious should by occasion of image or picture perishe and be loste And thus is it declared that preachyng can not possiblye stay idolatrie if images be set vp publiquely in Temples and Churches And as true is it that no other remedye as wrytyng agaynst idolatrie counsels assembled decrees made agaynste it seuere lawes lykewyse and proclamations of princes and Emperours neyther extreame punyshmentes and penalties nor anye other remedye coulde or can be possiblie deuised for the auoydyng of idolatrie if images be publiquely set vp and suffered For concernyng wrytyng agaynste images and idolatrie to them committed there hath ben alleaged vnto you in the second part of this treatise a great manye of places out of Tertulian Origene Lactantius S. Augustine Epiphanius S. Ambrose Clemens and diuers other learned holy byshops and doctours of the Churche And besides these all histories ecclesiasticall and bookes of other godlye and learned byshoppes and Doctours are full of notable examples and sentences agaynst images and the worshyppyng of them And as they haue moste earnestly wrytten so dyd they sincerely and most diligently in their time teache and preache accordyng to their wrytynges and examples For they were then preachyng Byshops and more often seene in pulpittes then in prynces palaces more often occupyed in his legacie who sayde go ye into the whole world and preache the Gospell to all men then in imbassages and affayres of princes of this worlde And as they were moste zealous and diligent so were they of excellent learnyng and godlynes of lyse and by both of great aucthoritie and credite with the people and so of more force and lykelyhood to perswade the people and the people more lyke to beleue and folowe their doctrine But if their preachynges coulde not helpe muche lesse could their writynges which do but come to the knowledge of a fewe that be learned in comparison to continuall preachyng whereof the whole multitude is partaker Neyther dyd the old fathers Byshoppes Doctours seuerallye onlye by preachyng and wrytyng but also together great numbers of them assembled in synodes and counsels make decrees and ecclesiasticall lawes agaynst images and the worshipping of them neyther dyd they so once or twyse but diuers times and in diuers ages and countreys
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
to be syght in Churches and Temples ye shall in vayne did them beware of images as saint John doth and flee idolatrie as all the scriptures warne vs ye shall in vayne preache and teache them against idolatrie For a number will notwithstanding fall headlonges vnto it what by the nature of images and by the inclination of their owne corrupt nature Wherefore as a man geuen to luste to sit downe by a strumpet is to tempt God So is it lykewyse to erect an idoll in this pronenesse of mans nature to idolatrie nothing but a tempting Nowe if any will saye that this similitude proueth nothing yet I pray them let the worde of God out of the whiche the similitude is taken proue something Doth not the woorde of God call idolatrie spirituall fornication Doth it not call a gilt or paynted idoll or image astrumpet with a paynted face Be not the spirituall wickednes of an idols intising like the flatteries of a wanton harlot Be not men women as prone to spirituall fornication I meane idolatrie as to carnall fornication It this be denied let all nations vpon the earth which haue ben idolaters as by all stories appeareth proue it true Let the Jewes the people of God whiche were so often and so earnestly warned so dreadfully threatned concerning images idolatrie and so extremely punished therefore and yet fel vnto it proue it to be true as in almost al the bookes of the old Testament namely the Kings the Cronicles and the Prophetes it appeareth most euidently Let all ages and times and men of all ages times of all degrees and conditions wise men learned men princes idiotes vnlearned and comminaltie proue it to be true If you require examples For wyse men ye haue the Egyptians and the Indian Gimnosophistes the wysest men of the worlde you haue Salomon the wysest of all other For learned men the Grekes and namely the Atheniens exceeding all other nations in superstition and idolatrie as in the historie of the Actes of the Apostles saint Paul chargeth them For princes and gouernours you haue the Romanes the rulers of the roste as they saye you haue the same forenamed king Salomon and al the kinges of Israel and Juda after him sauing Dauid Ezechias and Josias and one or two more All these I say and infinite others wyse learned princes and gouernours being all idolatours haue you for examples and a proofe of mens inclination to idolatrie That I may passe ouer with silence in the meane tyme infinite multitudes and millions of idiotes and vnlearned the ignorant and grosse people like vnto horses and moyles in whom is no vnderstāding whose perill and daunger to fall on