dominions and kyngdomes sometime possessed by Christians in Asia Africa and Europa the miserable fall of the Empyre and Church of Grece sometime the moste florishyng part of Christendome into the handes of Turkes the lamentable diminishing decay and ruine of Christian religion the dreadfull encrease of Paganitie and power of the Infidelles and miscreantes and al by the practise and procurement of the Byshop of Rome cheefely is in the histories and chronicles written by the Byshop of Romes owne fauourers and frendes to be seene and is well knowen vnto all suche as are acquainted with the saide histories The ambitious intent and most subtill driftes of the Byshops of Rome in these their practises appeared euidently by their bolde attempt in spoyling and robbing the Emperours of their Townes Cities Dominions kingdomes in Italie Lumbardie Cicilie of auncient right belonging vnto the Empyre by the ioyning of them vnto their Byshoprike of Rome or els geuing them vnto straungers to holde them of the Churche Byshops of Rome as in capite and as of the cheefe lordes thereof in whiche tenure they holde the most part therof euen at this day By these ambitious in deede trayterous meanes and spoylyng of their soueraigne lordes the Byshops of Rome of Priestes and none other by right then the Bishops of one citie and diocesse are by false vsurpation become great lordes of many dominions myghtie Princes yea or Emperours rather as claymyng to haue diuers princes and kinges to their vassals liege men and subiectes as in the same histories written by their owne familiers and courtiers is to be seene And in deede since the tyme that the Byshops of Rome by ambition treason vsurpation atcheued and atteined to this height and greatnesse they behaued them selues more lyke princes kinges Emperours in al things then remained like priestes bishops and ecclesiastical or as they would be called spirituall persons in any one thing at al. For after this rate they haue handled other kings princes of other Realmes throughout Christendome as well as theyr Soueraigne lordes the Emperours vsually dischargyng their subiectes of their othe of fidelitie and so stirring them vp to rebellion against their naturall princes whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified vnto you Wherefore let al good subiectes knowing these the speciall instrumentes and ministers of the deuil to the stirring vp of al rebellions auoyde and flee them the pestilent suggestions of such forraigne vsurpers and their adherentes and embrace al obedience to God and their naturall princes and Soueraignes that they may enioy gods blessinges and their princes fauour in all peace quietnes securitie in this worlde and finally attaine through Christ our sauiour lyfe euerlasting in the world to come which God the father for the same our sauiour Jesus Christ his sake graunt vnto vs al to whō with the holy ghost be al honour glory world without ende Amen Thus haue you heard the sixt part of this Homilee now good people let vs pray The prayer as before The sixt and last part of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion NOw whereas the iniuries oppressions rauenie and tyrannie of the bishop of Rome vsurping aswell agaynst their natural lords the Emperours as against al other Christian kinges and kingdomes and their continual stirring of subiectes vnto rebellions agaynst theyr soueraigne lordes whereof I haue partlye admonished you before were intollerable and it may seeme more then maruell that any subiectes woulde after suche sorte holde with vnnaturall forraigne vsurpers agaynst theyr owne soueraigne lordes and naturall countrey It remayneth that I do declare the meane whereby they compassed these matters and so to conclude this whole treatie of due obedience and agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion You shall vnderstande that by ignoraunce of Gods worde wherein they kept all men speciallye the common people they wrought brought to passe all these thinges makyng them beleue that all they sayde was true all that they dyd was good and godlye and that to holde with them in all thinges agaynst father mother prince countrey and all men was most meritorious And in deede what mischeefe wyll not blinde ignoraunce leade simple men vnto By ignoraunce the Juishe Cleargie induced the common people to aske the deliuerie of Barabbas the seditious murtherer to sue for the cruell crucifiyng of our sauiour Christe for that he rebuked the ambition suberstion and other vices of the hie priestes and cleargie For as our sauiour Christe testifieth that those who crucified hym wyst not what they dyd so doth the holy apostle saint Paul say If they had knowen yf they had not ben ignoraunt they woulde neuer haue crucified the Lorde of glory but they knew not what they dyd Our sauiour Christ him selfe also foreshewed that it shoulde come to passe by ignoraunce that those who should persecute and murther his true apostles and disciples shoulde thinke they dyd God acceptable sacrifice good seruice as it also is verified euen at this day And in this ignoraunce haue the Byshoppes of Rome kept the people of God specially the common sorte by no meanes so muche as by withdrawyng of the word of God from them and by keping it vnder the vale of an vnknowen straunge tongue For as it serued the ambitious humour of the Byshops of Rome to compell all nations to vse the natural language of the citie of Rome where they were Byshops whiche shewed a certayne acknowledging of subiection vnto them so yet serued it muche more their craftie purpose thereby to keepe all people so blinde that they not knowyng what they prayed what they beleued what they were commaunded by God myght take all their commaundementes for Gods. For as they woulde not suffer the holy scriptures or Churche seruice to be vsed or had in any other language then the latine so were verye fewe euen of the moste simple people taught the Lordes prayer the articles of the fayth and the ten commaundementes