heaven with God, to their great difhonour, fchoolmasters of fuch vanity, which they in their life-time moft abhorred? For what leffons of contempt of riches, and vanity of this world, can fuch books, fo befmeared with gold, fet with precious ftones, covered with filks, teach? What leffons of fobernefs and chastity can our women learn of these pictured fcriptures, with their nice apparel and wanton looks? But away, for fhame, with thefe coloured cloaks of idolatry, of the books and feriptures of images and pictures to teach idiots, nay, to make idiots and ftark fools and beafts of Chriftians. Do men, I pray you, when they have the fame books at home with them, run on pilgrimage to feek like books at Rome, Compoftella, or Jerufalem, to be taught by them, when they have the like to learn at home? Do men reverence fome books, and defpife and fet light by other of the fame fort? Do men kneel before their books, light candles at noontime, burn incenfe, offer up gold and filver, and other gifts, to their books? Do men either feign or believe miracles to be wrought by their books? I am fure that the New Teftament of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, containing the word of life, is a more lively, exprefs, and true image of our Saviour, than all carved, graven, molten, and painted images in the world be; and yet none of all thefe things be done to that book or fcripture of the Gospel of our Saviour, which be done to images or pictures, the books and fcriptures of laymen and idiots, as they call them. Wherefore, call them what they lift, it is moft evident by their deeds, that they make of them no other books nor fcripture, than fuch as teach moft filthy and horrible idolatry, as the ufers of fuch books daily prove by continual prac tifing the fame. O books and fcriptures, in the which the devilish schoolmafter, Satan, hath penned the lewd leffons of wicked idolatry, for his daftardly difciples and fcholars to behold, read, and learn, to God's most high dif honour, and their most horrible damnation. Have not we been much bound, think you, to thofe which fhould have taught us the truth out of God's Book and his holy Scripture, that they have fhut up that Book and Scripture from us, and none of us fo bold as once to open it, or read in it? and instead thereof, to fpread us abroad thefe goodly, carved, and gilded books and painted fcriptures, to teach us fuch good and godly Jeffons? Have not they done well, after they ceafed to ftand in pulpits themfelves, and to teach the people committed to their inftruction, keeping filence of God's

word,

word, and become dumb dogs, (as the Prophet calleth them) to set up in their ftead, on every pillar and corner of the church, fuch goodly doctors, as dumb, but more wicked than themfelves be? We need not to complain of the lack of one dumb parfon, having fo many dumb devilish vicars (I mean thefe idols and painted puppets) to teach in their ftead. Now in the mean season, whilft the dumb and dead idols ftand thus decked and clothed, contrary to God's law and commandment, the poor Chriftian people, the lively images of God, commended to us fo tenderly by our Saviour Chrift, as most dear to him, ftand naked, fhivering for cold, and their teeth chattering in their heads, and no man covereth them, are pined with hunger and thirft, and no man giveth them a penny to refresh them; whereas pounds be ready at all times (contrary to God's will) to deck and trim dead ftocks and ftones, which neither feel cold, hunger, nor thirst.

Clemens hath a notable sentence concerning this matter, faying thus; "That ferpent the devil doth by the mouth of certain men utter thefe words; We, for the bonour of the invifible God, do worship visible images: which doubtless is moft falfe. For if you will truly honour the image of God, you fhall, 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 thofe 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, that you give honour and reverence to him, and refresh the hungry with meat, the thirsty with drink, the naked with clothes, the fick with attendance, the ftranger harbourlefs with lodging, the prisoners with neceffaries: and this fhall be accounted as truly beftowed upon God. And these things are fo directly appertaining to God's honour, that whofoever doth not this, fhall feem to have reproached and done villany to the image of God. For what honour of God is this, to run to images of ftock and stone, and to honour vain and dead figures of God, and to defpife man, in whom is the true image of God?" And by and by after he faith, "Understand ye therefore that this is the fuggeftion of the ferpent Satan, lurking within you, which perfuadeth you that you are godly, when you honour infenfible and dead images, and be not ungodly, when you hurt or leave unfuc coured

that you

coured 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 Chrift's time, moft plainly teacheth, that no fervice of God, or religion acceptable to him, can be in honouring of dead images; but in fuccouring of the poor, the lively images of God, according to St. James, who faith, This is the pure and true religion before God the Father, to fuccour fatherless and motherless children, and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself undefiled from this world.

