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Further, it appeareth not by any story of credit that true and sincere preaching hath endured in any one place above one hundred years; but it is evident that images, superstition, and worshipping of images and idolatry have continued many hundred years. For all writings and experience do testify, that good things do by little and little ever decay, until they be clean banished,m and contrariwise evil things do more and more encrease, till they come to be a full perfection of wickedness.n Neither need we to seek examples far off for a proof hereof: our present matter is an example. For preaching of Gods word, most sincere in the beginning, by process of time waxed less and less pure, and after corrupt, and last of all altogether laido down and left off, and other inventions of men crept in placep of it. And, on the other part, images among Christian men were first painted, and that in whole stories together, which had some signification in them; afterwards they were embossed, and made of timber, stone, plaster, and metal. And first they were only kept privately in private mens houses; and then after they crept into churches and temples but first by painting, and after by embossing; and yet were they nowhere at the first worshipped. But shortly after they beganq to be worshipped of the ignorant sort of men, as appeareth by the Epistle that Gregory, the first of that name Bishop of Rome, did write to Serenus, Bishop of Marcelles.r 61 Of the which two bishops, Serenus, for idolatry committed to images, brake them and burned them; Gregory, although he thought it tolerable to let them stand, yet he judged it abominable that they should be worshipped, and thought, as is now alleged, that the worshipping of them might be stayed by teaching of Gods word, according as he exhorteth Serenus to teach the people, as in the same Epistle appeareth. But whether Gregorys opinion or Serenus judgment were better herein consider ye, I pray you; for experience by and by confuteth Gregorys opinion. For, notwithstanding Gregorys writing and the preaching of others, images being once publicly set up in temples and churches, simple men and women
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m
banished] so in all. Did the author write vanished? n of wickedness] and wickedness from 1582. o laid] so in all. p crept in place] so in all. q began] begonne 1563 A. r Marcelles] so in all.61
See before, p. 195, note 30.
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shortly after fell on heaps to worshipping of them; and at the last the learned also were carried away with the public error, as with a violent stream or flood; and at the second Council Nicene the bishops and clergy decreed, that images should be worshipped:62 and so, by occasion of these stumblingblocks, not only the unlearned and simple, but the learned and wise, not only the unlearned and simple, but the learned and wise, not the people only, but the bishops, not the sheep, but also the shepherds themselves, (who should have been guides in the right way, and light to shine in darkness), being blinded by the bewitching of images, as blind guides of the blind, fell both into the pit of damnable idolatry. In the which all the world, as it were drowned, continued until our age, by the space of abouts eight hundred years, unspoken against in a manner. And this success had Gregorys order: which mischief had never come to pass had Bishop Serenus way been taken, and all idols and images been utterly destroyed and abolished; for no man worshippeth that that is not. And thus you see how, from having of images privately, it came to public setting of them up in churches and temples, although without harm at the first, as was then of some wise and learned men judged; and, from simple having them there, it came at lastt to worshipping of them; first by the rude people, who specially (as the Scripturesu teachenv [Wisd. 13 and 14]) are in danger of superstition and idolatry, and afterwards by the bishops, the learned, and by the wholew clergy. So that laity and clergy, learned and unlearned, all ages, sects, and degrees of men, women, and children of whole Christendom (an horrible and most dreadful thing to think) have been at once drowned in abominable idolatry, of all other vices most detested of God and most damnable to man, and that by the space of eight hundred years and more. And to this end is come that beginning of setting up of images in churches, then judged harmless, in experience proved not only harmful, but exitious and pestilent and to the destruction and subversion of all good religion universally. So that I conclude, as it may be possible in some one city or little country to have images set up in temples and churches, and yet idolatry, by earnest and continual preaching of Gods true word and the sincere Gospel of our Saviour Christ, may be kept away for a short time; so is it impossible that, images once set up and suffered in temples and
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s
about] above from 1567. t at last] at the last from 1567. u Scriptures] Scripture 1623. v teachen] teacheth from 1563 B. w by the whole] by the holy 1563 A by error for hole, as whole was then commonly written.62
See before, p. 202, note 49.
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churches, any great countries, much lessx the whole world, can any long time be kept from idolatry. And the godly will respect not only their own city, country, and time, and the health of men of their age, but be careful for all places and times and the salvation of men of all ages: at the least they will not lay such stumblingblocks and snares for the feet of other countrymen and ages which experience hath already proved to have been the ruin of the world.
Wherefore I make a general conclusion of all that I have hitherto said. If the stumblingblocks and poisons of mens souls by setting up of images will be many, yea, infinite, if they be suffered, and the warnings of the saidy stumblingblocks and remedies for the said poisons by preaching but few, as is already declared; if the stumblingblocks be easy to be laid, the poisons soon provided, and the warnings and remedies hard to know or come by; if the stumblingblocks lie continually in the way, and poison be ready at hand everywhere, and warnings and remedies but seldom given; and if all men be more ready of themselves to stumble and be offended than to be warned, all men more ready to drink of the poison than to taste of the remedy, (as is before partly, and shall hereafter more fully be, declared); and so, in fine, the poison continually and deeply drunk of many, the remedy seldom and faintly tasted of a few; how can it be but infinitez of the weak and infirm shall be offended, infinite by ruin shall break their necks, infinite by deadly venom be poisoned in their souls? And how is the charity of God or love of our neighbour in our hearts then, if, when we may remove such dangerous stumblingblocks, such pestilent poisons, we will not remove them? What shall I say of them which will lay stumblingblocks where before wasa none, and set snares for the feet, nay, for the souls of weak and simple ones, and work the danger of the eternal ruin,b for whom our Saviour Christ shed his preciousc blood? Where better it were that the arts of painting, plastering, carving, graving, and founding had never been found nor used, than one of them whose souls in the sight of God are so precious should by occasion of image or picture perish and be lost.
And thus is it declared, that preaching cannot possibly stay idolatry, if images be set up publicly in temples and churches. And as true is it that no other remedy, as writing against idola-
[Continued on Page 244]
x
less] so in all. y of the said] of the same from 1571; but the Bodleian copy of 1574 has said here, and same for said in the next line. z but infinite] but that infinite 1623. a before was] before there was from 1582. b eternal ruin] everlasting destruction from 1582. c his precious] his most precious from 1582.
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try, councils assembled, decrees made against it, severe laws likewise and proclamations of princes and emperors, neither extreme punishments and penalties, nor any other remedy, could or can be possiblyd devised for the avoiding of idolatry, if images be publicly set up and suffered.
For, concerning writing against images and idolatry to them committed, there hath been alleged unto you, in the second part of this treatise, a great many of placese out of Tertullian, Origen, Lactantius, St. Augustine, Epiphanius, St. Ambrose, Clemens, and divers other learned and holy bishops and doctors of the Church. And, besides these, all Histories Ecclesiastical and books of other godly and learned bishops and doctors are full of notable examples and sentences against images and the worshipping of them. And, as they have most earnestly written, so did they sincerely and most diligently in their time teach and preach according to their writings and examples. For they were then preaching bishops, and more often seen in pulpits than in princes palaces; more often occupied in his legacy who said [Mark 16:15], Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to all men, than in embassages and affairs of princes of this world. And, as they were most zealous and diligent, so were they of excellent learning and godliness of life, and by both of great authority and credit with the people, and so of more force and likelihood to persuade the people, and the people more like to believe and follow their doctrine. But, if their preachings could not help, much less could their writings; which do but come to the knowledge of a few that be learned, in comparison to continual preaching, whereof the whole multitude is partaker.
Neither did the old father, bishops, and doctors, severally only by preaching and writing, but also together, great numbers of them assembled in synods and councils, make decrees and ecclesiastical laws against images and the worshipping of them; neither did they so once or twice, but divers times and in divers ages and countries, assemblef synods and councils, and made severe decrees against images and worshipping of them; as hath been at large in the second part of this Homily before declared. But all their writing, preaching, assembling in councils, decreeing, and making of laws ecclesiastical, could nothing help, either to pull down images to whom idolatry was committed, or against idolatry whilst images stood. For those blind books and dumb
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d
possibly] possible 1623. e many of places] many places from 1582. f assemble] assembled from 1582.
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schoolmasters, I mean images and idols (for they call them laymens books and schoolmasters), by their carved and painted writings, teaching and preaching idolatry, prevailed against all their written books and preaching with lively voice, as they call it.
Well, if preaching and writing could not keep men from worshipping of images and idolatry, if pensg and words could not do it, you would think that penalty and swordsh might do it, I mean, that princes by severe laws and punishments might stay this unbridled affection of all men to idolatry, though images were set up and suffered. But experience proveth that this can no more help against idolatry than writing and preaching. For Christian Emperors, whose authority ought of reason and by Gods law to be greatest, above eight in number, and six of them successively reigning one after another (as is in the histories before rehearsed63), making most severe laws and proclamations against idols and idolatry, images and the worshipping of images, and executing most grievous punishments, yea, the penalty of death upon the maintainers of images and upon idolaters and image worshippers, could not bring to pass, that either once set up might throughly be destroyed, or that men should refrain from the worshipping of them being set up. And what think you then will come to pass, if men of learning should teach the people to make them, and should maintain the setting up of them, as things necessary in religion?
To conclude: it appeareth evidently by all stories and writingi and experience of timesk past, that neither preaching, neither writing, neither the consent of the learned, nor authority of the godly, nor the decrees of councils, neither the laws of princes, nor extreme punishments of the offenders in that behalf, nor nol other remedy or means, can help against idolatry, if images be suffered publicly. And it is truly said, that times past are schoolmasters of wisdom to us that follow and live after. Therefore, if in times past the virtuestm and best learned, the most diligent also, and in number almost infinite, ancient fathers, bishops, and doctors, with their writing, preaching, industry, earnestness, authority, assembles,n and councils, could do nothing against images and idolatry to images once set up; what can we, neither in learning, nor holiness of life, neither in
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g
pens] pen from 1582. h swords] sword from 1582. i and writing] and writings from 1570. k of times] in times from 1582. l no] any from 1582. m virtuest] most virtuous 1623. n assembles] assemblies 1587, 1595, 1623.63
See pp. 197200; p. 203, line 10; p. 210, note 66.