heapes to idolatrie by occasion of images the Scriptures specially foreshe we and geue warning of And in deede howe should the vnlearned simple and foolishe scape the nettes and snares of idols and images in the whiche the wysest and best learned haue ben so entangled trapped and wrapped Wherfore the argument holdeth this groūd sure that men be as enclyned of their corrupt nature to spirituall fornication as to carnall which the wisedome of God foreseeing to the generall prohibition that none shoulde make to them selues anye image or similitude addeth a cause depending of mans corrupt nature Least sayth God thou being deceaued with errour honour and worship them And of this grounde of mans corrupt inclination as well to spirituall fornication as to carnall it must needs folow that as it is the dutie of the godlie Magistrate louing honestie and hating whoredome to remoue all Strumpets and harlots specially out of places notoriouslie suspected or resorted vnto of naughtie packes for the auoyding of carnall fornication So it is the dutie of the same godly magistrate after the examples of the godly Kynges Ezechias and Josias to dryue away all spirituall harlottes I meane idols and images specially out of suspected places churches temples daungerous for idolatrie to be committed to images placed there as it were in the appoynted place and height of honour and worship as saint Augustine sayth where the liuing god only and not dead stones and stoches is to be worshipped It is I say the office of godly magistrates lykewyse to auoyde images and Idolles out of Churches and Temples as spirituall harlottes out of suspected places for the auoyding of idolatrie whiche is spirituall fornication And as he were the enemie of all honestie that woulde bring strumpettes and harlottes out of their secrete comers into the publique market place there freely to dwel and occupie their filthy marchaundyse So is he the enemie of the true worshipping of God that bringeth idols and images into the Temple and Churche the house of God there openly to be worshipped and to spoile the zelous GOD of his honour who will not geue it to any other nor his glorie to caruen Jmages who is as muche forsaken and the bond of loue betwene man and him as muche broken by idolatrie whiche is spirituall fornication as is the knot and bonde of mariage broken by carnall fornication Let all this be taken as a lye if the worde of God enforce it not to be true Cursed be the man saith God in Deuteronomium that maketh a caruen or moulten Image and placeth it in a secrete corner and all the people shall say Amen Thus sayth God for at that time no man durst haue or worship images opēlye but in corners onely and the whole world being the great Temple of God he that in any corner thereof robbeth God of his glory and geueth it to stockes and stones is pronounced by Gods worde accursed Nowe he that will bring these spirituall harlottes out of their lurkyng corners into publique Churches and Temples that spirituall fornication maye there openlye of all men women without shame be committed with them no doubte that person is cursed of God and twyse cursed and all good and godlye men and women will say Amen their Amen will take effect also Yea and furthermore the madnesse of all men professing the religion of Christe nowe by the space of a sorte of hundred yeares and yet euen in our tyme in so great light of the Gospell verye manye running on heapes by sea and lande to the great losse of their tyme expence and waste of their goodes destitution of their wyues children and families and daunger of their own bodies and liues to Compostile Rome Hierusalem and other farre countries to visite dumbe and dead stockes and stones doth sufficiently proue the pronenesse of mans corrupt nature to the seeking of idolles once set vp and the worshipping of them And thus aswell by the origin and nature of Idolles and Images them selues as by the prouenesse and inclination of mans corrupt nature to idolatrie it is euident that neither images if they be publiquely set vp can be separated nor men if they see images in Temples and Churches can be stayd and kept from idolatrie
Nowe where as they yet alleage that howsoeuer the people princes learned and wyse of olde tyme haue fallen into idolatrie by occasion of images that yet in our tyme the most part specially the learned wyse and of any aucthoritie take no hurt nor offence by idolles and images neyther do runne into farre countreyes to them and worshippe them And that they knowe well what an idoll or Jmage is and howe to be vsed and that therefore it foloweth images in Churches and temples to be an indifferent thing as the whiche of some is not abused and that therefore they may iustly holde as was in the beginning of this part by them alleaged that it is not vnlawfull or wicked absolutelye to haue images in Churches and temples though it maye for the daunger of the simple sorte