otherwyse then in latine whiche they vnsterstoode not by whiche vniuersal ignorance al men were redy to beleue whatsoeuer they sayd to do whatsoeuer they commaunded For to imitate the apostles phrase If the Emperours subiectes had knowen out of Gods worde their duetie to their prince they would not haue suffered the Byshop of Rome to perswade them to forsake their Soueraigne lord the Emperour against their othe of fidelitie and to rebel against him only for that he cast images vnto the which idolatrie was committed out of the Churches which the Byshop of Rome bare them in hande to be heresie If they had knowen of Gods word but asmuch as the ten commaundementes they should haue founde that the Byshop of Rome was not onlye a traytour to the Emperour his liege Lorde but to God also and an horrible blasphemer of his maiestie in calling his holy worde and commaundement heresye and that which the Byshop of
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
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
that ye may as Virgil speaketh of Simon of one knowe all these image worshippers and idolaters and vnderstande to what poynt in conclusion the publique hauing of images in Temples and Churches hath brought vs comparing the tymes and wrytynges of Gregorie the first with our daies and the blasphemies of such idolaters as this beast of Belial named Naclantus is Wherefore nowe it is by the testimonie of the olde godly fathers and doctours by the open confession of Byshops assembled in counselles by most euident signes and argumentes opinions idolatrous actes deedes and worshyppyng done to our images and by their owne open confession and doctrine set foorth in their bookes declared and shewed that our images haue ben and be commonly worshipped yea and that they ought so to be I wyll out of Gods worde make this generall argument agaynst al such makers letters vp and maynteyners of images in publique places And firste of all I wyll begyn with the wordes of our sauiour Christe Do be to that man by whom an offence is geuen wo be to him that offendeth one of these litle ones or weake ones better were it for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke he cast into the middle of the sea and drowned then he should offend one of these litle ones or weake ones And in Deut. God himselfe denounceth him accursed that maketh the blinde to wander in his way And in Leuit. Thou shalt not lay a stumbling blocke or stone before the blynd But images in Churches and temples haue ben and be and as afterward shal be proued euer wil be offences stumbling blockes specially to the weake simple and blind common people deceauing their heartes by the cunnyng of the artificer as the scripture expressy in sundrye places doth testifie and so bryngyng them to idolatrie Therefore wo be to the erecter setter vp and maynteyner of images in Churches and temples for a greater penaltie remayneth for hym then the death of the body Jf aunswere be yet made that this offence may be taken away by diligent and sincere doctrine preachyng of Gods word as by other meanes And that images in Churches and Temples therefore be not thynges absolutely euyll to all men although daungerous to some And therefore that it were to be holden that the publique hauyng of them in Churches and Temples is not expedient as a thyng perilous rather then vnlawfull as a thyng vtterly wycked Then foloweth the thirde article to be prouen whiche is this That it is not possible if images be suffered in Churches and Temples either by preachyng of Gods worde or by any other meanes to keepe the people from worshyppyng of them so to auoyde idolatrie And firste concernyng preachyng if it shoulde be admitted that although images were suffred in Churches yet might idolatrie by diligent and sincere preachyng of Gods worde be auoyded it shoulde folowe of necessitie that sincere doctrine myght alwayes be had and continue 〈◊〉 as images And so that wheresoeuer to offence were erected an image there also of reason a godly and sincere preacher shoulde and myght be continually maynteyned For it in reason that the warnyng be as common as the stumblyng blocke the remedie as large as is the offence the medicine as generall as the poyson but that is not possible as both reason and experience teacheth Wherefore preachyng cannot stay idolatrie images beyng publiquely suffered For an image whiche will last for many hundred yeres may for a litle be bought but a good preacher can not be with muche contynually maynteyned Item if the prince wil suffer it there wil be by and by many yea infinite images But sincere preachers were and euer shal be but a fewe in respect of the multitude to be taught For our sauiour Christe sayth the haruest is plentifull but the workemen be but a fewe whiche hath ben hitherto continually true and wyl be to the worldes ende And in our tyme and here in our countrey so true that euery shyre shoulde scarsly haue one good preacher if they were diuided Nowe images wyl continually to the beholders preache their doctrine that is the worshipping of images and idolatrie to the whiche preaching mankynde is exceedyng prone and enclined to geue eare and credite as experience of all nations and ages doth to muche proue But a true preacher to stay this mischeefe is in very manye places scarsly heard once in a whole yere and some where 's not once in seuen yeres as is euident to be proued And that euyll opinion whiche hath ben long rooted in mens heartes can not sodenly by one sermon be rooted out cleare And as fewe are inclined to credite sounde doctrine as many and almost all be prone to superstition and idolatrie So that herein appeareth not only a difficultie but also an impossibilitie of the remedie Further it appeareth not by any storie of credite that true and sincere preachyng hath endured in anye one place aboue one hundred yeres But it is euident that images superstition and worshyppyng of images and idolatrie haue continued manye hundred yeres For all