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diligence, neither authority, to be compared with them, but men in contempt, and of no estimation (as the world goeth now), a few also in number, in so great a multitude and malice of men; what can we do, I say, or bring to pass, to the stay of idolatry or worshipping of images, if they be allowed to stand publicly in temples and churches? And, if so many, so mighty emperors, by so severe laws and proclamations, so rigorous and extreme punishments and executions, could not stay the people from setting up and worshipping of images, what will ensue, think you, when men shall commend them as necessary books of the laymen? Let us therefore of these latter days learn this lesson of the experience of the anciento antiquity, that idolatry cannot possiblyp be separated from images any long time; but that, as an unseparable accident, or as a shadow followeth the body when the sun shineth, so idolatry followeth and cleaveth to the public having of images in temples and churches; and finally, as idolatry is to be abhorred and avoided, so are images, which cannot be long without idolatry, to be put away and destroyed.
Besides the which experiments and proofsq of times before, the very nature and origin of images themselves draweth to idolatry most violently, and mansr nature and inclination also is bent to idolatry so vehemently, that it is not possible to sever or part images, nor to keep men, from idolatry, if images be suffered publicly.
That I speak of the nature and origin of images is this. Even as the first invention of them is naught, and no good can come of that which had an evil beginning, for they be altogether naught, as Athanasius, in his book against the Gentiles, declareth;64 and St. Hierome also upon the Prophet Hieremy, the sixths chapter, and Eusebius, the seventh book of his *Ecclesiastical History, the eighteenth chapter, testify,t that theyu first* came from the Gentiles, which were idolaters and worshippers of images, unto us;65 and as the invention of them was the beginning of spiritual fornication, [Wisd. 14:12] as the word of God testifieth, Sap. 14; so will they, naturally as it were and ofx necessity, turn to their origin from whence they came, and draw us with them most violently to idolatry, abominable to God and all godly
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*former line 32*
o
of the ancient] of ancient from 1574. p possibly] possible till 1571. See before, p. 217, u, p. 222, r. q proofs] proof from 1582. r mans] mens from 1582. s sixth] so in all. t testify] testifieth from 1563 B. u that they] that as they in all. x were and of] were of 1623.64
See before, p. 183, note 8.65
See before, p. 190, notes 23, 24.
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men. For if the origin of images and worshipping of them, as it is recorded [Wisd. 14:15.] in the eighthy chapter of the Book of Wisdom, began of a blind love of a fond father, framing for his comfort an image of his son being dead, and so at the last men fell to the worshipping of the image of him whom they did know to be dead; how much more will men and women fall to the worshipping of the images of God, our Saviour Christ, and his Saints, if they be suffered to stand in churches and temples publicly! For, the greater the opinion is of the majesty and holiness of the person to whom an image is made, the sooner will the people fall to the worshipping of the said images.z Wherefore the images of God, our Saviour Christ, the blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles, Martyrs, and other of notable holiness, are of all other images most dangerous for the peril of idolatry; and therefore greatest heed to be takena that none of them be suffered to stand publicly in churches and temples. For there is no great dread lest any should fall to the worshipping of the images of Annas, Cayphas, Pilate, or Judas the traitor, if they were set up. But to the other, it is already at full proved, that idolatry hath been, is, and is most like continually to be committed.
Now, as was before touched, and is here moreb largely to be declared, the nature of man is none otherwise bent to worshipping of images, if he may have them and see them, than it is bent to whoredom and adultery in the company of harlots. And, as unto a man given to the lust of the flesh, seeing a wanton harlot, sitting by her, and embracing her, it profiteth little for one to say,
N Beware of fornication; God will condemn fornicators and adulterers; (for neither will he, being overcome with greater enticements of the strumpet, give ear or take heed to such godly admonitions; and, when he is left afterwards alone with the harlot, nothing can follow but wickedness;) even so, suffer images to be in sightc in churchesd and temples, ye shall in vain bid themP beware of images (as St. John doth) and flee idolatry (as all the Scriptures warn us); ye shall in vain preach and teach them against idolatry. For a number will notwithstanding fall headlongse unto it, what by the nature of images, and byf the inclination of their own corrupt nature. Wherefore, as ag man given to lust to sit down by a strumpet is to tempt God, so is it likewise, to erect an idol in this prone-[Continued on Page 248]
Margin Notes: N 1 Cor. 6:[18]; 1 Thess. 4:[3]; Heb. 13:[4]. P 1 John 5:[21; 1 Cor. 10:14].y
eighth] viii, 8, or eight in all. z images] image from 1582. a be taken] the taken 1563 A. b more] most from 1582. c be in sight] be sight 1571, be set from 1574. d in churches] in the churches from 1582. e headlongs] headlong from 1582. f and by] and what by 1623. g as a] as for a 1623.
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ness of mans nature to idolatry, nothing but a tempting. Now, if any will say that this similitude proveth nothing, yet, I pray them, let the word of God, our of the which the similitude is taken, prove something. Doth not the word of God call idolatry spiritual fornication?
R Doth it not call a gilt or painted idol or image a strumpet with a painted face?T Be not the spiritual wickednessh of an idols enticing like the flatteries of a wanton harlot? Be not men and women as prone to spiritual fornication, I mean idolatry, as to carnal fornication? If this be denied, let all nations upon the earth, which have been idolaters (as by all stories appeareth), prove it true. Let the Jews and the people of God, which were so often and so earnestly warned, so dreadfully threatened, concerning images and idolatry, and so extremely punished therefore, and yet fell unto it, prove it to be true; as in almost all the books of the Old Testament, namely, the Kings and the Chronicles and the Prophets, it appeareth most evidently. Let all ages and times, and men of all ages and times, of all degrees and conditions, wise men, learned men, princes, idiots, unlearned, and commonlaty, prove it to be true. If you require examples: for wise men, ye have the Egyptians and the Indian Gymnosophists, the wisest men of the world; you have Salomon, the wisest of all other; for learned men, the Greeks, and namely the Athenians, exceeding all other nations in superstition and idolatry, as in the history of the Acts of the Apostles [Acts 17:[16, 22].] St. Paul chargeth them; for princes and governors, you have the Romans [Rom. 1:[23].], the rulers of the roast (as they say); you have the same forenamed king Salomon, and all the kings of Israel and Juda after him, saving David, Ezechias, and Josias, and one or two more. All these, I say, and infinite others, wise, learned, princes and governors, being all idolaters, have you for examples and a proof of mens inclination to idolatry. That I may pass over with silence, in the mean time, infinite multitudes and millions of idiots and unlearned, the ignorant and gross people, [Ps. 31 [32:9].] like unto horses and moyles,i in whom is no understanding, whose peril and danger to fall on heaps to idolatry by occasion of images the Scriptures specially foreshew [Wisd. 13, 14, &c.] and give warning of. And indeed how should the unlearned, simple, and foolish scape the nets and snares of idols and images, in the which the wisest and bestk learned have been so entangled, trapped, and wrapped? Where-[Continued on Page 249]
Margin Notes: R Lev. 17:[7], 20:[5]; Numb. 25:[12]; Deut. 31:[16]. T Bar. 6:[911, or 819 in Vulg.].h
wickedness] wickednesses from 1582. i moyles] mules from 1582. k and best] and the best from 1582.
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fore the argument holdeth this ground sure, that men be as inclined of their corrupt nature to spiritual fornication as to carnal: which the wisdom of God foreseeing, to the general prohibition, that [Deut. 4:[1519].] none should make to themselves any image of similitude, addeth a cause depending of mans corrupt nature: Lest, saith God, thou, being deceived with error, honour and worship them.66
And of this ground of mans corrupt inclination, as well to spiritual fornication as to carnal, it must needs follow, that, as it is the duty of the godly magistrate, loving honesty and hating whoredom, to remove all strumpets and harlots, specially out of places notoriously suspected or resorted unto of naughty packs,67 for the avoiding of carnal fornication; so is itl the duty of the same godly magistrate, after the examples of the godly kings Ezechias and Josias, to drive away all spiritual harlots, I mean idols and images, speciallym out of suspected places, churches and temples, dangerous for idolatry to be committed to images placed there, as it were in the appointed place and height of honour and worship (as St. Augustine saith68), where the living God only, and not dead stones nor stocks,n is to be worshipped: it is, I say, the office of godly magistrates likewise to avoid images and idols out of churches and temples, as spiritual harlots out of suspected places, for the avoiding of idolatry, which is spiritual fornication.
And, as he were the enemy of all honesty that wouldo bring strumpets and harlots out of their secret corners into the public market place, there freely to dwell and occupyp their filthy merchandise, so is he theq enemy of the true worshipping of God that bringeth idols and images into the temple and church, the house of God, there openly to be worshipped, and to spoilr the zealouss God of his honour, [Is. 42:8]who will not give it to any
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Margin Note: By "... Augustine ...": August. in Psal. 36 et 113; et Lib. iv. cap. 3, de Civ. Dei.
l
so is it] so it is from 1570. m specially] especially 1623. n nor stocks] and stocks from 1567. o would] should from 1582. p occupy] practise 1623. q is he the] is the 1623. r spoil] rob 1623. s zealous] jealous 1587, 1595.
66
Custodite igitur solicite animas vestras..., ne forte decepti faciatis vobis sculptam similitudinem aut imaginem...; ne forte elevatis occulis ad coelum videas solem et lunam et omnia astra coeli, et errore deceptus adores ea et colas, quae creavit Dominus Deus tuus in ministerium cunctis gentibus quae sub coelo sunt. Vulg.67
naughty packs. "Call her a nughty pack, with that one word thou hast taken all from her and left her bare and foul." Vives cited by Richardson on "Pack." See also Nares Glossary, "Naughty-pack."68
See Augustin. Epist. CII cited before, p. 189, note 22. The references in the margin are repeated, needlessly and with error, from pp. 188 and 189.69
Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus fortis zelotes. Exod 20:5. Dominus zelotes nomen ejus, Deus est aemulator. Ibid. 34:14. Vulg.