True religion then, and pleafing of God, ftandeth not in making, letting up, painting, gilding, clothing and decking of dumb and dead images, (which be but great puppets and babies for old fools in dotage, and wicked idolatry, to dally and play with,) nor in kiffing of them, capping, kneeling, offering to them, incenfing of them, fetting up of candles, hanging up of legs, arms, or whole bodies of wax before them, or praying and afking of them, or of faints, things belonging only to God to give. But all thefe things be vain and abominable, and moft damnable before God. Wherefore all fuch do not only beftow their money and labour in vain; but with their pains and coft purchase to themselves God's wrath and utter indignation, and everlasting damnation both of body and foul. For ye have heard it evidently proved in thefe homilies against idolatry, by God's word, the doctors of the church, ecclefiaftical histories, reason and experience, that images have been and be worshipped, and fo idolatry committed to them by infinite multitudes, to the great offence of God's majefty, and danger of infinite fouls; and that idolatry cannot poffibly be feparated from images fet up in churches and temples, gilded and decked gloriously, and that therefore our images be indeed very idols, and fo all the prohibitions, laws, curfes, threatenings of horrible plagues, as well temporal as eternal, contained in the holy Scripture, concerning idols and the makers and maintainers, and worshippers of them, appertain also to our images fet up in churches and temples, and to the makers, maintainers, and worshippers of them. And all thofe names of abomination, which God's word in the holy Scriptures giveth to the idols of the Gentiles, appertain to our images, being idols like to them, and having like idolatry committed unto them. God's own mouth in the holy Scriptures calleth them

vanities,

John iv.

vanities, lies, deceits, uncleannefs, filthinefs, dung, mif chief, and abomination before the Lord. Wherefore God's horrible wrath, and our moft dreadful danger cannot be avoided, without the deftruction and utter abolishing of all images and idols out of the church and temple of God, which to accomplish, God put in the minds of all Chriftian princes. And in the mean time, let us take heed and be wife, O ye beloved of the Lord, and let us have no strange gods, but one only God, who made us when we were John xvii. nothing, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who redeemed us when we were loft, and with his holy Spirit doth fanctify us. For this is life everlafting, to know him to be the only true God, and Jefus Christ, whom he hath fent. Let us honour and worship for religion's fake 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 moft ftrictly forbidden, neither in kneeling, lighting of candles, burning of incenfe, offering up of gifts unto images and idols, to believe that we fhall please him; for all these be abomina tion before God: but let us honour and worship God in fpirit and in truth, fearing and loving him above all things, trufting in him only, calling upon him, and praying to him only, praifing and lauding of him only, and all other in him, and for him. For fuch worshippers doth our heavenly Father love, who is a moft pure Spirit, and therefore will be worshipped in fpirit and in truth. And fuch worshippers were Abraham, Mofes, David, Elias, Peter, Paul, John, and all other the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoftles, Martyrs, and all true Saints of God, who all, as the true friends of God, were enemies and deftroyers of images and idols, as the enemies of God and his true religion. Wherefore take heed and be wife, O ye beloved of the Lord, and that which others, contrary to God's word, beftow wickedly, and to their damnation, upon dead ftocks and ftones (no images, but enemies of God and his faints) that beftow ye, as the faithful fervants of God, according to God's word, mercifully upon poor men and women, fatherlefs children, widows, fick perfons, ftrangers, prifoners, and fuch others that be in any neceffity, that ye may, at that great day of the Lord, hear that moft bleffed and comfortable faying of our Saviour Chrift: Come, ye blessed, into the kingdom of my Father, pre

pared

pared for you before the beginning of the world. For I was bungry, and ye gave me meat; thirfly, and ye gave me drink; naked, and ye clothed me; barbourlefs, and ye lodged me; in prifon, and ye vifited me; fick, and ye comforted me. For whatfoever ye bave done for the poor and needy in my name, and for my fake, that bave ye done for me. To the which his heavenly kingdom, God the Father of mercies bring us, for Jefus Chrift's fake, our only Saviour, Mediator, and Advocate, to whom with the Holy Ghoft, one immortal, invifible, and most glorious God, be all honour, and thanksgiving, and glory, world without end. Amen.

AN