wrytynges and experience do testifie that good thynges do by litle and litle euer decaye vntyll they be cleane banished and contrarywyse euyll thynges do more and more encrease tyll they come to a full perfection of wyckednesse Neyther neede we to seeke examples farre of for a proofe hereof our present matter is and example For preachyng of Gods worde moste sincere in the begynnyng by processe of tyme waxed lesse and lesse pure and after corrupt and last of all altogether layde downe and left of and other inuentions of men crept in place of it And on the other parte images among Christian men were firste paynted and that in whole stories together whiche had some signification in them Afterwardes they were imbossed and made of tymber stone playster and mettall And firste they were only kepte pryuately in pryuate mens houses And then after they crepte into Churches and Temples but fyrst by payntyng and after by embossyng And yet were they no where at the fyrst worshypped But shortlye after they began to be worshypped of the ignoraunte sorte of men as appeareth by the Epistle that Gregorie the firste of that name Byshop of Rome dyd wryte to Serenus Byshop of Marcelles Of the whiche two Byshoppes Serenus for idolatrie committed to images brake them and burned them Gregorie although he thought it tollerable to let them stande yet he iudged it abhominable that they shoulde be worshypped and thought as is nowe alleaged that the worshyppyng of them myght be stayed by teachyng of Gods worde accordyng as he exhorteth Serenus to teache the people as in the same Epistle appeareth But whether Gregories opinion or Serenus iudgement were better herein consyder ye I pray you for experience by and by confuteth Gregories opinion For notwithstandyng Gregories wrytyng and the preachyng of others images beyng once publiquely set vp in Temples and Churches simple men and
a figure to signifie and not an example to follow that those outward thinges were suffered for a tyme vntill Christ our Lorde came who turned all those outwarde thinges into spirite fayth and trueth And the same saynt Jerome vpon the seuenth chapter of Jeremy saith God commaunded both the Jewes at that time and nowe vs who are placed in the Churche that we haue no trust in the goodlinesse of building and gylte rooffes and in walles couered with tables of marble and say the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the lord For that is the temple of the lorde wherein dwelleth true fayth godly conuersation and the company of all vertues And vppon the Prophet Agge he descrybeth the true and ryght decking of ornamentes of the Temple after this sorte I sayth Saint Jerome do thinke the siluer wherewith the house of God is decked to be the doctrine of the scriptures of the whiche it is spoken The doctrine of the Lorde is a pure doctrine siluer tryed in fyre purged from drosse purified seuen tymes And I do take golde to be that which remayneth in the hid sense of the saintes and the secrete of the heart and shyneth with the true lyght of god Which is euident that the Apostle also meant of the saintes that buylde vppon the foundation of Christ some siluer some golde some precious stones that by the Golde the hid sense by siluer godlye vtteraunce by precious stones workes whiche please God myght be signified With these mettals the Churche of our sauiour is made more goodly and gorgeous then was the synagogue in olde tyme With these liuely stones is the Churche and house of Christ builded and peace is geuen to it for euer All these be saint Hieromes sayinges No more dyd the olde godly Bishops and doctours of the Churche allowe the outragious furniture of Temples and Churches with plate vesselles of golde siluer and precious vestures Saint Chrisostome sayth In the ministerie of the holy Sacramentes there is no neede of golden vesselles but of golden mindes And saint Ambrose saith Christe sent his Apostles without golde and gathered his Church without golde The Churche hath golde not to hepe it but to bestowe it on the necessities of the poore The Sacramentes looke for no golde neyther do they please God for the cōmendation of golde which are not bought for golde The adournyng and deckyng of the Sacramentes is the redemption of captyues Thus much saint Ambrose Saint Hierome commendeth Exuperius Byshop of Tolose that he caryed the Sacrament of the Lordes bodye in a wycker basket and the Sacrament of his blood in a glasse and so caste couetousnes out of the Churche And Bonifacius Byshop and martyr as it is recorded in the decrees testifieth that in olde tyme the ministers vsed treene and not golden vessels And Zepherinus the. xvi Byshoppe of Rome made a decree that they shoulde vse vesselles of glasse Lykewyse were the vestures vsed in the Churche in olde tyme very playne and single and nothyng costly And Rabanus at large declareth that this costly and manifolde furniture of vestmentes of late vsed in the Churche was fet from the Jewishe vsage and agreeth with Aarons apparelling almost altogether For the maintenaunce of the which Innocentius the Pope pronounceth boldly that all the customes of the olde lawe be not abolished that we might in suche apparel of Christians the more willingly become Jewish This is noted not agaynst Churches temples which are most necessary ought to haue theyr due vse and honour as is in another Homilee for theyr purpose declared nor against the conuenient cleanlinesse and ornamentes thereof but agaynst the sumptuousnes abuses of Temples and Churches For it is a Churche or Temple also that glistereth with no marble shyneth with no golde nor syluer glittereth with no pearles nor precious stones but with plainnesse and frugalitie signifieth no proude doctrine nor people but humble frugall and nothyng esteemyng earthly and outwarde thynges but gloriouslye decked with inwarde ornamentes according as the prophet declareth saying The kings daughter is altogether glorious inwardlye Nowe concernyng outragious deckyng of images and idolles