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other, nor his glory to carvent images; who is as much forsaken, and the bond of love between man and him as much broken, by idolatry, which is spiritual fornication, as is the knot and bond of marriage broken by carnal fornication. Let all this be taken as a lie, if the word of God enforce it not to be true. [Deut. 27:[15].] Cursed be the man, saith God in Deuteronomium,u that maketh a carvenx or molten image, and placeth it in a secret corner: and all the people shall say, Amen. Thus saith God: for at that time no man durst have or worship images openly, but in corners only; and, the whole world being the great temple of God, he that in any corner thereof robbeth God of his glory, and giveth it to stocks and stones, is pronounced by Gods word accursed. Now he that will bring these spiritual harlots out of their lurking corners into public churches and temples, that spiritual fornication may there openly of all men and women without shame be committed with them, no doubt that person is cursed of God, and twice cursed, and all good and godly men and women will say, Amen, and their Amen will take effect also.
Yea, and furthermore the madness of all men professing the religion of Christ, now by the space of a sort of hundred years, and yet even in our time, in so great light of the Gospel, very many running on heaps by sea and land, to the great loss of their time, expense and waste of their goods, destitution of their wives, children, and families, and danger of their own bodies and lives, to Compostle,y Rome, Jerusalem, and other far countries,70 to visit dumb and dead stocks and stones, doth sufficiently prove the proneness of mans corrupt nature to the seeking of idols once set up and the worshipping of them.
And thus, as well by the origin and nature of idols and images themselves, as by the proneness and inclination of mans corrupt nature to idolatry, it is evident, that neither images, if they be publicly set up, can be separated, nor men, if they see
[Continued on Page 251]
t x
carven] carved 1623. u Deuteronomium] Deuteronomy 1623. y Compostle] Compostile 1563 B1574, Compostella from 1582.70
"A short pilgrimage is not worth a pin: neither is an image in so much honour and respect in that countrey where it is, as in farre countries. For example, the Italians, yea, those that dwell neare Rome, will mocke and scoffe at our English and other pilgrims that go to Rome to see the Popes Holiness and St. Peters chaire; and yet they themselves will runne to see the Reliques of Saint James of Compostella in the kingdome of Gallacia in Spaine, which is above twelve hundred English miles." Weevers Funeral Monuments, Discourse, chap. XVII, p. 172, ed. 1631, quoted in Wordsworths Ecclesiastical Biography, vol. I, p. 11, note 1, ed. 1810.
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images in temples and churches, can be stayed and kept, from idolatry.
Now, whereas they yet allege, that howsoever the people, princes, learned, and wise of old time have fallen into idolatry by occasion of images, that yet in our time the most part specially the learned, wise, and of any authority, take no hurt nor offence by idols and images, neither do run into far countries to them and worship them; and that they know well what an idol or image is, and how to be used: and that therefore it followeth, images in churches and temples to be an indifferent thing, as the which of some is not abused; and that therefore they may justly hold (as was in the beginning of this part by them alleged) that it is not unlawful or wicked absolutely to have images in churches and temples, though it may, for the danger of the simplerz sort, seem to be not altogether expedient: whereuntoa may be well replied, that Salomon also, the wisest of all men, did well know what an idol or image was, and neither took any harm thereof a great while himself, and also with his godly writings [Wisd. 13, 14] armed others against the danger of them; but yet afterward the same Salomon, suffering his wanton paramours to bring their idols into his court and palace, was by carnal harlots persuaded and brought at the last to the committing of spiritual fornication with idols, and, of the wisest and godliest prince, became the most foolishest and wickedest also. Wherefore it is better even for the wisest to regard this warning,
2 He that loveth danger shall perish therein, and,4 Let him that standeth beware he fall not,b rather than wittingly and willingly to lay such a stumblingblock for his own feet and others that may perhaps bring at last to breakneck.cThe good king Ezechias did know well enough that the brazen serpent was but a dead image, and therefore he took no hurt himself thereby through idolatry to it. Did he therefore let it stand, because himself took no hurt thereof? No, not so; but being a good king, and therefore regarding the health of his seely subjects deceived by that image and committing idolatry thereto, he did not only take it down, but also brake it to pieces.
6 And this he did to that image that was set up by the commandment of God,8 in the presence whereof great miracles were wrought, as that which was a figure of our Saviour Christ to come, who should deliver us from the mortal sting of the old[Continued on Page 252]
Margin Notes: 2 Ecclus. 3:[26] and 13:[1]. 4 1 Cor. 10:[12]. 6 2 Kings 18:[4]. 8 [Numb. 21:89; John 3:1415].z
simpler] simple from 1563 B. a whereunto] so in all. b he fall not] lest he fall from 1567. c breakneck] break neck from 1574.
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serpent Satan. Neither did he spare it in respect of the ancientness or antiquity of it, which had continued aboutd seven hundred years; nor fore that it had been suffered and preserved by so many godly kings before his time. How, think you, would that godly prince, if he were now living, handle our idols, set up against Gods commandment directly, and being figures of nothing but folly, and for fools to gaze on, till they become as wise as the blocks themselves which they stare on, and so fallf down as dared larks71 in that gaze, and, being themselves alive, worship a dead stock or stone, gold or silver, and so become idolaters, abominable and cursed before the living God, giving the honour due unto him which made them when they were nothing, and to our Saviour Christ, who redeemed them being lost, to the dead and dumb idol, the work of mans hand,
: which never did nor can do any thing for them, no, is not able to stir, nor once to move, and therefore worse than a vile worm, which can move and creep? The excellent king Josias also did take himself no hurt of images and idols, for he did know well what they were. Did he therefore, because of his own knowledge, let idols and images stand? Much less did he set any up. Of rather did he not, by his knowledge and authority also, succour the ignorance of such as did not know what they were by utter taking away of all such stumblingblocks as might be occasion of ruin to his people and subjects?Will they, because a few took no hurt by images or idols, break the general law of God [Exod. 20:4], Thou shalt make to thee no similitude, &c? They might as well, because Moyses was not seduced by Jethros daughter, nor Boos by Ruth, being strangers, reason that all the Jews might break the general law of God, forbidding
< his people to join their children in marriage with strangers, lest they seduce their children that they should not follow God. Wherefore they which thus reason, Though it be not expedient, yet is itg lawful, to have images publicly, and do[Continued on Page 253]
Margin Notes: : [Deut. 4:28; Is. 46:7]. < [Exod. 34:16; Deut. 7:34].d
about] above from 1570. e nor for] not for 1563 A. f fall] fell till 1563 H. g yet is it] yet it is from 1567.71
dared: lying still from terror at some object presented to their eyes, as the flashing of light reflected from a mirror, the fluttering of a piece of scarlet cloth, the hovering of a hawk, till the fowler could at last get near enough to throw a net over them. See Nares Glossary.And, running straight where as she heard his voice,
Enclosed the bush about, and there him tooke
Like darred larke, not daring up to looke
On her whose sight before so much he sought.
Spenser, Faerie Queene, Canto VI Of Mutabilitie, 47.
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prove that lawfulness by a few picked and chosen men; if they object that indifferently to all men which a very few can have without hurt and offence, they seem to take the multitude for "vile souls" (as he saith in Virgil72), of whose loss orh safequard no reputation is to be had, for whom yet Christ paid as dearly as for the mightiest princesi or the wisest and best learned in the earth. And they that will have it generally to be taken for indifferent, for thatj a very few take no hurt of it, though infinite multitudes besidesk perish thereby, shew that they put little difference between the multitude of Christians and brute beasts, whose danger they do so little esteem.
Besides this, if they be bishops or parsons, or otherwise having charge of mens consciences, that thus reason, It is lawful to have images publicly, though it be not expedient, what manner of pastors shew they themselves to be to their flock, which thrust unto them that which they themselves confess not to be expedient for them, but to the utter ruin of the souls committed to their charge, for whom they shall give a strait account before the Prince of pastors73 [1 Pet. 5:4] at the last day? For indeed to object to the weak and ready to fall of themselves such stumblingblocks is a thing, not only not expedient, but unlawful, yea, and most wicked also. Wherefore it is to be wondered how they can call images set up in churches and temples, to no profit or benefit of any, and to so great peril and danger, yea, hurt and destruction of many or rather infinite, things indifferent. Is not the public setting up of them rather a snare for all men and the tempting of God? I beseech these reasoners to call to mind their own accustomed ordinance and decree whereby they determined that the Scripture, though by God himself commanded [Deut 31:[1013].] to be known of all men, women, and children, should not be read of the simple, nor had in the vulgar tongue, for that (as they said) it was dangerous by bringing the simple people into errors. And will they not forbid images to be set up in churches and temples, which are not commanded but forbidden most straitly by God, but let them still be there, yea, and maintain them also, seeing the people are brought not in danger only
[Continued on Page 254]
h
loss or] loss and from 1570 . i princes] prince from 1570. j indifferent, for that] indifferent, that from 1582. k besides] beside from 1570.Scilicet, ut Turno contingat regia conjunx,72
Nos, animae viles, inhumata infletaque turba,
Sternamur campis. Aen. XI, 371.
73
Princeps pastorum. Vulg.
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but indeed into most abominable errorl and detestable idolatry thereby? Shall Gods word, by God commanded to be read unto all and known of all, for danger of heresy (as they say) be shut up? and idols and images, notwithstanding they be forbidden by God, and notwithstanding the danger of idolatry by them, shall they yet be set up, suffered, and maintained in churches and temples? O worldly and fleshly wisdom, ever bentm to maintain the inventions and traditions of men by carnal reason, and by the same to disannul or deface the holy ordinances, laws, and honour of the eternal God, who is to be honoured and praised for ever. Amen
NOW it remaineth, for the conclusion of this treaty, to declare as well the abuse of churches and temples by too costly and sumptuous decking and adorning of them, as alson the lewd painting, gilding, and clothing of idols and images, and so to conclude the whole treaty.
