A03549:118
The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…
The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in the former part of homilies. Set out by the authority of the Queens Majesty: and to be read in every parish church agreeably.The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in the former part of homilees. Set out by the aucthoritie of the Queenes Maiestie: and to be read in euery parishe church agreeably.
Imprinted at London : In Poules Churchyarde, by Richard Jugge, and John Cawood, printers to the Queens Majesty, 1571Imprinted at London : In Poules Churchyarde, by Richarde Iugge, and Iohn Cawood, printers to the Queenes Maiestie, 1571
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And to attribute such desire of divine honour to saints, is to blot them with a most odious and devilish ignominy and villainy, and in deed of saints, to make them satans and very devils, whose property is to challenge ⟨p. 106⟩to them selves, the honour which is due to God only. And furthermore, in that they say that they do not worship the images, as the Gentiles did their idols, but God and the saints whom the images do represent, and therefore that their doings before images, be not like the idolatry of the Gentiles before their idols: saint Augustine, Lactantius, and Clemens, do prove evidently, that by this their answer, they be all one with the Gentiles idolaters. The Gentiles (saith saint Augustine) which seem to 1be of the purer religion, say, We worship not the images, but by the corporal image, we do behold the signs of the things which we ought to worship. And Lactantius saith, The Gentiles 2say, we fear not the images, but them after whose likeness the images be made, and to whose names they he consecrate. Thus far Lactantius. And Clemens saith, That serpent the devil, uttereth these words by the mouth 3of certain men: We to the honour of the invisible God, worship visible images: which surely is most false. See how in using the same excuses which the Gentiles idolaters pretended, they show them selves to be all one with them in idolatry. For notwithstanding this excuse, saint Augustine, Clemens, and Lactantius prove them idolaters. And Clemens sayeth, that the serpent the devil putteth such excuses in the mouth of idolaters. And the Scriptures saith, they worship the stocks and stones notwithstanding this excuse) even as our image maintainers do. And Ezekiel ⟨p. 107⟩therefore calleth the gods of the Assyrians, stocks and stones, although they were but images of their gods. So are our images of God and the saints, named by the names of god and his saints, after the use of the Gentiles. And the same Clemens sayeth thus in 4the same book, They dare not give the name of the Emperor to any other, for he punisheth his offender and traitor by and by: but they dare give the name of god to other, because he for repentance suffereth his offenders. And even so do our image worshippers, give both names of god and the saints, and also the honour due to God, to their images, even as did the Gentiles idolaters to their idols.