with paynting gyldyng adournyng with precious vestures pearle and stone what is it els but for the further prouocation and intisement to spirituall fornication to decke spirituall harlottes moste costly and wantonlye which the idolatrious Churche vnderstandeth wel enough For shee beyng in deede not only an harlot as the scriptures calleth her but also a foule fylthye olde withered harlot for she is in deede of auncient yeres and vnderstandyng her lacke of naturall and true beawtie and great lothsomenesse whiche of her selfe she hath doth after the custome of suche harlottes paynte her selfe and decke tire her selfe with golde pearle stone and all kinde of precious iewels that she shyning with the outward beawtie and glory of them may please the foolyshe fantasie of fonde louers and so entice them to spirituall fornication with her Who yf they sawe her I wyll not say naked but in simple apparell woulde abhorre her as the fowlest and fylthyest harlot that euer was seene Accordyng as appeareth by the discription of the garnyshyng of the great strumpette of all strumpettes the mother of whoredome set foorth by saint John in his reuelation who by her glorye prouoked the Princes of the earth to committe whoredome with her Whereas on the contrarye part the true Churche of GOD as a chaste matrone espoused as the scripture teacheth to one husbande our sauiour Jesus Christe whom alone she is content onlye to please and serue and looketh not to delyght the eyes or phantasies of any other straunge louers or wooers is content with her naturall ornamentes not doubtyng by suche sincere simplicitie best to please him which can well skil of the difference betweene a paynted visage and true naturall beawtie And concerning such glorious gildyng and decking of images both Gods worde wrytten in the. x. Chapter of the prophete Hierome and saint Hieromes commentaries vppon the same are moste worthye to be noted Firste the wordes of the scriptures be these The workeman with his are he wed the tymber out of the wood with the worke of his handes he decked it with golde and syluer he ioyned it with nayles and pinnes and the stroke of an hammer that it myght holde together They be made smothe as the Palme and they can not speake yf they be borne they remoue for they can not go Feare ye them not for they can neyther do euyll nor good Thus sayth the prophete Upon which text saint Hierome hath these wordes This is the description of idols which the Gentiles worshyp theyr matter is vyle corruptible And whereas the artificer is mortal the thinges he maketh must nedes be corruptible he decketh it with siluer and golde that with glitteryng or shynyng of both mettals he may deceaue the simple Which errour in deede hath passed ouer from the
Peter They therefore that haue no mynde at all neyther to reade nor yet to heare Gods word there is but smal hope of them that they wil as muche as once set their feete or take holde vpon the fyrst staffe or steppe of this ladder but rather will sinke deeper and deeper into the bottomlesse pit of perdition For if at anye tyme through the remorse of their conscience which accuseth them they feele any inwarde greefe sorowe or heauines for their sinnes forasmuch as they want the salue and comfort of Gods worde which they do dispyse it will be vnto them rather a meane to bryng them to vtter desperation then otherwyse The seconde is an vnfayned confession and acknowledgyng of our sinnes vnto God whom by them we haue so greeuouslye offended that if he shoulde deale with vs accordyng to his iustyce we do deserue a thousande helles if there coulde be so manye Yet if we wyll with a sorowfull and contrite hearte make an vnfayned confession of them vnto God he will freely and frankly forgeue them so put all our wickednes out of remembraunce before the syght of his maiestie that they shall no more be thought vppon Hereunto doth parteyne the golden saying of the holy prophet Dauid where he sayth on this maner Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee neither did I hyde myne iniquitie I sayde I will confesse agaynst my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lorde thou forgauest the vngodlines of my sinne These are also the wordes of John the Euangelist If we confesse our sinnes God is faythfull ryghteous to forgeue vs our sinnes to make vs cleane from all our wickednes Which ought to be vnderstanded of the confession that is made vnto god For these are saint Augustines wordes That confession whiche is made vnto God is requyred by Gods lawe whereof John the apostle speaketh saying If we confesse our sinnes God is faythfull and ryghteous to forgeue vs our sinnes and to make vs cleane from all our wickednesse For without this confession sinne is not forgeuen This is then the cheefest most principal confession that in the scriptures worde of God we are bydden to make and without the whiche we shal neuer obteyne pardon and forgeuenesse of our sinnes In deede besydes this there is another kynde of confession whiche is needefull and necessarye And of the same doth Saint James speake after this maner saying Acknowledge your faultes one to another and praye one for another that ye may be saued As if he should saye Open that whiche greeueth you that a remedye maye be founde And this is commaunded both for hym that complayneth for hym that heareth that the one should shew his greefe to the other The true meaning of it is that the faythfull ought to acknowledge their offences whereby some hatred rancour grudge or malyce hauyng rysen or growen among them one to another that a brotherlye reconciliation maye be had without the which nothing that we do can be acceptable vnto God as our sauiour Jesus Christ doth witnesse himselfe saying When thou offerest thyne offeryng at the aulter if thou remembrest that thy brother hath ought agaynst thee leaue there thyne offryng go and be reconciled and when thou art reconciled come and offer thine offring It may also be thus taken that we ought to