In Tertullians time, an hundred and threescore years after Christ, Christians had none other temples but common houses, whither they for the most part secretly resorted.71 And so far off was it that they had before his time any goodly or gorgeous-decked temples, that laws were made in Antoninuso Verus and Commodus the Emperors times, that no Christians should dwell in houses, come in public baths, or be seen in streets or any where abroad;75 and that, if they were once accused to be
[Continued on Page 255]
Margin Notes: Last : Tertull. Apol. cap. 39. Euseb. Lib. v Eccles. Hist.
l
error] errors from 1582. m ever bent] even bent from 1582. n as also] and also 1563 BH. o Antoninus] Antonius from 1563 EF.74
The writer of the Homily took his assertion in the text and his reference in the margin from the following passage in Bullinger, cap. 21, fol. 100 a ed. 1539, which Bullinger himself took bodily from Joachim Valianus or Von Watte, Epitome Trium Terrae Partium, "Ionia," p. 234 ed. 1534. Ipse Tertullianus, vetus author et qui sub Imperatore Pertinace multo tempore Romae fuit, palam innuit ne suo quidem tempore alia templa Christianis fuisse quam simplices domos, in quibus statis diebus fideles congregabantur, convivia etiam et Coenam illam Sacram pro veteri more celebrantes, aliaque id genus quae publicae disciplinae erant exercentes. De qua re ipse XXXIX cap. Apologetici disseruit.What Tertullian there says may be thus given. Corpus sumus de conscientia religionis et disciplinae unitate et spei foedere. Coimus in coetum et congretationem, ut ad Deum quasi manu facta precationibus ambiamus orantes.... Coimus ad litterarum divinarum commemorationem.... Ibidem etiam exhortationes, castigationes, et censura divina.... Paesident probati quique seniores.... Apolog. XXXIX, Opp. I, 254257.
Concerning the early use of churches that is, buildings set apart for divine worship, see Bingham, Orig. Ecles. VIII, i, 1317, especially 15, in which other treeatises of Tertullian are quoted.
75
A"<J (D F2X<,4 <XF60R,< <J46,\:,<@l, ... FJ, : :`<@< @64< 6" $"8"<,\T< 6" (@Dl ,D(,F2"4, 88 6" J 6"2`8@L N"\<,F2"4 :< J4< "J@l B,4DF2"4 < B@\ *ZB@J, J`B. Epist. Eccless. Vienn. et Lugd. ap. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. V, i, 3. Rufinus rendered the latter part thus: ita ut primo nobis domorum prohiberetur habitatio, tum deinde usus balnearum, post etiam processus ad publicum, ad ultimum ne omnino in quolibet loco domi forisque publico privatoque videremur. Pag. 100 A, ed. Basil. 1528.
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Christians, they should by no means be suffered to escape. As was practised inp Apollonius a noble senator of Rome, who, being accused of his own bondman and slave that he was a Christian, could neither by his defence and apology, learnedly and eloquently written and read publicly in the senate, nor in respect that he was a citizen, nor for the dignity of his order, nor for the vileness and unlawfulness of his accuser, being his own slave, by likelihood of malice moved to forge lies against his lord, nor for no other respect or help, could be delivered from death.76 So that Christians were then driven to dwell in caves and dens: so far off was it that they had any public temples adorned and decked as they now be. Which is here rehearsed to the confutation of those impudent shameless liars,q which report such glorious glosed fables of the goodlyr and gorgeous templess that St. Peter, Linus, Cletus, and those thirty bishops their successors had at Rome until the time of the Emperor Constantine, and which St. Polycarp should have in Asia, or Ireneus in France; by such lies, contrary to all true histories, to maintain the superfluous gilding and decking of temples now a days, wherein they put almost the whole sum and pith of our religion. But in those times the world was won to Christendom, not by gorgeous, gilted,t and painted temples of Christians, which had scarcely houses to dwell in, but by the godly and as it were golden minds77 and firm faith of such as in all adversity and persecution professed the truth of our religion.
And, after these times, in Maximianu and Constantius the Emperors proclamation the places where Christians resorted to public prayer were called "Conventicles".78 And in Galerius
[Continued on Page 256]
Margin Notes: Top line: Hieronymus. Last : Euseb. Lib. viii, cap. 19; et Lib. ix, cap. 9.
p
practised in] practised on from 1582. q impudent shameless liars] omitted 1623. r goodly] godly 1563. s gorgeous temples] gorgeous temple from 1567. t gilted] gilded 1623. u Maximian] Maximinian 1623.76
Apollonius, Romanae urbis senator, sub Commodo Principe a servo Severo proditus quod Christianus esset, impetrato ut rationem fidei suae redderet, insigne volumen composuit quod in senatu legit; et nihilominus sententia senatus pro Christo capite truncatus est, veteri apud eos obitenete lege, absque negatione non dimitti Christianos, qui semel ad eorum judicium pertracti essent. Hierom. De Viris Illustr. sive De Scriptor. Eccles. cap. 42, Opp. II, 869.77
See note 91 below.78
AD@2L:`J"J" 6" < J@bJ J< FL(PfD0F4< J< :,JXD"< B,6J,<"4 *,< <@:\F":,<, <" "24l F4 OD4FJ4"<@, 6" J@l @6@Ll < @l FL<Z(@<J@ FL<2F4<. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. VIII, xvii, 6. The version of Rufinus is this: Libenter etiam erga hos indulgentiam nostram credidimus porrigendam, ut rursus sint Christiani, et conventicula in quibus orare consueverunt exstruant et reaedificent. Lib. VIII, cap. xix. p. 199 B. The genuine words of the edict, preserved by Lactantius, De Morte Persecutt. c. 34, are as follow. Promptissimam in his quoque indulgentiam nostram credidimus porrigendam, ut denuo sint Christiani, et conventicula sua componant.This edict was issued A.D. 311, shortly before the death of Galerius. In Rufinus it runs in the names of Galerius Maximianus and Flavius Valerius Constantius. In the Greek text Galerius is called Maximinus, the second Emperor is rightly named Constantinus, and the name of a third, Licinius, is added.
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Maximinus the Emperors Epistle they are called Oratories and Dominica,x to say, places dedicate to the service of the Lord.79 (And here by the way it is to be noted, that at that time there were no churches or temples erected unto any Saint, but to God only; as St. Augustine also recordeth, saying, "We build no temples unto our Martyrs."80) And Eusebius himself calleth churches "houses of prayer";81 and sheweth that in Constantine the Emperors time all men rejoiced, seeing , "instead of low conventicles," which tyrants had destroyed, "high temples to be builded."82 Lo, untily the time of Constantine, by the space of above three hundred years after our Saviour Christ, when Christian religion was most pure and indeed golden, Christians had but low and poor conventicles and simple oratories, yea, caves under the ground called Cryptae, where they for fear of persecution assembled secretly together; a figure whereof remaineth in the vaults which yet are builded under great churches, to put us in remembrance of the old state of the primitive Church before Constantine: whereas in Constantines time and after him were builded great and goodly temples for Christians, called Basilicae, either for that the Greeks used to
[Continued on Page 257]
Margin Notes: By "... Augustine ...": De Civitate. Lib. viii, cap. 1. By the lines of appearance of the words: Cryptae. Basilicae.x
Dominica] Dominicae 1623. y until] unto from 1563 EF.79
5" J 6LD4"6 * J @6," BTl 6"J"F6,LV.@4,< FL(6,PfD0J"4. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. IX. x, 8. Sed et orationum domos, id est, dominica sua, ut instaurent pro voluntate sua permittimus. Rufin. Interpr. IX, ix, p. 210 B. Rufinus sets the name of Galerius Maximinus at the head of this edict. It was issued A.D. 313 by Caius Valerius Maximinus Jovius, nephew to Galerius.80
See Augustin. de Civ. Dei XXII, 10, cited before, p. 188, note 18.81
EL<J,JX8,FJ"4 *J" 6"2z :l B"<J", B0<\6" J< :< BD@F,L6J0D\T< J@l @6@Ll > R@Ll ,l *"N@l "J@l 2,:,8\@4l 6"J"DD4BJ@L:X<@Ll ... B,\*@:,<. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. VIII, ii, 1. Summa namque malorum nobis affuit omnium tunc eum domus orationis et ecclesiae Dei vivi ad solum deductae sunt atque ab ipsis subversae sunt fundamentis. Rufin. Interpr. VIII, i. p. 183 B.82
Y:< .... 8,6J@l B"D< ,ND@Fb<0, 6" J4l <2,@l B"F4< BZ<2,4 P"D, BV<J" J`B@< J< BD :46D@ J"l J< JLDV<<T< *LFF,$,\"4l D,4Bf:,<@< FB,D 6 :"6Dl 6" 2"<"J0N`D@< 8b:0l <"$4fF6@<J" 2,T:X<@4l, <,fl J, "24l 6 $V2DT< ,l R@l B,4D@< (,4D@:X<@Ll 6" B@8 6D,\JJ@<" J< (8"\"< J< BV8"4 B,B@84@D60:X<T< B@8":$V<@<J"l. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. X, ii, 1. Ex quo aderat cunctis velut divino munere infusa laetitia, maxime videntibus ea loca quae paulo ante impiis tyrannorum machinis fuerant destructa rediviva constructione clariora et celsiora consurgere, templaque excelsa pro humilibus conventiculis elevari. Rufin. Interpr. IX, x, p. 212 B.