seeme to be not altogether expedient Whereunto maye be well replied that Salomon also the wysest of all men did well knowe what an idoll or image was and neyther tooke any harme thereof a great whyle himselfe and also with his godlye Wrytinges armed others agaynst the daunger of them But yet afterward the same Salomon suffering his wanton Paramours to bryng their idolles into his court and palace was by carnall harlottes perswaded and brought at the laste to the committing of spirituall fornication with idolles and of the wysest and godliest prince became the most foolyshest and wickeddest also Wherefore it is better euen for the wysest to regarde this warning He that loueth daunger shall perishe therein and let him that standeth beware least he fal rather then wittyngly and willingly to laye suche a stumblyng blocke for his owne feete and others that maye perhappes bring at last to breakenecke The good Kyng Ezechias dyd know well enough that the brasen Serpent was but a dead image and therefore he tooke no hurte himselfe thereby through idolatrie to it Did he therefore let it stand because himselfe tooke no hurte thereof No not so but being a good kyng and therefore regarding the health of his seely subiectes deceaued by that image and committing idolatry thereto he did not onely take it downe but also breake it to peeces And this he did to that image that was set vp by the commaundement of God in the presence whereof great miracles were wrought as that whiche was a figure of our sauiour Christ to come who shoulde deliuer vs from the mortall styng of the olde Serpent Sathan Neyther did he spare it in respect of the auncientnesse or antiquitie of it which had continued aboue seuen hundred yeares nor for that it had ben suffred and preserued by so many godly kynges before his tyme Howe thynke you woulde that Godly Prince if he were nowe liuing handle our Idolles set vp agaynst Gods commaundement directly and being figures of nothing but folly and for fooles to gase on till they become as wyse as the blockes them selues whiche they stare on and so fall downe as dared Larkes in that gase and being them selues alyue worship a dead stocke or stone golde or siluer and so become idolaters abhominable and cursed before the liuing God geuing the honour due vnto him whiche made them when they were nothing and to our Sauiour Christ who redeemed them being lost to the dead dumbe idoll the worke of mans hande whiche neuer did nor can do any thing for them no is not able to stirre nor once to moue and therefore worse then a vyle worme which can moue and creepe The excellent kyng Josias also did take him selfe no hurte of Images and Idols for he did knowe well what they were did he therefore because of his owne knowledge let Idols and images stand muche lesse did he set any vp Or rather did he not by his knowledge and aucthoritie also succour the ignoraunce of suche as did not knowe what they were by vtter taking awaye of all suche stumbling blockes as might be occasion of ruine to his people and subiectes Will they because a fewe toke no hurt by images or idols breake the generall lawe of God Thou shalt make to thee no similitude c They might aswell because Moyses was not seduced by Iethroes daughter nor Boos by Ruth being straungers reason that all the Jewes might breake the generall lawe of God forbidding his people to ioyne their children in mariage with straungers least they seduce their children that they shoulde not followe god Wherefore they which thus reason Though it be not expedient yet it is lawfull to haue images publiquely and do proue that lawfulnesse by a fewe pyked and chosen men if they obiecte that indifferently to all men whiche a verie fewe can haue without hurte and offence they seeme to take the multitude for vyle soules as he sayeth in Virgil of whose losse and safegarde no reputation is to be had for whom yet Christe payde as dearelye as for the myghtiest prince or the wysest and best learned in the earth And they that will haue it generally to be taken for indifferent for that a verye fewe take no hurte of it though infinite multitudes besyde perishe thereby shewe that they put little difference betwene the multitude of christians and bruite beastes whose daunger they do so little esteeme Besides this if they be Byshoppes or parsonnes or otherwyse hauing charge of mens consciences that thus reason It is lawfull to haue images publiquely though it be not expedient what maner of pastours shew they thē selues to be to their flocke which thrust vnto them that which they them selues confesse not to be expedient for them but to the vtter ruyne of the soules committed to their charge for whom they shall geue a strayte accompt before the prince of pastours at the last daye For in deede to obiecte to the weake and redy to fall of them selues such stumbling blockes is a thing not onely not expedient but vnlawful yea and most wicked also