confesse our weakenesse and infirmities one to another to the ende that knowing eche others frailnesse we may the more earnestly pray together vnto almyghtye God our heauenly father that he will vouchsafe to pardon vs our infirmities for his sonne Jesus Christes sake and not to impute them vnto vs when he shall render to euery man according to his workes And where as the aduersaries go about to wrest this place for to maynteyne their auriculer confession withal they are greatlye deceaued themselues and do shame fullye deceaue others For if this texte ought to be vnderstanded of auriculer confession then the Priestes are as muche bounde to confesse them selues vnto the laye people as the lay people are bound to confesse them selues to them And if to pray is to absolue then the laytie by this place hath as great aucthoritie to absolue the priestes as the priestes haue to absolue the laytie This dyd Iohannes Scotus otherwyse called Duns well perceaue who vppon this place wryteth on this maner Neyther doth it seeme vnto me that James dyd geue this commaundement or that he dyd set it foorth as beyng receaued of Christe For fyrst and foremoste whence had he aucthoritie to bynde the whole Churche syth that he was only Byshoppe of the Churche of Hierusalem except thou wylt saye that the same Church was at the beginnyng the head Church and consequently that he was the head Byshop which thyng the sea of Rome wyll neuer graunt The vnderstandyng of it then is as in these wordes Confesse your synnes one to another A perswasion to humilitie whereby he wylleth vs to confesse our selues generally vnto our neyghbours that we are synners accordyng to this saying If we say we haue no synne we deceaue our selues and the trueth is not in vs And where that they do alleage this saying of our sauiour Jesu Christe vnto the Leaper to proue auriculer confession to stande on Gods worde Go thy way and shewe thy selfe vnto the prieste Do they not see that the Leaper was cleansed from his leprosie afore he was by Christ sent vnto the priest for to shewe hym selfe vnto hym By the same reason we must be cleansed from our spirituall leprosie I meane our synnes muste be forgeuen vs afore that we come to confession What neede we then to tell foorth our synnes into the eare of the priest sith that they be alredy taken away Therefore holy Ambrose in his seconde sermon vpon the hundred and nyneteenth Psalme doth say full well Go shewe thy selfe vnto the prieste Who is the true prieste but he whiche is the prieste for euer after the order of Melchisedech Whereby this holy father doth vnderstande that both the priesthood and the law beyng chaunged we ought to acknowledge none other prieste for delyueraunce from our synnes but our Sauiour Jesus Christe who beyng our soueraigne Byshop doth with the sacrifice of his body and blood offered once for euer vppon the aulter of the crosse moste effectuallye cleanse the spirituall leprosie and washe awaye the synnes of all those that with true confession of the same do flee vnto hym It is moste euident and playne that this auriculer confession hath not his warraunt of Gods worde els it had not ben lawfull for Nectarius Byshoppe of Constantinople vpon a iust occasion to haue put it downe For when any thyng ordeyned of God is by the lewdenes of men abused the abuse ought to be taken awaye and the thyng it selfe suffered to remayne Moreouer these are Saint Augustines wordes What haue I to do with men that they shoulde heare my confession as though they
the principall and most vsual causes as specially ambition and ignoraunce By ambition I meane the vnlawful and restles desire in men to be of higher estate then God hath geuen or appoynted vnto them By ignoraunce I meane no vnskilfulnesse in artes or sciences but the lacke of knowledge of Gods blessed wyll declared in his holye worde whiche teacheth both extremely to abhorre all rebellion as the roote of all mischeefe and specially to delyght in obedience as the begynnyng and foundation of all goodnesse as hath ben also before specified And as these are the two cheese causes of rebellion so are there specially two sortes of men in whom these vices do raigne by whom the deuill the aucthour of al euill doth cheefely stirre vp all disobedience and rebellion The restlesse ambitious hauing once determined by one meanes or other to atcheeue to theyr intended purpose when they can not by lawfull and peaceable meanes clime so hygh as they do desyre they attempt the same by force and violence wherein when they can not preuaile agaynst the ordinarie aucthoritie and power of lawfull princes and gouernours them selues alone they do seeke the ayde and helpe of the ignoraunt multitude abusing them to theyr wicked purpose Wherfore seeing a fewe ambitious and malitious are the aucthours heades and multitudes of ignoraunt men are the ministers and furtherers of rebellion the cheefe poynt of this part shal be aswell to notifie to the simple and ignorant men who they be that haue ben and be the vsuall aucthours of rebellion that they may knowe them and also to admonishe them to beware of the subtill suggestions of suche restles ambitious persons and so to flee them that rebellions though attempted by a fewe ambitious through the lack of mayntenaunce by any multitudes maye speedyly and easyly without any great labour daunger or domage be repressed and clearely extinguished It is well knowen as well by all histories as by dayly experience that none haue eyther more ambitiously aspired aboue Emperours Kinges and Princes nor haue more pernitiously moued the ignoraunt people to rebellion agaynst theyr Princes then certayne persons whiche falsely chalenge to them selues to be onlye counted and called spirituall I must therefore heare yet once agayne breefely put you good people in remembraunce out of Gods holye worde howe our Sauiour Jesus Christe and his holy Apostles the heades and cheefe of all true spirituall and ecclesiastical men behaued them selues towards the princes