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call all great and goodly places Basilicas, or for that the high everlasting King, God and our Saviour Christ, was served in them.83 But, although Constantine and other princes, of good zeal and to our religion, did sumptuously deck and adorn Christians temples, yet did they dedicate at that time all churches or templesz to God or our Saviour Christ, and to no Saint;84 for that abuse began long after in Justinians time.85
And that gorgeousness then used, as it was borne with as rising of a good zeal, so was it signified of the godly learned even at that time, that such cost might otherwise have been better bestowed. Let St. Hierome, although otherwise too great a liker and allower of external and outward things, be a proof hereof, who hath these words in his Epistle to Demetriades.a "Let other," saith St. Hierome,86 "build churches, cover walls with tables of marble, carry together huge pillars, and gild their tops or heads, which do not feel or understand their precious decking and adorning; let them deck the doors with ivory and silver, and set the golden altars with precious stones. I blame it not. Let every man abound in his own sense: and better is it so to do than carefully to keep their riches laid up in store. But thou hast another way appointed thee, to clothe Christ in the poor [Matt. 25:40], to visit him in the sick, feed him in the hungry, lodge him in those who do lack harbour, and speciallyb such as be of the household of faith." [Gal. 6:10.] And the same St. Hierome toucheth
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Margin Note: End 1st : Nov. Const. 3 et 67.
z
or temples] and temples from 1570. a Demetriades] so in all. b specially] especially 1582, 1623.83
See Euseb. de Vit. Constantin. III, 31, 32. See also Bingham, Orig. Eccles. VIII, 1, 5.84
See Hooker, Eccles. Polit. V, xiii; and Bingham, Orig. Eccles. VIII, ix, 8, 9; shewing that a church was not therefore dedicated to a Saint because it bore his name as memorial of him.85
Bullinger, cap. 21, fol. 101 b, says that the practice began a little before Justininans time, and quotes the first of the two Constitutions here cited in the margin to prove it. That Constitution speaks of "venerabilis domus sanctae gloriosaeque Virginis et Dei genetricis Mariae" built "a piae memoriae Verina," of "veneranda domus sancti Martyris Theodori a Sophoratio [al. Porcatio] gloriosae memoriae dedicata," and of "venerabilis domus sanctae Helenae," churches at Constantinople. Authent. Collat. I, iii, Novell. 3, cap. i. The other Constitution, Authent. Collat. V, xxii, Novell. 67, says nothing at all about the dedication of churches; and Bullinger, from whom no doubt the Homilist took the reference, cited it (fol. 102 a) for a different purpose.86
Alii aedificent ecclesias; vestiant parietes marmorum crustis; columnarum moles advehant, earumque deaurent capita, preciosum ornatum non sentientia; ebore argentoque valvas, et gemmis aurata distinguant altaria. Non reprehendo, non abnuo. Unusquisque in sensu suo abundet. Meliusque est hoc facere, quam repositis opibus incubare. Sed tibi aliud propositum est, Christum vestire in pauperibus, visitare in languentibus, pascere in esurientibus, suscipere in his qui tecto indigent, et maxime in domesticis fedei. Hieron. Epist. LXXX ad Demetriadem Virginem 14, Opp. I, 985 A.
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the same matter somewhat more freely in his Treaty of the Life of Clerks to Nepotian, saying thus:87 "Many build walls, and erect pillars of churches; the smooth marbles do glister, the roof shineth with gold, the altar is set with precious stone;c but of the ministers of Christ there is no election or choice. Neither let any man object and allege against me the rich temple that was in Jewry, the table, candlesticks, incense-ships,88 platters, cups, mortars, and other things all of gold. Then were these things allowed of the Lord, when the priests offered sacrifices, and the blood of beasts was accounted the redemption of sins. Howbeit [1 Cor. 10:11] all these things went before in figure, and they were written for us, upon whom the end of the world is come. And now, when that our Lord being poor hath dedicate the poverty of his house, let us remember his cross, and we shall esteem riches as mire or dung.d What do we marvel at that which Christ calleth wicked mammon? [Luke 16:11.] Whereto do we so highly esteem and love that which St. Peter [Acts 3:6] doth for a glory testify that he had not?" Hitherto St. Hierome. Thus yee see how St. Hierome teacheth the sumptuousness amongst the Jews to be a figure to signify, and not an example to follow, and that those outward things were suffered for a time, until Christ our Lord came, who turned all those outward things into spirit, faith, and truth. And the same St. Hierome upon the seventh chapter of Jeremy saith:89 "God commanded both the Jews at
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c
stone] stones from 1582. d or dung] and dung from 1582. e Thus ye] Thus you from 1567.87
Multi aedificant parietes, et columnas ecclesiae substruunt; marmora nitent, auro splendent laquearia, gemmis altare distinguitur; et ministrorum Christi nulla electio est. Neque vero mihi aliquis opponat dives in Judaea templum, mensam, lucernas, thuribula, patellas, scyphos, mortariola, et caetera ex auro fabrefacta. Tunc haec probabantur a Domino, quando sacerdotes hostias immolabant, et sanguis pecudum erat redemtio peccatorum. Quamquam haec omnia praecesserint in figura: scripta sunt autem propter nos, in quos fines seculorum devenerunt. Nunc vero, quum paupertatem domus suae pauper Dominus dedicarit, cogitemus crucem ejus, et divitias lutum putabimus. Quid miramur quod Christus vocat iniquum mammona? Quid suspicimus et amamus quod Petrus se non habere gloriose testatur? Hieron. Epist. LII ad Nepotianum de Vita Clericorum 10, Opp. I, 262 D.88
The word thuribula is not quite rightly rendered by incense-ships. Thuribulum was a vessel in which incense was burnt, a censer: the incense-ship or (as we should now say) incense-boat, having its name from its shape, was called in Latin navicula or navis, and was used for supplying the censer with incense. See Du Cange on the words. "The massmonger ... hath also ... censers, ship, frankincense, ... and many other suchlike ornaments, more meet for the priesthood of Aharon than for the ministery of the new testament." Becon, Comparison between the Lords Supper and the Popes Mass, 12. "A paire of Senssours" and "a Shippe for frankensence with a spone," are two items in te Inventory of the Duke of Richmonds Goods taken July 25, 1526, edited by John Gough Nichols, Esq., in Vol. III of the Camden Miscellany.89
Praecepit autem et tune populo Judaeorum, et hodie nobis qui videmur in Ecclesia constituti, ne fiduciam habeamus in aedificiorum splendore auratisque laquearibus et vestitis parietibus marmorum crustis, et dicamus, Templum Domini, Templum Domini, Templum Domini est. Illud enim Templum Domini est, in quo habitat vera fides, sancta conversatio, omniumque virtutum chorus. Hieron, in Jerem. 7:4; Opp. IV, 891 C.
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that time, and now us who are placed in the Church, that we have no trust in the goodliness of building and gilt roofs and in walls covered with tables of marble, and say, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord.f For that is the temple of the Lord wherein dwelleth true faith, godly conversation, and the company of all virtues." And upon the prophet Agge he describeth the true and right decking or ornaments of the temple after this sort. "I," saith St. Hierome,90 "do think the silver, wherewith the house of God is decked, to be the doctrine of the Scriptures, of the which it is spoken [Ps. 12:6.], The doctrine of the Lord is a pure doctrine, silver tried in fire,h purged from dross, purified seven times. And I do take gold to be that which remaineth in the hid sense of the saints and the secret of the heart, and shineth with the true light of God. Which is evident that the Apostle [1 Cor. 3:12.] also meant of the saints that build upon the foundation of Christ, some silver, some gold, some precious stones; that by the gold the hid sense, by silver godly utterance, by precious stones works which please God, might be signified. With these metals the Church of our Saviour is made more goodly and gorgeous than was the Synagogue in old time: with these lively stones is the Church and house of Christ builded, and peace is given to it for ever." All these be St. Hieromes sayings.
No more did the old godly bishops and doctors of the Church allow the outrageousi furniture of temples and churches with plate, vessels of gold, silver, and precious vestures.k St. Chrysostom saith, in the ministry of the holy Sacraments there is no need of golden vessels, but of golden minds.91 And St. Am-
[Continued on Page 260]
f
The temple of the Lord] twice only from 1582. h in fire] in the fire 1623. i outrageous] oversumptuous 1623. k vestures] vestments 1623.90
Sed ego argentum, quo domus Dei ornatur, existimo eloquia Scripturarum, de quibus dicitur, Eloquia Domini cloquia casta, argentum igne examinatum, probatum terrae, purgatum septuplum; et aurum, quod in occulto sanctorum sensu et in cordis versatur arcano, et splendet vero lumine Dei. Quod et Apostolum de sanctis qui super fundamentum Christi aedificant sensisse perspicuum est: Aurum, argentum, lapides pretiosos: ut in auro sensus occultus sit, in argento sermo decens, in lapide pretioso opera Deo placentia. His metallis illustrior fit Ecclesia Salvatoris, quam quondam Synagoga fuerat: his lapidibus vivis aedificatur domus Christi, et pax ei praebetur aeterna. Hieron. in Aggae. 2:19; Opp. VI, 758 A.91
Mb(T:,< J@\<L< J@J@ J $VD"2D@<, :0* <@:\.T:,< D6,< :< ,l FTJ0D\"<, , PZD"l 6" DN"<@l B@*bF"<J,l B@JZD4@< PDLF@< 6" 842@6`880J@< BD@F,<X(6T:,< J JD"B,.. , (D $@b8,4 J4:F"4 J< 2LF\"<, J< RLP< BD@FX<,(6,, *4z < 6" Jb20q J"bJ0< PDLF< B@\0F@<. Chrysost. in Matth. Hom. L (al. LI); Opp VII, 518 A.