Wherefore it is to be wondered how they can cal images set vp in churches and temples to no profite or benefite of any and to so great peril and daunger yea hurt and destruction of manye or rather infinite thinges indifferent Is not the publique setting vp of them rather a snare for all men and the tempting of God I beseche these reasoners to call to mynd their owne accustomed ordinaunce and decree whereby they determined that the Scripture though by GOD him selfe commaunded to be knowen of all men women and children should not be read of the simple nor had in the vulgare tongue for that as they sayd it was daungerous by bringing the simple people into errors And will they not forbid Images to be set vp in Churches and Temples whiche are not commaunded but forbidden most straytlye by God but let them stil be there yea and mainteine thē also seing the people are brought not in daunger onelye but in deede into most abhominable errour and detestable idolatrie thereby Shall Gods worde by God commaunded to be read vnto all and
named Simeon a iust man fearing God he came by the spirit of God into the temple and was tolde by the same spirite that he shoulde not dye before he sawe the annoynted of the Lorde In the temple his promise was fulfilled in the temple he sawe Christ toke him in his armes in the Temple he braste out into the myghtye prayse of God his Lorde Anna a Prophetisse an olde widowe departed not out of the temple geuing her selfe to prayer fasting day nyght And she comming about the same tyme was likewise inspyred and confessed and spake of the Lorde to all them that looked for the redemption of Israel This blessed man and this blessed woman were not disapoynted of wonderfull fruit commoditie and comfort whiche God sent them by their diligent resorting to Gods holy temple Nowe ye shall heare howe greuouslye God hath ben offended with his people for that they passed so litle vpon his holy Temple and foully eyther despysed or abused the same Whiche thyng maye playnely appeare by the notable plagues and punishmentes which God hath layde vpon his people especially in this that he stirred vp their aduersaries horribly to beate downe and vtterly to destroye his holy temple with a perpetuall desolation Alas how many Churches countreyes kingdomes of christian people haue of late yeres ben plucked downe ouerrunne left wast with greeuous intollerable tyrannye and crueltie of the enemy of our Lord Christe the great Turke who hath so vniuersally scourged the Christiās that neuer the lyke was heard read of Aboue thirtie yeres past the great Turke had ouerrun conquered and brought into his dominion and subiection twentie Christian kingdomes turnyng away the people from the fayth of Christe poysonyng them with the dyuelishe religion of wicked Mahomet and eyther destroying their Churches vtterly or filthily abusing them with their wicked and detestable errours And nowe this great Turke this bitter and sharpe scourge of Gods vengeaunce is euen at hande in this part of christendome in Europe at the borders of Italy at the borders of Germany greedylye gaping to deuour vs to ouerrunne our country to destroye our Churches also vnlesse we repent our sinfull lyfe and resort more diligently to the Church to honour God to learne his blessed wil and to fulfill the same The Jewes in their time prouoked iustly the vengeaunce of God for that partly they abused his holy temple with the detestable idolatrie of the heathen supersticious vanities of their owne inuentions contrary to Gods commaundement partly they resorted vnto it as hypocrites spotted imbrewed and fouly defyled with all kinde of wickednesse and sinfull lyfe partly many of them passed little vpon the holy temple forced not whether they came thither or no. And haue not the Christians of late dayes and euen in our dayes also in lyke maner prouoked the displeasure and indignation of almighty God partly because they haue prophaned and defyled their churches with heathenishe and Jewish abuses with images and idols with numbers of aulters too too superstitiously intollerablye abused with grosse abusing and fylthye corrupting of the Lordes holye supper the blessed sacrament of his body and blood with an infinite number of toyes and tryfles of theyr owne deuyces to make a godly outwarde shewe and to deface the homely simple and sincere religion of Christ Jesus partlye they resort to the Churche lyke hypocrites full of all iniquitie and sinfull lyfe hauing a vayne daungerous fansie and perswasion that if they come to the church besprinkle them with holy water heare a masse and be blessed with the challice though they vnderstand not one worde of the whole seruice nor feele one motion of repentaunce in their hearts all is well all is sure Fye vpon suche mocking blaspheming of gods holy ordinaunce Churches were made for an other purpose that is to resort thyther and to serue God truelye there to learne his blessed will