and rulers of their tyme though not the best gouernours that euer were that you be not ignoraunt whether they be the true disciples and folowers of Christe and his Apostles and so true spirituall men that eyther by ambition do so highly aspyre or do most malitiously teach or most pernitiously do execute rebellion agaynst theyr lawfull princes beyng the worst of all carnall workes and mischeuous deedes The holye scriptures do teache most expresly that our sauiour Christe him selfe and his apostle saint Paul saint Peter with others were vnto the magistrates and higher powers which ruled at their beyng vppon the earth both obedâ—â—nt them selues and dyd also diligently and earnestly exhort all other Christians to the lyke obedience vnto their princes and gouernours whereby it is euident that men of the Cleargie and ecclesiasticall ministers as theyr successours ought both them selues specially and before others to be obedient vnto their princes and also to exhort all others vnto the same Our sauiour Christe like wyse teachyng by his doctrine that his kingdome was not of this worlde dyd by his example in fleeing from those that would haue made him kyng confirme the same expresly also forbidding his Apostles and by them the whole Cleargie all princely dominion ouer people and nations and he and his holy Apostles like wyse namely Peter Paul dyd forbid vnto all ecclesiasticall ministers dominion ouer the Churche of Christe And in deede whiles that ecclesiasticall ministers continued in Christes Church in that order that is in Christes worde prescribed vnto them and in Christian kyngdomes kept them selues obedient to their owne princes as the holy scripture do teache them both was Christes Churche more cleare from ambitious emulations and contentions and the state of Christian kyngdomes lesse subiect vnto tumultes and rebellions But after that ambition and desyre of dominion entred once into ecclesiasticall ministers whose greatnes after the doctrine and example of our sauiour shoulde cheefely stande in humbling of them selues and that the Byshop of Rome being by the order of Gods worde none other then the bishop of that one see and diocesse and neuer yet well able to gouerne the same did by intollerable ambition chalenge not only to be the head of all the Churche dispersed throughout the worlde but also to be Lorde of all the kyngdomes of the worlde as is expresly set foorth in the booke of his owne Cannon lawes most contrary to the doctrine and example of our sauiour Christe whose Uicar and of his holy apostles namely Peter whose successour he pretendeth to be after his ambition entred and this chalenge once made by the Byshop of Rome he became at once the spoyler destroyer both of the Church which is the kyngdome of our sauiour Christe and of the Christian Empyre and all Christian kyngdomes as an vniuersall tyraunt ouer all And whereas before that chalenge made there was great amitie and loue amongst the Christians of al countreis herevpon began emulation and much hatred betweene the Bishop of Rome and his Cleargie and freendes on the one part and the Grecian Cleargie and Christians of the East on the other part for that they refused to acknowledge any such supreme aucthoritie of the Bishop of Rome ouer them the Bishop of Rome for this cause amongst other not onlye namyng them and taking them for schismatikes but also neuer ceassing to persecute them and the Emperours who had their see and continuaunce in Grece by stirring of the subiectes to rebellion agaynst their soueraigne lordes and by raysyng deadly hatred and most cruell warres betweene them and other Christian princes And when the Byshops of Rome had translated the title of the Emperour and as much as in them dyd lye the Empyre it selfe from their lorde the Emperour of Grece and of Rome also by ryght vnto the Christian princes of the West they became in short space no better vnto the West Emperours then they were before vnto the Emperours of Grece For the vsuall discharging of subiectes from their othe of fidelitie made vnto the Emperours of the West their soueraigne lordes by the Byshops of Rome the vnnaturall stirring vp of the subiectes vnto rebellion agaynst their princes yea of the sonne agaynst the father by the Byshoppe of Rome the most cruell and blooddy warres raysed amongst Christian princes of all kyngdomes the horrible murder of infinite thousandes of Christian men beyng slayne by Christians and whiche ensued therevpon the pitifull losses of so manye goodlye Cities countreys
his holy worde hath left free to be taken and vsed of all men with thankes geuing in all places and at all times yet for that suche lawes of princes and other magistrates are not made to put holines in one kinde of meate drinke more then another to make one day more holye then another but are grounded merely vpon poliicie al subiectes are bound in conscience to kepe them by Gods commaundement who by the Apostle willeth all without exception to submit them selues vnto the aucthoritie of the higher powers And in this point concerning our dueties which be here dwelling in Englande enuironed with the sea as we be we haue great occasion in reason to take the commodities of the water which almightie God by his diuine prouidence hath layd so nye vnto vs whereby the encrease of victuals vppon the land may the better be spared cherished to the sooner reducing of victualles to a more moderate price to the better sustenaunce of the poore And doubtlesse he seemeth to be to daintie an English man which consydering the great commodities whiche may ensue wyll not forbeare some peece of his licentious appetite vpon the ordinaunce of his prince with the consent of the wyse of the Realme What good Englishe heart woulde not wishe the olde auncient glory should returne to the realme wherin it hath with great commendations excelled before our dayes in the furniture of the Nauie of the same What wyll more daunt the heartes of the aduersarie then to see vs as well fenced and