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brose saith:92 "Christ sent his Apostles without gold, and gathered his Church without gold. The Church hath gold, not to keep it, but to bestow it on the necessities of the poor." "The Sacraments look for no gold, neither do they please God for the commendation of gold, which are not bought for gold. The adorning and decking of the Sacraments is the redemption of captives." Thus much St.l Ambrose. St. Heirome commendeth Exuperius, Bishop of Tolose, that he carried the Sacrament of the Lords Body in a wicker basket and the Sacrament of his Blood in a glass, and so cast covetousness out of the church.93 And Bonifacius, Bishop and Martyr, as it is recorded in the Decrees, testifieth that in old time the ministers used treen,m and not golden, vessels.94 And Zephyrinus, the sixteenth bishop of Rome, made a decree that they should use vessels of glass.95 Likewise were the vestures used in the Church in old time very plain and single and nothing costly. And Rabanus at large declareth, that this costly and manifold furniture of vestments of late used in the Church was fet96 from the Jewish usage, and agreeth with Aarons apparelling almost altogether.97 For the maintenance of the which, Innocentius the pope pronounceth boldly that all the customs of the old Law be not abolished, that we might in such apparel, of Christians the more willingly become Jewish.98
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Margin Notes: Top line: ii Offic. cap. 28. By "... Decrees ...": Tit. de Consecr. Can. Triburien. By "... Rabanus ...": Lib. i Instit. cap. 14.l
much St.] much saith St. from 1582. m treen] wooden 1623.92
Qui enim sine auro misit Apostolos Ecclisias sine auro congregavit. Aurum Ecclesia habet, non ut servet, sed ut eroget, et subveniat in necessitatibus.... Aurum Sacramenta non quaerunt, neque auro placent, quae auro non emuntur. Ornatus Sacramentorum redemptio captivorum est. Ambros. de Offic. Ministr. II, xxviii, 137, 138; Opp. II, 103 B, D.93
Sanctus Exuperius Tolosae Episcopus, viduae Sareptensis imitator, esuriens pascit alios.... Nihil illo ditius; qui Corpus Domini canistro vimineo, Sanguinem portat in vitro; qui avaritiam ejecit e templo; qui absque funiculo et increpatione cathedras vendentium columbas, id est, dona Sancti Spiritus, mensaque subvertit mammonae, et nummulariorum aera dispertit, ut domus Dei domus vocetur orationis, et non latronum spelunca. (Matth. 21:1212; Joan. 2:1415.) Hieron. Epist. CXXV (al. 4) ad Rusticum Monachum, 20; Opp. I, 941 D, E.94
Decret. III, De Consecr., i, 44, Vasa in quibus; being can. 18 of the Council of Trebur, A.D. 895, Concil. Mansi XVIII, 142.95
Ibid.96
fet: fetched. In the Authorised Version of the Bible the old form was kept in these places, 2 Sam. 9:5, 11:27; 1 Kings 7:13, 9:28; 2 Kings 11:4; 2 Chron. 12:11; Jer. 26:23; Acts 28:13; but fetched has long been printed for it.97
Rab. Maur. de Instit. Cler. Lib. I, cc. 4, 14, 15.98
Sed ipsi [sc. Graeci] rursum opponunt quia, cum veritas venit, figura cessavit... Quum ergo ad verum Pascha perventum est, quae praecesserant in typico cessaverunt... Et ideo Christus, sicut verum Pascha confecit sine lactucis agrestibus, sic et absque panibus azymis, ne veterem ritum in novo sacrificio retineret, ac per hoc nos Judaizare deceret. Nam utrumque pariter erat in Lege praescriptum [sc. Exod. 12:8].Sciendum ergo quod non omnes antiquae Legis consuetudines agjecit Ecclesia... Adhuc enim faciem plenae lunae considerat, ne Pascha celebret in defectu. Adhuc ... habet candelabrum et lucernas et vestes et vasa et pontifices et Levitas.... Legales ergo consuetudines non penitus sunt abolitae. Innoc. III Myster. Miss. IV, 4.
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This is noted, not against churches and temples, which are most necessary and ought to have their due use and honour (as *is in another Homily for their purposen declared99), nor against* the convenient cleanlinesso and ornaments thereof, but against the sumptuousness and abuses of templesp and churches. For it is a church or temple also that glisterethq with no marble, shineth with no gold nor silver, glitterethr with no pearls nor precious stones, but, with plainness and frugality, signifieth no proud doctrine nor people, but humble, frugal, and nothing esteeming earthly and outward things, but gloriously decked with inward ornaments, according as the Prophet declareth saying [Ps. 14:13], The Kings daughter is altogether glorious inwardly.
Now concerning outrageouss decking of images and idols with painting, gilding, adorning with precious vestures, pearl, and stone, what is it else but, for the further provocation and enticement to spiritual fornication, to deck spiritual harlots most costly and wantonly? Which the idolatrioust Church understandeth well enough. For she, being indeed not only an harlot (as the Scripturesu calleth her) but also a foul, filthy, old, withered harlot, (for she is indeed of ancient years,) and understanding her lack of naturalx and true beauty, and great loathsomeness which of herself she hath, doth (after the custom of such harlots) paint herself, and deck and tire herself with gold, pearl, stone, and all kind of precious jewels; that she, shining with the outward beauty and glory of them, may please the foolish fantasy of fond lovers, and so entice them to spiritual fornication with her: who, if they saw her, I will not say naked, but in simple apparel, would abhor her as the foulest and filthiest harlot that ever was seen; according as appeareth by the description of the garnishing of the great strumpet of all strumpets, the mother of whoredom, set forth by St. John in his Revelation [Rev. 17:18],
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*former line 3*
n
their purpose] that purpose from 1574. o cleanliness] cleanness from 1582. p of temples] of the temples from 1582. q glistereth] glittereth from 1582. r glittereth] glistereth from 1582. s outrageous] excessive 1623. t idolatrious] idolatrous from 1582. u Scriptures] Scripture 1623. x natural] nature from 1582.99
See the first Homily in this Second Book.
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who by her glory provoked the princes of the earth to commit whoredom with her. Whereas, on the contrary part, the true Church of God, as a chaste matron, espoused (as the Scripture teacheth [2 Cor. 11:2]) to one husband, our Saviour Jesus Christ, whom alone she is content only to please and serve, and looketh not to delight the eyes or phantasies of any other strange lovers or wooers, is content with her natural ornaments, not doubting by such sincere simplicity best to please him, which cany well skill of the difference between a painted visage and true natural beauty.
And concerning such glorious gilding and decking of images, both Gods word written in the tenth chapter of the Prophet Jeremy,z and St. Hieromes commentaries upon the same, are most worthy to be noted. First, the words of the Scriptures be these [Jer. 10:35].]: The workman with his axe hewed the timber out of the wood with the work of his hands: he decked it with gold and silver: he joined it with nails and pins and the stroke of ana hammer, that it might hold together. They be made smooth as the palm, and they cannot speak: if they be borne, they remove, for they cannot go. Fear ye them not, for they can neither do evil nor good. Thus saith the Prophet. Upon which text St. Hierome hath these words:100 "this is the description of idols, which the Gentiles worship. Their matter is vile and corruptible. And, whereas the artificer is mortal, the things he maketh must needs be corruptible. He decketh it with silver and gold, that with the glittering or shining of both metals he may deceive the simple. Which error indeed hath passed over from the Gentiles, that we should judge religion to stand in riches." And by and by after he saith: "They have the beauty of metals,
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y
which can] who can 1623. z Jeremy] Hierome 1563 AG, 15671571. a stroke of an] stroke an 1582, 1623.100
Descriptio idolorum quae venerantur gentes. Lignum, inquit, de saltu praecidit: materia ergo idolorum vilis atque corruptibilis. Opus mannum artificis: quum artifex mortalis sit, mortalia ergo et illa quae fabricatur. Argento et auro decoravit illud: ut fulgere utriusque materiae decipiat simplices. Qui quidem error ad nos usque transivit, ut religionem in divtiis arbitremur... In similitudinem palmae fabricata: habent pulchritudinem metallorum, et picturae arte decorata sunt; sed utilitatem non possident, qua praebeant aliquos fructus artifici....Quicquid de idolis diximus ad omnia dogmata quae sunt contraria veritati referri potest. Et ipsi enim ingentia pollicentur, et simulacrum vani cultus de suo corde confingunt. Jactant grandia, et ad decipiendos simplices quosque quasi aureis sensibus et eloquiis argenti splendore fulgentibus imperitorum obstringunt aciem, et a suis inventoribus sublimantur: in quibus nulla est utilitas, et quorum cultura proprie gentium est it eorum qui ignorant Deum. Hieron. in Jerem. 10:35; Opp. IV, 911.
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and be beautified by the art of painting; but good or profit is there none in them." And shortly after again: "They make great promises, and devise an image of vain worshipping of their own phantasies: they make great brags to deceive every simple body: they dull and amaze the understanding of the unlearned, as it were with golden senses,b and eloquence shining with the brightness of silver. And of their own divisers and makers are these images advanced and magnified: in the which is no utility nor profit at all, and the worshipping of the which properly pertaineth to the Gentiles and heathen and such as know not God." Thus far of St. Hieromes words. Whereupon you may note as well his judgment of images themselves, as also of the painting, gilding, and decking of them; that it is an error which came from the Gentiles; that it persuadeth religion to remain in riches; that it amazeth and deceiveth the simple and unlearned with golden sensesc and silver-shining eloquence; and that it appertaineth properly to the Gentiles and heathens and such as know not God. Wherefore the having, painting, gilding, and decking of images, by St. Hieromes judgment, is erroneous, seducing and bringing into error (specially the simple and unlearned), heathenish, and void of the knowledge of God. Surely the Prophet Daniel, in the eleventh chapter, declareth such sumptuous decking of images with gold, silver, and precious stones to be a token of Antichrists kingdom, who, as the Prophet foresheweth [Dan. 11:38.], shall worship God with such gorgeous things.
Now usually such outrageousd adorning and decking of images hath risen and been maintained, either of offerings provoked by superstition and given in idolatry, or of spoils, robberies, usury, or goods otherwise unjustly gotten, whereof wicked men have given part to the images or Saints (as they call them), that they might be pardoned of the whole; as of divers writings and old monuments concerning the cause and end of certain great gifts may well appear. And indeed such money, so wickedly gotten, is most meet to be put to so wicked an use.e And that which they take to be amends for the whole before God is more abominable in his sight than both the wicked getting and the more wicked spending of all the rest. For how the Lord alloweth such gifts he declareth evidently in the Prophet Esay, [Is. 61:[8].], saying, I (saith the Lord) do love judgment, and I hate spoil and raveny offered in sacrifice. Which the very Gentiles understood: for
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b c
senses] sentences 1587, 1595, 1623. d outrageous] excessive 1623. e an use] a use from 1567.
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Plato sheweth101 that such men as suppose that God doth pardon wicked men, if they give part of their spoils and ravinef to him, take him to be like a dog, that would be entreated and hired with part of the prey to suffer the wolves to werryg the sheep.
