1 Cor. xiv.

1 Cor. xi.

Hosea ix.

Levit. xix.

Psalm v.

Matt. xxi. Mark xi. Luke xix. John xi.

spoken, much more of filthy, unclean, or wicked words spoken in the Lord's house, to the great dishonour of his Majesty, and offence of all that hear them. And indeed, concerning the people and multitude, the temple is prepared for them to be hearers rather than speakers, considering that as well the word of God is there read and taught, whereunto they are bound to give diligent ear with all reverence and silence, as also that common prayer and thanksgiving are rehearsed and said by the public minister in the name of the people and the whole multitude present, whereunto they, giving their ready audience, should assent and say, Amen, as St. Paul teacheth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians. And in another place, glorifying God with one spirit and mouth; which cannot be when every man and woman, in several pretences of devotion, prayeth privately; one asking, another giving thanks, another reading doctrine, and not regarding to hear the common prayer of the minister. And peculiarly, what due reverence is to be used in the ministering of the sacraments in the temple, the same St. Paul teacheth to the Corinthians, rebuking such as did unreverently use themselves in that behalf. Have ye not houses to eat and drink in? saith he. Do ye despise the church or congregation of God? What shall I say unto you? Shall I praise you? In this I praise you not. And God requireth not only this outward reverence of behaviour and silence in his house, but all inward reverence in cleansing of the thoughts of our hearts, threatening by his Prophet Hosea in the ninth chapter, that, for the malice of the inventions and devices of the people, he will cast them out of his house whereby is also signified the eternal casting of them out of his heavenly house and kingdom, which is most horrible. And therefore in the nineteenth of Leviticus God saith, Fear you with reverence my sanctuary, for I am the Lord. And according to the same the Prophet David saith, I will enter into thine house, I will worship in thy holy temple, in thy fear: showing what inward reverence and humbleness of mind the godly man ought to have in the house of the Lord. And to allege somewhat concerning this matter out of the New Testament, in what honour God would have his house or temple kept, and that by the example of our Saviour Christ, whose authority ought of good reason with all true Christians to be of most weight and estimation. It is written of all the four Evangelists, as a notable act, and worthy to be testified by many holy witnesses, how that our Saviour Jesus Christ, that merciful

Acts-viii.

Matt. v.

and mild Lord, compared for his meekness to a sheep suf- Isaiah liii. fering with silence his fleece to be shorn from him, and Isaiah 1. to a lamb led without resistance to the slaughter, which gave his body to them that did smite him, answered not him that reviled, nor turned away his face from them that did reproach him and spit upon him, and, according to his own example, gave precepts of mildness and sufferance to his disciples: yet when he seeth the temple and holy house of his heavenly Father misordered, polluted, and profaned, useth great severity and sharpness, overturneth the tables of the exchangers, subverteth the seats of them that sold doves, maketh a whip of cords, and scourgeth out those wicked abusers and profaners of the temple of God, saying, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And in the second of John, Do not ye make the house of my Fa- John ii. ther the house of merchandize? For as it is the house of God, when God's service is duly done in it; so when we wickedly abuse it with wicked talk or covetous bargaining, we make it a den of thieves, or an house of merchandize. Yea, and such reverence would Christ should be therein, that he would not suffer any vessel to be carried through the temple. And whereas our Saviour Mark xi, Christ (as is before mentioned out of St. Luke) could be found no where (when he was sought) but only in the temple amongst the doctors; and now again he exerciseth his authority and jurisdiction, not in castles and princely palaces amongst soldiers, but in the temple: ye may hereby understand in what place his spiritual kingdom (which he denieth to be of this world) is soonest to be found, and best to be known of all places in this world. And according to this example of our Saviour Christ in the primitive Church, which was most holy and godly, and in the which due discipline with severity was used against the wicked, open offenders were not suffered once to enter into the house of the Lord, nor admitted to common prayer, and the use of the holy sacraments, with other true Christians, until they had done open penance before the whole church. And this was practised not only upon mean persons, but The sentence also upon the rich, noble, and mighty persons, yea, upon therwise and Theodosius, that puissant and mighty emperor, whom, than it should. for committing a grievous and wilful murder, St. Am-He was only brose, bishop of Milan, reproved sharply, and † did also excommunicate the said emperor, and brought him to open penance. And they that were so justly exempted and banished, as is were, from the house of the Lord,

t

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ple's fault was

most grievous.

executed

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more cruel

dehorted from

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til by repent. be better pre

ance he might

pared. Chrys.