armed on the sea as we be reported to be on the lande If the prince requested our obedience to forbeare one day from fleshe more then we do and to be contented with one meale in the same day shoulde not our owne commoditie thereby perswade vs to subiection But now that two meales be permitted on that day to be vsed whiche sometime our elders in very great numbers in the Realme dyd vse with one onlye spare meale and that in fishe onlye shall we thinke it so great a burthen that is prescribed Furthermore consyder the decay of the townes nye the seas whiche shoulde be most redy by the number of the people there to repulse the enemie and we whiche dwell further of vppon the lande hauing them as our buckler to defend vs should be the more in suretie If they be our neighbours why should we not wish them to prosper If they be our defence as nyest at hand to repell the enemie to kepe out the rage of the seas whiche els woulde breake vpon our faire pastures why should we not cherish them Neither do we vrge that in the ecclesiasticall pollicie prescribing a fourme of fasting to humble our selues in the sight of almightie God that that order whiche was vsed among the Jewes and practised by Christes Apostles after his ascention is of suche force and necessitie that that onlye ought to be vsed among Christians and none other for that were to binde Gods people vnto the yoke burthen of Moyses pollicie yea it were the verye way to bring vs whiche are set at libertie by the freedome of Christes Gospel into the bondage of the law againe which God forbid that any man shoulde attempt or purpose But to this ende it serueth to shewe howe farre the order of fasting nowe vsed in the Churche at this day differeth from that which then was vsed Gods Churche ought not neither may iâ— be so tied to that or any other order nowe made or hereafter to be made and deuised by thaucthoritie of man but that it may lawfully for iust causes alter chaunge or mitigate those ecclesiasticall decrees orders yea recede wholy from them breake them when they tende eyther to superstition or to impietie when they drawe the people from God rather then worke any edification in them This aucthoritie Christ him selfe vsed and left it vnto his Church He vsed it I say For the order or decree made by the elders for washing oft times which was diligently obserued of the Jewes yet tendyng to superstition our sauiour Christe altered and changed the same in his Church into a profitable sacrament the sacrament of our regeneration or newe birth This aucthoritie to mittigate lawes and decrees ecclesiasticall thapostles practised when they wryting from Hierusalem vnto the congregation that was at Antioche signified vnto them that they would not lay any further burthen vppon them but these necessaries That is that they shoulde abstayne from thinges offered vnto idols from blood from that whiche is strangled and from fornication notwithstandyng that Moyses law required many other obseruances This aucthoritie to chaunge the orders decrees and constitutions of the Churche was after the Apostles time vsed of the fathers about the maner of fasting as it appeareth in the Tripartite historie where it is thus written Touching fasting we finde that it was diuersly vsed in diuers places by diuers men For they at Rome fast three weekes together before Easter sauing vpon the Saterdayes and Sundayes whiche faste they call Lent. And after a fewe lines in the same place it foloweth They haue not all one vniforme order in fastyng For some do fast and abstayne both from fishe and fleshe Some when they fast eate nothyng but fishe Others there are which when they fast eate of all water foules as well as of fishe grounding themselues vpon Moyses that such foules haue their substaunce of the water as the fishes haue Some others when they fast wyll neither eate hearbes nor egges Some fasters there are that eate nothing but drye bread Others when they fast eate nothing at all no not so muche as drye bread Some fast from all maner of foode tyll nyght and then eate without makyng any choyse or difference of meates And a thousande such like diuers kindes of fasting may be founde in diuers places of the worlde of diuers men diuersly vsed And for all this great diuersitie in fasting yet charitie the very true bonde of Christian peace was not broken neyther dyd the diuersitie of fasting breake at anye time their agreement and concorde in fayth To abstaine sometime from certayne meates not because the meates are enill but because they are not necessarie This abstinence sayth Saint Augustine is not euill And to restraine the vse of meates when necessitie and time shall require this sayeth he doth properly parteyne to Christian men Thus ye haue hearde good people fyrst that Christian subiectes are bound euen in conscience to obey princes lawes whiche are not repugnaunt to the lawes of god Ye haue also hearde that Christes Churche is not so bounde to obserue any order lawe or decree made by man to prescribe a fourme in religion but that the Churche hath full power and aucthoritie from God to chaunge and aulter the same when nede shall require which hath ben shewed you by the example of our sauiour Christe by the practise of the apostles and of the fathers since that time Nowe