And in case the goods wherewith images be decked were justly gotten, yet is ith extreme madness so foolishly and wickedly to bestow goods purchased by wisdom and truth. Of such lewdness Lactantius writeth thus:102 "Men do in vain deck images of the gods with gold, ivory, and precious stone, as though they could take any pleasure of thesei things. For what use have they of precious gifts, which understand nor feel nothing? Even the same that dead men have. For with like reason do they bury dead bodies farced103 with spices and odours and clothed with precious vestures, and deck images, which neither felt or knew when they were made, nor understand when they be honoured, for they get no sense and understanding by their consecration." Thus far Lactantius, and much more, too long here to rehearse, declaring that, as little girls play with little puppets, so be these decked images great puppets for old fools to play with. And, that we may know what, not only men of our religion, but ethnics also judge of such decking of dead images, it is not unprofitable to hear what Seneca, a wise and excellent learned senator of Rome and philosopher, saith concerning the foolishness of ancient and grave men, used in his time in worshipping and decking of images.104 "We, saith
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Margin Notes: Top line: Dialogo de Legibus x. Next , 2d line: Lib. ii Instit. cap. 4.
f
ravine] rapine 1623. g werry] weery 15671574; weary 1582, 1587, 1623; worry 1595. h yet is it] yet it is from 1582. i of these] of those 15821595, in those 1623.101
I@J@< * J< 8`(@< <"(6"@< 8X(,4< J< 8X(@<J", l ,F FL((<f:@<,l , 2,@ J@l J< <2DfBT< *\6@4l 6" *\6@F4<, < "J@l J< *\60:VJT< J4l B@<X:, 6"2VB,D 6LF , 8b6@4 J< DB"F:VJT< F:46D B@<X:@4,<, @ * :,D@b:,<@4 J@l *fD@4l FL(PTD@,< J B@\:<4" *4"DBV.,4<. Dz @P @J@l 8`(@l J< N"F6`<JT< B"D"4J0J@l ,<"4 2,@bl; Plat. Legg. X, p. 906 C.102
Frustra igitur homines auro, ebore, gemmis deos excolunt et exornant; quasi vero ex his rebus ullam possint capere voluptatem. Quis usus est pretiosorum munerum nihil sentientibus? An ille, qui mortuis? Pari enim ratione defunctorum corpora odoribus ac pretiosis vestibus illita et convoluta humi condunt, qua deos honorant, qui neque, cum fierent, sentiebant, neque, cum coluntur, sciunt; nec enim sensum consecratione sumpscrunt. Lactant. Divinl. Institutt. II, 4; Opp. I, 125, ed. Paris. 1748.103
farced: stuffed.104
Non videbat [sc. Persius, Sat. II, 70] simulacra ipsa et effigies deorum ... nihil aliud esse quam grandes pupas, non a virginibus, quarum lusibus venia dari potest, sed a barbatis hominibus consecratas. Merito igitur etiam senum stultitiam Seneca deridet. Non, inquit, bis pueri sumus, ut vulgo dicitur, sed semper: verum hoc interest, quod majora [al. majores] nos ludimus. Ergo his ludicris et ornatis et grandibus pupis et unguenta et thura et odores inferunt: his opimas et pingues hostias immolant, quibus est quidem os, sed carens officio dentium: his peplos et idumenta pretiosa, quibus usus velaminis nullus est; his aurum et argentum consecrant, quae tam non habent qui accipiunt, quam qui illa donarunt. Nec immerito Dionysius Siciliae tyrannus &c. Lactant. ibid. pp. 126, 127. The fragment of Senaca here preserved ends with the word "ludimus." And Lactantius seems to have taken what he says of Dionysius from Valerius Maximus, I, i, Extern. 3, who himself probably took it from Cicero De Nat. Deor. III, 34.
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Seneca, be not twice children, as the common saying is, but always children: but this is the difference, that we being elder play the children. And in these plays they bring in before great and well decked puppets," for so he calleth images, "ointments, incense, and odours. To these puppets they offer up sacrifice, which have a mouth, but not the use of teeth. Upon these they put attiring and precious apparel, which have no use of clothes. To these they give gold and silver, which they who receive it," meaning the images, "lack as well as they that have given it from them." And Seneca much commendeth Dionysius, king of Sicily, for his merry robbing of such decked and jewelled puppets.
But you will ask, What doth this appertain to our images, which is written against the idols of the Gentiles? Altogether surely. For what use or pleasure have our images of their decking and precious ornaments? Did our images understand when they were made? or know when they be so trimmed and decked? Be not these things bestowed upon them as much in vain as upon dead men which have no sense? Wherefore it followeth, that there is like foolishness and lewdness in decking of our images as great puppets for old fools, like children, to play the wicked play of idolatry before, as was amongstk the ethnics and Gentiles. Our churches stand full of such great puppets, wonderously decked and adorned; garlands and coronets be set on their heads, precious pearls hanging about their necks; their fingers shine with rings set with precious stone;l their dead and stiff bodies are clothed with garments stiff with gold. You would believe that the images of our men Saints were some princes of Persym land with their proud apparel, and the idols of our women Saints were nice and well trimmed harlots, tempting their paramours to wantonness: whereby the Saints of God are not honoured, but most dishonoured, and their godliness, soberness, chastity, contempt of riches and of the vanity of the world, defaced and brought in doubt by such monstruousn decking, most differing from their sober and godly lives. And, be-
[Continued on Page 266]
k
amongst] among from 1570. l stone] stones from 1563 B. m Persy] Persia 1587, 1595, 1623. n monstruous] monstrous from 1570.
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cause the whole must thoroughly be played, it is not enough thus to deck idols, but at the last come in the priests themselves likewise decked with gold and pearl, that they may be meet servants for such lords and ladies, and fit worshippers of such gods and goddesses. And with a solemn pace they pass forth before these golden puppets, and downo to the ground on their marrowbones before these honourable idols, and then, rising up again, offer up odours and incense unto them, to give the people an example of double idolatry by worshipping not only the idol, but the gold also and riches wherewith it is garnished. Which things the most part of our old Martyrs rather than they would do, or once kneel or offer up one crumb of incense before an image, suffered most cruel and terrible deaths, as the histories of them at large to declare.
And here again their allegation out of Gregory the First and Damascene, that images be the laymens books, and that picture isp the scripture of idiots and simple persons,105 is worthy to be considered. For, as it hath been touched in divers places before how they be books teaching nothing but lies, as by St. Paul in the first chapter to the Romans [Rom. 1:25.] evidently appeareth of the images of God, so, what manner of books and scripture these painted and gilt images of Saints be unto the common people, note well, I pray you. For, after that our preachers shall have instructed and exhorted the people to the following of the virtues of the Saints, as, contempt of this world, poverty soberness, chastity, and such like virtues, which undoubtedly were in the Saints; think you, as soon as they turn their faces from the preacher, and look upon the graven books and painted scripture of the glorious gilt images and idols, all shining and glittering with metal and stone and covered with precious vestures, or else, with Chaerea in Terence, behold "a painted table",106 wherein is set forth by the art of the painter an image with a nice and wanton apparel and countenance, more like to Venus or Flora than Mary Magdalene, or, if like to Mary Magdalene, it is when she played the harlot rather than when she wept for her sins; when, I say, they turn about from the preacher to
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Margin Note: 1st indent: Gregor. Epist. ad Seren. Massil. Damasc. de Fide Orthod. Lib. iv, cap. 17.
o
and down] and fall down from 1582. p picture is] pictures are from 1582.105
See Gregory cited before, p. 195, note 30; and Damascene at p. 221, note 12.Dum apparatur, virgo in conclavi sedet106
Suspectans tabulam quandam pictam....
* * * * *
Egomet quoque id spectare coepi &c.
Terent. Eunuch. III, V, 3543.
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these books and schoolmasters and painted scriptures, shall they not find them lying books, teaching other manner of lessons, of esteeming of riches, of pride and vanity and apparel, of niceness and wantonness, and peradventure of whoredom, as Chaerea of like pictures was taught, and in Lucian one learned of Venus Gnidia107 a lesson too abominable here to be remembered? Be not these, think you, pretty books and scriptures for simple people, and speciallyq for wives and maidens, to look in, read on, and learn such lessons of? What will they think either of the preacher,r who taught them contrary lessons of the Saints, and therefore by these carvens doctors aret charged with a lie, or of the Saints themselves, if they believe these graven books and painted scriptures of them, who make the Saints now reigning in heaven with God, to their great dishonour, schoolmasters of such vanity, which they in their lifetime most abhorred? For what lessons of contempt of riches and vanity of this world can such books, so besmeared with gold, set with stone,u covered with silks, teach? What lessons of soberness and chastity can our women learn of these pictured scriptures with their nice apparel and wanton looks?
But away, for shame, with these coloured cloaks of idolatry, of the booksx and scriptures of images and pictures to teach idiots, nay, to make idiots and stark fools and beasts of Christians. Do men, I pray you, when they have the same books at home with them, run on pilgrimage to seek like books at Rome, Compostella, or Hierusalem, to be taught by them, when they have the like to learn of aty home? Do men reverence some books, and despise and set light by other of the same sort? Do men kneel before their books, light candles at noon time,z burn incense, offer up gold and silver and other gifts, to their books? Do men either feign or believe miracles to be wrought by their books? I am sure that the New Testament of our Saviour Jesus Christ, containing the word of life, is a more lively, express, and true image of our Saviour, than all carved, graved,a molten, and painted images in the world be; and yet none of all these things be done to that book or scripture of the Gospel of our Saviour, which be done to images and pictures, the books and scriptures of laymen and idiots, as they
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q
specially] especially 1623. r t preacher and are] so in all. s carven] carved 1623. u with stone] with precious stones 1582, 1623. x of the books] so in all. y learn of at] learn at from 1582. z noon time] none time till 1567. a graved] graven from 1563 B.107
Lucian. Imagg. c. IV: Pseudo-Lucian. Amorr. cc. XV, XVI.