1 Cor. v.

Ephes. iii.

were taken (as they be indeed) for men divided and separated from Christ's church, and in most dangerous estate, yea, as St. Paul saith, even given unto Satan the Devil for a time; and their company was shunned and avoided of all godly men and women, until such time as they by repentance and public penance were reconciled. Such was the honour of the Lord's house in men's hearts, and outward reverence also at that time, and so horrible a thing was it to be shut out of the church and house of the Lord in those days, when religion was most pure, and nothing so corrupt as it hath been of late days. And yet we wilJingly, either by absenting ourselves from the house of the Lord, do, as it were, excommunicate ourselves from the church and fellowship of the saints of God; or else coming thither, by uncomely and unreverent behaviour there, by hasty, rash, yea, unclean and wicked thoughts and words before the Lord our God, horribly dishonour his holy house, the church of God, and his holy name and majesty, to the great danger of our souls, yea, and certain damnation also, if we do not speedily and earnestly repent us of this wickedness.

Thus ye have heard, dearly beloved, out of God's word, what reverence is due to the holy house of the Lord, how all godly persons ought with diligence at times appointed thither to repair, how they ought to behave themselves there, with reverence and dread before the Lord, what plagues and punishments, as well temporal às eternal, the Lord in his holy word threateneth, as well to such as neglect to come to his holy house, as also to such who, coming thither, do unreverently by gesture or talk there behave themselves. Wherefore if we desire to have seasonable weather, and thereby to enjoy the good fruits of the earth; if we will avoid drought and barrenness, thirst and hunger, which are plagues threatened unto such as make haste to go to their own houses, to ale-houses and taverns, and leave the house of the Lord empty and desolate; if we abhor to be scourged, not with whips made of cords, out of the material temple only, (as our Saviour Christ served the defilers of the house of God in Jerusalem) but also to be beaten and driven out of the eternal temple and house of the Lord (which is his heavenly kingdom) with the iron rod of everlasting damnation, and cast into utter darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth; if we fear, dread, and abhor this, I say, as we have most just cause to do, then let us amend this our negligence and contempt in coming to the house of the

Lord, this our unreverent behaviour in the house of the Lord; and resorting thither diligently together, let us there, with reverent hearing of the Lord's holy word, calling on the Lord's holy name, giving of hearty thanks unto the Lord for his manifold and inestimable benefits daily and hourly bestowed upon us, celebrating also reverently the Lord's holy sacraments, serve the Lord in his holy house, as becometh the servants of the Lord, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life; and then we shall be assured after this life to rest in his holy hill, and to dwell in his tabernacle, there to praise and magnify his holy name in the congregation of his saints, in the holy house of his eternal kingdom of heaven, which he hath purchased for us by the death and shedding of the precious blood of his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one immortal God, be all honour, glory, praise, and thanksgiving, world without end. Amen.

AN

HOMILY

AGAINST

Peril of Idolatry, and superfluous Decking of Churches.

IN

THE FIRST PART.

'N what points the true ornaments of the church or temple of God do consist and stand, hath been declared in the two last Homilies, treating of the right use of the temple or house of God, and of the due reverence that all true Christian people are bound to give unto the same. The sum whereof is, that the church or house of God is a place appointed by the holy Scriptures, where the lively word of God ought to be read, taught, and heard, the Lord's holy name called upon by public prayer, hearty thanks given to his Majesty for his infinite and unspeakable benefits bestowed upon us, his holy sacraments duly and reverently ministered; and that therefore all that be godly indeed ought both with diligence, at times appointed, to repair together to the said church, and there with all reverence to use and behave themselves before the Lord. And that the said church thus godly used by the servants of the Lord, in the Lord's true service, for the effectual presence of God's grace, wherewith he doth by his holy word and promises endue his people there present and assembled, to the attainment, as well of commodities worldly, necessary for us, as also of all heavenly gifts, and life everlasting, is called by the word of God (as it is indeed) the Temple of the Lord, and the House of God, and that therefore the due reverence thereof is stirred up in the hearts of the godly, by the consideration