there to call vpon his myghtye name there to vse the holy sacraments there to trauayle howe to be in charitie with thy neyghbour there to haue thy poore and needy neyghbour in remembraunce from thence to departe better and more godly then thou camest thyther Finallye Gods vengeaunce hath ben is dayly prouoked because much wicked people passe nothing to resort to the Church either for that they are so sore blinded that they vnderstand nothing of God and godlines and care not with deuilishe example to offende their neighbours or els for that they see the Churche altogether scoured of such gay gasing sightes as their grosse phantasie was greatly delyghted with because they see the false religiō abandoned the true restored whiche seemeth an vnsauery thing to their vnsauery taste as may appeare by this that a woman said to her neighbour Alas gossip what shal we now do at Church since al the saints are taken away since al the goodly sightes we were wont to haue are gone since we cannot heare the like pyping singing chaunting playing vppon the organs that we could before But dearelye beloued we ought greatly to reioyce and geue God thankes that our Churches are deliuered of all those thinges which displeased God so sore filthily defiled his holy house and his place of prayer for the which he hath iustly destroyed many nations according to the saying of saint Paule If any man defyle the temple of God God will him destroye And this ought we greatly to praise god for that such superstitious idolatrious maners as were vtterly naught defaced gods glory are vtterly abolished as they most iustly deserued and yet those things that either god was honored with or his people edified are decently reteyned and in our Churches comely practised But nowe forasmuch as ye perceaue it is gods determinate pleasure ye should resort vnto your churches vppon the day of holy rest seyng ye heare what displeasure God conceaueth what plagues he poureth vpon his disobedient people seyng ye vnderstand what blessinges of God are geuen what heauenly cōmodities come to such people as desirously zelously vse to resort vnto their Churches seyng also ye are now freendly bidden and ioyntly called beware that ye slacke not your dutie take heede that you suffer nothing to let you hereafter to come to the Church at such times as you are ordinarily apoynted cōmaunded Our sauiour Christe telleth in a parable that a great supper was prepared gestes were bidden many excused themselues would not come I tel you sayth Christ none of them that were called shal taste of my supper This great supper is the true religion of almightie God wherewith he wyll be worshipped in the due receauyng of his sacramentes and sincere preaching and hearyng his holy word and practising the same by godly conuersation This feast is nowe prepared in Gods banquetting house the Churche you are thervnto called and ioyntly bidden yf you refuse to come and make your excuses the same wyll be
the Prince and people ioyned them selues together in publique prayer and fasting and were preserued In the prophete Ioel God commaunded a fasting to be proclaymed and the people to be gathered together young and olde man and woman and are taught to say with one voyce Spare vs O Lorde spare thy people and let not thine inheritaunce be brought to confusion When the Jewes shoulde haue ben destroyed all in one day thorowe the malice of Haman at the commaundement of Hester they fasted and prayed and were preserued When Holophernes besieged Bethulia by the aduice of Iudith they fasted and prayed and were deliuered When Peter was in prison the congregation ioyned them selues together in prayer and Peter was wonderfully deliuered By these histories it appeareth that common or publique prayer is of great force to obtayne mercie deliueraunce at our heauenlye fathers hand Therfore brethren I beseche you euen for the tender mercies of GOD let vs no longer be negligent in this behalfe but as the people wylling to receaue at Gods hand such good thinges as in the common prayer of the Church are craued let vs ioyne our selues together in the place of common prayer and with one voyce and one heart begge at our heauenlye father all those thinges which he knoweth to be necessarie for vs I forbid you not priuate prayer but I exhort you to esteeme common prayer as it is worthye And before all thinges be sure that in all these three sortes of prayer your mindes be deuoutlye lifted vp to God els are your prayers to no purpose this saying shal be verified in you This people honoureth me with their lips but theyr heart is farre from me Thus much for the three sortes of prayer wherof we reade in the scriptures Nowe with lyke or rather more breuitie you shall heare howe manye sacramentes there be that were instituted by our Sauiour Christe and are to be continued and receaued of euerye Christian in due time and order and for suche purpose as our sauiour Christe