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call them. Wherefore, call them what they list, it is most evident by their deeds, that they make of them none otherb books nor scripturesc than such as teach most filthy and horrible idolatry, as the users of such books daily prove by continual practising of thed same. O books and scriptures, in the which the devilish schoolmaster Satan hath penned the lewd lessons of wicked idolatry for his dastardly disciples and scholars to behold, read, and learn, to Gods most high dishonour and their most horrible damnation! Have not we been much bound, think you, to those which should have taught us the truth out of Gods book and his holy Scripture, that they have shut up that book and Scripture from us, (and none of us so bold as once to open it or read on it,) and, instead thereof, to spread us abroad these goodly carven and giltede books and painted scriptures, to teach us such good and godly lessons? Have not they done well, after they ceased to stand in pulpits themselves and to teach the people committed to their instruction, keeping silence of Gods word and become dumb dogs [Is. 56:10] (as the Prophet calleth them), to set up in their stead, on every pillar and corner of the church, such goodly doctors, as dumb, but more wicked than themselves be? We need not to complain of the lack of one dumb parson, having so many dumb devilish vicars, I mean these idols and painted puppets, to teach in their stead.
Now in the mean season, whilst the dumb and dead idols stand thus decked and clothed, contrary to Gods law and commandment, the poor Christian people, the lively images of God, commended to us so tenderly by our Saviour Christ as most dear to him, stand naked, shivering for cold, and their teeth chattering in their heads, and no man covereth them; are pined with hunger and thirst, and no man giveth them a penny to refresh them; whereas pounds be ready at all times, contrary to Gods word andf will, to deck and trim dead stocks and stones, which neither feel cold, hunger, neg thirst. Clemens hath a notable sentence concerning this matter, saying thus:108
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Margin Note: Last line: Lib. v ad Jacobum Domini.
b
none other] no other from 1567. c scriptures] scripture from 1574. d practising of the] practising the from 1571. e gilted] gilten from 1574. f word and] omitted after 1574. g ne] nor 1623.108
Per alios item serpens ille proferre verba hujuscemodi solet: Nos ad honorem invisibilis Dei imagines visibiles adoramus: quod certissime falsum est. Si enim vere velitis Dei imaginem colere, homini benefacientes veram in eo Dei imaginem coleretis. In omni enim homine est imago Dei; non in omnibus vero similitudo, sed ubi benigna anima est et mens pura. Si ergo vere vultis honorare imaginem Dei, nos vobis quod verum est aperimus; ut homini, qui ad imaginem Dei factus est, benefaciatis, honorem et reverentiam deferatis, esurienti cibum, sitienti poculum, nudo indumentum, aegro ministerium, peregrino hospitium, et in carcere posito necessaria ministretis: et hoc est quod vere Deo delatum reputabitur. Haec autem in tantum ad honorem Dei imaginis cedunt, ut qui ista non fecerit contumeliam imagini Divinae intulisse credatur. Quis ergo iste honor Dei est, per lapideas et ligneas formas discurrere et inanes atque examines figuras tanquam numina venerari, et hominem, in quo vere imago Dei est, spernere? ... Intelligite ergo quia latentis intrinsecus serpentis est ista suggestio, quae persuadet pios vos videri posse, cum insensibilia colitis, et non videri impios, cum sensibiles et rationabiles laeditis. Recognitt. S. Clement. V, 23; vol. I, 552.
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"That serpent the devil doth by the mouth of certain men utter these words, We for the honour of the invisible God do worship visible images: which doubtless is most false. For, if you will truly honour the image of God, you should, by doing well to man, honour the true image of God in him. For the image of God is in every man: but the likeness of God is not in every one, but in those only which have a godly heart and pure mind. If you will therefore truly honour the image of God, we do declare to you the truth, that ye do well to man, who is made after the image of God, [James 3:9] that you give honour and reverence to him, and refresh the hungry with meat, the thirsty with drink, the naked with clothes, the sick with attendance, the stranger harbourless with lodging, the prisoners with necessaries: and this shall be accounted as truly bestowed upon God. And these things are so directly appertaining to Gods honour, that whosoever doeth not this shall seem to have reproached and done villany to the image of God. For what honour of God is this, to run to images of stock and stone and to honour vain and dead figures as God,h and to despise man, in whom is the true image of God?" And by and by after he saith: "Understand ye therefore that this is the suggestion of the serpent Satan lurking within you, which persuadeth you that you are godly, when you honour insensible and dead images, and that you be not ungodly, when you hurt or leave unsuccoured the lively and reasonable creatures." All these be the words of Clemens. Note, I pray you, how this most ancient and learned doctor, within one hundred years of our Saviour Christs time, most plainly teacheth, that no service of God or religion acceptable to him can be in honouring of dead images, but in succouring of the poor, the lively images of God; according to St. James [James 1:27], who saith This is the pure and true religion before God the Father, to succour fatherless and motherless
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h
as God] of God from 1567.
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children and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself undefiled from this world.
True religion then and pleasing of God standeth not in making, setting up, painting, gilding, clothing, and decking of dumb and dead images, which be but great puppets and maumentsi 109 for old fools in dotage and wicked idolatry to dally and play with; nor in kissing of them, capping, kneeling, offering to them, in censingk of them, setting up of candles, hanging up of legs, arms, or whole bodies of wax before them, or praying and asking of them or of Saints things belonging only to God to give: but all these things be vain and abominable and most damnable before God. Wherefore all such do not only bestow their money and labour in vain, but with their pains and cost purchase to themselves Gods wrath in utter indignation and everlasting damnation both of body and soul. For ye have heard it evidently proved in these Homilies against Idolatry, by Gods word, the doctors of the Church, Ecclesiastical Histories, reason, and experience, that images have been and be worshipped, and so idolatry committed to them, by infinite multitudes, to the great offence of Gods Majesty and danger of infinite souls; and that idolatry cannot possibly be separated from images set up in churches and temples, gilded and decked gorgeously;l and that therefore our images be indeed very idols, and so all the prohibitions, laws, curses, threatenings of horrible plagues, as well temporal a eternal, contained in the holy Scripture concerning idols and the makers, maintainers,m and worshippers of them, appertain also to our images set up in churches and temples, ton the makers, maintainers, and worshippers of them. And all those names of abomination which Gods word in the holy Scriptureo giveth to the idols of the Gentiles appertain to our images, being idols like to them, and having like idolatry committed unto them: and Gods own mouth in the holy Scriptures calleth them
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i
mauments] mawmets or maumets 15471587, mammets 1595, babies, 1623. k censing] sensing from 1563 B. l gorgeously] gloriously 1623. m makers, maintainers] makers and maintainers 1623. n temples, to] temples, and to from 1582. o Scripture] Scriptures from 1563 B.109
mauments: great dolls, nearly the same as puppets. See the passage last cited from Lactantius, p. 264, note 104. But in its earlier signification the word means a real idol or image. "Mawment: Ydolum, Simulacrum." "Mawmentrye: Ydolatria" (sic). Promptorium Parvulorum, ed. Alb. Way, where see his note. And yet it is an abbreviation of the name of Mahomet, the foe to all idolatry; and its more correct form is maumet or mawmet. See Trench on the Study of Words, Lect. III, p. 85, ed. 1856. The form mauments may perhaps be compared with Mahound and Mahoune, used for Mahomet by the Romance writers, and by Spenser after them.
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vanities,
( lies,* deceits,, 110 uncleanliness,p . filthiness, dung, mischief, and abomination before the Lord.6 Wherefore Gods horrible wrath and our most dreadful danger cannot be avoided without the destruction and utter abolishing of all such images and idols out of the church and temple of God: which to accomplish, God put in the minds of all Christian princes!And in the mean time let us take heed and be wise, O ye beloved of the Lord, and let us have no strange gods, but one only God, who made us when we were nothing, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who redeemed us when we were lost, and with his Holy Spirit, who dothq sanctify us. For [John 17:3] this is life everlasting, to know him to be the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. Let us honour and worship for religion saker none but him: and him let us worship and honour as he will himself, and hath declared by his word that he will be honoured and worshipped; not in nor by images or idols, which he hath most straitly forbidden, neither in kneeling, lighting of candles, burning of incense, offering up of gifts unto images and idols, to believe that we shall please him; for all these be abomination before God; but let us honour and worship God in spirit and truth, [John 4:2324] fearing and loving him above all things, trusting in him only, calling upon him and praying to him only, praising and lauding of him only, and all other in him and for him. For such worshippers doth our heavenly Father love, who is the most purests Spirit, and therefore will be worshipped in spirit and truth. And such worshippers were Abraham, Moses, David, Helias, Peter, Paul, John, and all other the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and all true Saints of God; who all, as the true friends of God, were enemies and destroyers of images and idols, as the enemies of God and his true religion.
Wherefore take heed and be wise, O ye beloved of the Lord; and that which others, contrary to Gods word, bestow wickedly, and to their damnation, upon dead stocks and stones, (no images, but enemies, of God and his Saints,) that bestow ye, as the faithful servants of God, according to Gods word, mercifully upon poor men and women, fatherless children, widows, sick persons, strangers, prisoners, and such others that be in any necessity; that ye may, at that great day of the Lord, hear that most blessed and comfortable saying of our Saviour Christ [Matt. 25:3440]: Come, ye blessed, into the kingdom of my Father, prepared for you before the beginning of the world. For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink; naked, and ye clothed me; harbourless, and ye lodged me; in prison, and ye visited me; sick, and ye comforted me. For, whatsoever ye have done for the poor and needy in my name and for my sake, that have ye done for me. To the which his heavenly kingdom God the Father of mercies [2 Cor. 1:3] bring us for Jesus Christs sake, our only Saviour, Mediator, and Advocate: to whom with the Holy Ghost, one immortal, invisible, and most glorious God, be all honour and thanksgiving and glory world without end. Amen.
Margin Notes:
( [Deut. 32:21]. * [Jer. 16:19]. , [Amos 2:4]. . [2 Chron. 29:5]. 6 [Deut. 27:15].p
uncleanliness] uncleanness 1595, 1623. q Spirit, who doth] so in all. r religion sake] religions sake from 1571. s the most purest] a most pure 1623.110
Deceperunt enim eos idola sua. Amos 2:4, Vulg.