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…

Note I pray you, how this most ancient and learned doctor, within one hundred years of our saviour Christs 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 saint James, who saith, This is the pure and true religion before God the father, to succour fatherless and motherless children and widows in their affliction, and to heap him self undefiled from this world. True religion then and pleasing of god, standeth not in making, setting up, painting, gilding, clothing, & decking of dumb and dead images (which be but great puppets and mammets for old fools in dotage, and wicked idolatry, to dally and play with) nor in kissing of them, capping, kneeling, offering to them, in sensing of them, setting up of candles, hanging up of legs, arms, or whole bodies of wax before them, or praying, & asking of them or of saints, things belonging only to God to give. But all these things be vain and abominable, and most ⟨p. 159⟩damnable before God. Wherefore all such do not only bestow their money and labour in vain: but with their pains and cost, purchase to them selves gods wrath & utter indignation, and everlasting damnation both of body and soul. For ye have heard it evidently proved in these Homilies against idolatry, by Gods word, the doctors of the Church, ecclesiastical histories, reason, and experience, that images have ben and be worshipped, and so idolatry committed to them by infinite multitudes, to the great offence of Gods majesty, and danger of infinite souls, and that idolatry can not possibly be separated from images set up in Churches and Temples, gilded and decked gorgeously, and that therefore our images be in deed 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, maintainers, and worshippers of them, appertain also to our images set up in Churches and Temples, to the makers, maintainers, and worshippers of them. And all those names of abomination, which Gods 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.

Note I pray you, howe this most auncient and learned doctour, within one hundred yeres of our sauiour Christes tyme, moste playnely teacheth, that no seruice of God, or religion acceptable to him, can be in honouryng of dead images: but in succouring of the poore, the liuely images of God, according to saint James, who sayth, This is the pure and true religion before God the father, to succour fatherlesse and motherlesse chyldren and wyddowes in theyr affliction, and to hepe hym selfe vndefyled from this worlde. True religion then and pleasing of god, standeth not in makyng, settyng vp, payntyng, gylding, clothing, & decking of dumbe and dead images (which be but great puppettes and mawmettes for old fooles in dotage, and wicked idolatrie, to dally and play with) nor in kyssyng of them, cappyng, kneelyng, offeryng to them, in sensyng of thē, setting vp of candels, hanging vp of legges, armes, or whole bodies of waxe before them, or praying, & askyng of them or of saintes, thynges belongyng onlye to God to geue. But al these thynges be vayne and abominable, and moste