wylled them to be receaued And as for the number of them yf they shoulde be consydered according to the exact signification of a sacrament namely for the visible signes expreslye commaunded in the newe Testament whereunto is anexed the promise of free forgeuenesse of our sinne and of our holynesse and ioynyng in Christe there be but two namely Baptisme and the supper of the Lorde For although absolution hath the promise of forgeuenesse of sinne yet by the expresse worde of the newe Testament it hath not this promyse annexed and tyed to the visible signe whiche is imposition of handes For this visible signe I meane laying on of handes is not expresly commaunded in the newe Testament to be vsed in absolution as the visible signes in baptisme and the Lordes supper are and therefore absolution is no suche sacrament as baptisme and the Communion are And though the orderyng of ministers hath his visible signe and promise yet it lackes the promise of remission of sinue as all other sacramentes besides do Therefore neither it nor any other sacrament els be suche sacramentes as Baptisme and the Communion are But in a generall acception the name of a Sacrament maye be attributed to anye thing whereby an holye thing is signified In whiche vnderstandyng of the worde the auncient writers haue geuē this name not only to the other fiue commonly of late yeres taken and vsed for supplying the number of the seuen sacramentes but also to diuers and sundry other ceremonies as to oyle wasshing of feete and suche lyke not meaning thereby to repute them as sacraments in the same signification that the two forenamed sacramentes are And therefore saint Augustine weyghyng the true signification and exact meanyng of the worde wryting to Ianuarius also in the thirde booke of christian doctrine affirmeth that the sacramentes of the Christians as they are most excellent in signification so are they most few in number and in both places maketh mention expressedlye of two the sacrament of baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde And although there are reteined by thorder of the church of England besides these two certayne other Rites and Ceremonies about the institution of ministers in the Churche Matrimonie Confirmation of children by examining them of theyr knowledge in the articles of the faith ioynyng there to the prayers of the Church for them and like wise for the visitation of the sicke yet no man ought to take these for sacramentes in suche signification meaning as the sacrament of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper are but eyther for godly states of life necessarie in Christes church and therfore worthy to be set foorth by publique action and solempnitie by the ministerie of the Church or els iudged to be such ordinaunces as may make for the instruction comfort and edification of Christes Churche Now vnderstandyng sufficiently what prayer is and what a sacrament is also and how many sortes of prayers there be and howe many sacramentes of our sauiour Christes institution let vs see whether the scriptures and the examples of the primatiue Churche wyl alowe any vocall prayer that is when the mouth vttereth the petitions with voyce or any maner of sacrament or other publique common rite or action parteyning to the profite and edifying of the poore congregation to be ministred in a tongue vnknowen or not vnderstande of the Minister or people yea and whether anye person maye priuately vse any vocall prayer in a language that he him selfe vnderstandeth not To this question we must aunswere no. And fyrst of Common prayer and administration of Sacramentes Although reason yf it myght rule woulde soone perswade vs to haue our cōmon prayer administration of sacramentes in a knowen tongue both for that to pray cōmonly is for a multitude to aske one the selfe thing with one voyce and one consent of minde and to administer a sacrament is by the out warde worde and element to preache to the receauer the inwarde inuisible grace of God also for that both these exercises were first instituted and are still continued to the ende that the congregation of Christe might from tyme to tyme be put in remembraunce of their vnitie in Christe and that as members all of one bodye they ought both in prayers otherwyse to seeke and desire one anothers cōmoditie and not their owne without others Yet shall we not neede to flee to reasons profes in this matter syth we haue both the plaine manifest wordes of the scripture and also the consent of the most learned auncient writers to cōmende the prayers of the congregation in a knowen tongue First Paul to the Corinthians sayth Let all thinges be done to edifying Whiche can not be vnlesse commonpraiers administration of sacramentes be in a tongue knowen to the people For where the prayers spoken by the minister and the wordes in the administration of the sacramentes
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