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…

You would believe that the images of our men saints, were some Princes of Persia land with their proud apparel, and the idols of our women saints, were nice & well trimmed harlots, tempting their paramours to wantonness: Whereby the saints of God are not honoured, but most dishonoured, and their godliness, soberness, chastity, contempt of riches and of the vanity of the world, defaced and brought in doubt, by such monstrous decking, most differing from their sober and godly lives. And because the whole Pageant must throughly be plaid, it is not enough thus to deck idols, but at the last come in the Priests them selves, likewise decked with gold and pearl, that they may be meet ⟨p. 153⟩servants for such Lords and ladies, and fit worshippers of such gods and goddesses. And with a solemn pace they pass forth before these golden puppets, and down to the ground on their marrowbones before these honourable idols, and then rising up again, offer up odours and incense unto them, to give the people an example of double idolatry, by worshipping not only the idol, but the gold also, and richesse wherewith it is garnished. Which things, the most part of our old martyrs rather then they would do, or once kneel, or offer up one crumb of incense before an image, suffered most cruel and terrible deaths, as the histories of them at large do declare. And here again their allegation out of Gregory the first and Damascene, that ¹images be the lay mens books, and that picture is the scripture of idiots and simple persons, is worthy to be considered. For as it hath ben touched in divers places before, how they be books teaching nothing but lies, as by saint Paul in the first Chapter to the Romans evidently appeareth, of the images of GOD: So what manner of books and scripture these painted and gilt images of saints be unto the common people, note well I pray you. For after that our preachers shall have instructed and exhorted the people to the following of the virtues of the saints, as contempt of this world, poverty, soberness, chastity, and such like virtues, which undoubtedly were in the saints:

You woulde beleue that the images of our men saintes, were some Princes of Persie lande with theyr proude apparell, and the idolles of our women saintes, were nice & well trimmed harlottes, temptyng theyr paramours to wantonnesse: Whereby the saintes of God are not honoured, but most dishonoured, and theyr godlynesse, sobernesse, chastitie, contempt of riches and of the vanitie of the worlde, defaced and brought in doubt, by suche monstrous deckyng, moste differyng from theyr sober and godlye lyues. And because the whole Pageaunt muste throughly be playde, it is not enough thus to decke idols, but at the last come in the Priestes them selues, lykewyse decked with golde and pearle, that they may be meete