because it is necessarie profitable shall God wylling be dissolued in the next part of this Homilee In the meane season let vs as we are most bounde geue heartie thankes to God the father and his sonne Jesus Christ for sendyng downe this comforter into the world humbly beseeching him so to worke in our heartes by the power of this holy spirite that we beyng regenerate and newely borne agayne in all goodnesse righteousnesse sobrietie and trueth may in the end be made partakers of euerlastyng lyfe in his heauenly kyngdome through Jesus Christe our Lorde and sauiour Amen The seconde part of the Homilee concernyng the holy ghoste dissoluing this doubt whether al men rightly chalenge to them selues the holy ghost or no. OUR sauiour Christe departyng out of the worlde vnto his father promised his disciples to sende downe another comforter that shoulde continue with thē for euer direct them into al trueth Which thyng to be faythfully truely perfourmed the scriptures do sufficiently beare witnes Neither must we thinke that this comforter was either promised or els geuen onlye to the Apostles but also to the vniuersall Church of Christe dispearsed through the whole world For vnles the holy ghost had ben alwaies present gouernyng and preseruing the Churche from the begynnyng it coulde neuer haue sustayned so many and great bruntes of affliction and persecution with so litle dammage and harme as it hath And the wordes of Christe are moste playne in this behalfe saying that the spirite of trueth shoulde abyde with them for euer that he woulde be with them alwayes he meaneth by grace vertue and power euen to the worldes ende Also in the prayer that he made to his father a litle before his death he maketh intercession not only for him selfe and his apostles but indifferently for all them that shoulde beleue in hym through their wordes that is to wit for his whole Churche Agayne saint Paule sayth If anye man haue not the spirite of Christe the same is not his Also in the wordes folowyng We haue receaued the spirit of adoption wherby we crye abba father Hereby then it is euident and playne to all men that the holy ghost was geuen not onlye to the apostles but also to the whole body of christes congregation although not in lyke fourme maiestie as he came downe at the feaste of Pentecost But nowe herein standeth the controuersie Whether al men do iustly arrogate to thē selues the holy ghost or no The Byshops of Rome haue for a long tyme made a sore chalenge therunto reasoning for them seues after this sort The holy ghost say they was promised to the Churche and neuer forsaketh the Church But we are the cheefe heades the principall part of the Churche therefore we haue the holy ghost for euer whatsoeuer thynges we decree are vndoubted verities and oracles of the holy ghost That ye may perceaue the weakenes of this argument it is needfull to teach you first what the true Churche of Christe is and then to conferre the Churche of Rome therewith to discerne howe well they agree together The true Churche is an vniuersal congregation or felowship of Gods faythfull and elect people buylt vppon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christe hym selfe beyng the head corner stone And it hath alwayes three notes or marks wherby it is knowne Pure and sound doctrine the sacramentes ministred accordyng to Christes holy institution and the right vse of ecclesiastical discipline This description of the Churche is agreeable both to the scriptures of God and also to the doctrine of the auncient fathers so that none may iustly fynd fault therewith Now if ye wyll compare this with the Churche of Rome not as it was in the begynnnyg but as it is presently and hath ben for the space of nine hundred yeres and odde you shall well perceaue the state thereof to be so farre wide from the nature of the true Churche that nothing can be more For neyther are they buylt vppon the foundation of the apostles and prophetes retaynyng the sound and pure doctrine of Christe Jesu neyther yet do they order eyther the sacraments or els the ecclesiasticall keyes in such sort as he dyd first institute and ordeyne them But haue so intermyngled their owne traditions and inuentions by choppyng chaungyng by addyng and pluckyng away that now they may seeme to be conuerted into a new guyse Christe commended to his Church a sacrament of his body and blood They haue changed it into a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade Christ dyd minister to his apostles the apostles to other men indifferently vnder both kindes They haue robbed the lay people of the cup saying that for them one kind is sufficient Christ ordeyned no other element to be vsed in baptisme but only water wherunto when the word is ioyned it is made as S. Augustine saith a ful perfect sacrament They beyng wyser in their owne conceipte then Christ thinke it is not wel nor orderly done vnles they vse cōiuration vnles they halow the water vnles there be oyle salt spittle tapers and suche other dumbe ceremonies seruing to no vse contrary to the playne rule of S. Paul who wylleth all thynges to be done in the Churche vnto edification Christe ordeyned the aucthoritie of the keyes to excommunicate notorious sinners and to absolue them whiche are truely penitent They abuse this power at their owne pleasure aswell in cursyng the godly with bell booke and candles as also in absoluing the reprobate whiche are knowne to be vnworthy of any Christian societie Whereof he that lust to see examples let them searche their lyues To be shorte looke what our sauiour Christe pronounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospell the same may we boldly and with safe conscience pronounce of the bishops of Rome namely that they haue forsaken dayly do forsake the commaundementes of God to erect set vp their owne constitutions Which thyng beyng true as al they which haue any light of Gods word must needes confesse we may wel conclude according to the rule of Augustine That the byshoppes of Rome their adherents are not the true church of Christe muche lesse then to be taken as cheefe heades and rulers of the same Whosoeuer sayth he do discent from the scriptures concernyng the head although they be found in al places where the Church is appoynted yet are they not in the Churche A playne place concluding directly agaynst the Churche of Rome Where is now the holy ghost whiche they so stoutly do clayme to them selues Where is now the spirite of trueth that wil not suffer them in any wise to erre If it be possible to be there where the true Churche is not then is it at Rome otherwyse it is but a vayne bragge and nothyng els Saint Paule as ye haue hearde before sayth If anye man haue not the spirite of