the like to learn at 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, 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, graven, 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 or pictures, the books and scriptures of laymen and idiots, as they call them. Wherefore, call them what they list, it is most evident by their deeds, that they make of them no other books nor scripture, than such as teach most filthy and horrible idolatry, as the users of such books daily prove by continual practising the 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 God's 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 God's 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 in it? and instead thereof, to spread us abroad these goodly, carved, and gilded 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 God's word, and become dumb dogs, (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 God's 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 God's will) to deck and trim dead stocks and stones, which neither feel cold, hunger, nor thirst.

Clemens hath a notable sentence concerning this matter, saying thus; "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 shall, 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, 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 God's honour, that whosoever doth 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 of God, 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 aregodly, 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 Christ's 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, who saith, This is the pure and true religion 'before God the Father, to succour fatherless and 'motherless children, and widows in their affection, '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 babies for old fools in dotage, and wicked idolatry, to dally and play with,) nor in kissing of them, capping, kneeling, offering to them, incensing 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 donot only bestow their money and labour in vain; but with their pains and cost purchase to themselves God's wrath and utter indignation, and everlasting damnation both of body and soul. For ye have heard it evidently proved in these homilies, against idolatry, by God's word, the doctors of the church, ecclesias

tical histories, reason and experience, that images have been and be worshipped, and so idolatry com→ mitted to them by infinite multitudes, to the great offence of God's majesty, and danger of infinite souls; and that idolatry cannot possibly be separated from images set up in churches and temples, gilded and decked gloriously, and that therefore our images be indeed very idols, and so all the prohibitions, laws, curses, 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 set up in churches and temples, and to the makers, maintainers, and worshippers of them. And all those 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. And God's own mouth in the holy Scriptures calleth them vanities, lies, deceits, uncleanness, filthiness, dung, mischief, and abomination before the Lord. Wherefore God's horrible wrath, and our most dreadful danger cannot be avoided, without the destruction 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 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 doth sanctify us. For 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's sake none but him; and him let us worship and honour as he will himself,

John xxii.

and hath declared by his word, that he will be honoured and worshipped, not in nor by images or idols, which he hath most strictly 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 in truth, 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 a most pure Spirit, and therefore will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. And such worshippers were Abraham, Moses, David, Elias, 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 God's word, bestow wickedly, and to their damnatjon, 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 God's word, mercifully upon poor men and women, fatherless children, widows, sick persons, strangers, prisoners, and such others that be in any necessity, that ye nay, at that great day of the Lord, hear that most blessed and comfortable saying of our Saviour Christ; '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;

John iv.