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…

Now concerning the place where the people of God ought to resort together, and where especially they ought to celebrate and sanctify the sabbath day, that is the sunday, the day of holy rest: That place is called God's Temple or the church, because the company & congregation of Gods people (which is properly called the church) doth there assemble them selves on the days appointed for such assemblies & meetings. And forasmuch as almighty God hath appointed a special time to be honoured in, it is very meet, godly, and also necessary, that there should be a place appointed where these people should meet and resort, to serve their gracious God and merciful father. Trueth it is, the holy Patriarchs for a great number of years had neither temple, nor church to resort unto. The cause was, they were not stayed in any place, but were in a continual peregrination and wandering, that they could not conveniently build any church. But so soon as God had delivered his people from their enemies, and set them in some liberty in the wilderness, he set them up a costly & a curious tabernacle, which was as it were the parish church, a place to resort unto of the whole multitude, a place to have his sacrifices made in, and other observances and rites to be used in. Furthermore, ⟨p. 263⟩after that God according to the trueth of his promise, had placed and quietly settled his people in the land of Canaan, now called Jury, he commanded a great and a magnificent temple to be builded by king Solomon, as seldom the like hath ben seen, a temple so decked and adorned, so gorgeously garnished, as was meet and expedient for people of that time, which would be allured & stirred with nothing so much as with such out ward goodly gay things. This was now the temple of God, endued also with many gifts & sundry promises. This was the parish church, and the mother Church of all Jury. Here was God honoured and served. Hither was the whole realm of all the Israelites bound to come at three solemn feasts in the year, to serve their Lord God here. But let us proceed further. In the time of Christ and his Apostles, there was yet no temples nor Churches for Christian men. For why? they were always for the most part in persecution, vexation, and trouble, so that there could be no liberty nor licence obtained for that purpose.

Nowe concerning the place where the people of God ought to resort together, and where especially they ought to celebrate and sanctifie the sabbath day, that is the sunday, the day of holye rest: That place is called Goddes Tentple or the churche, because the company & congregation of Gods people (which is properly called ye church) doth there assemble them selues on the dayes appointed for such assemblies & meetinges. And sorasmuch as almightie God hath appointed a speciall time to be honored in, it is very meete, godly, and also necessary, that there should be a place appoynted where these people should meete and resort, to serue their gracious God and mercifull father. Trueth it is, the holy Patriarches for a great number of yeres had neyther temple, nor churche to resort vnto. The cause was, they were not stayed in any place, but were in a continuall perigrination and wandering, that they could not conueniently buyld any churche. But so soone as God had delyuered his people from their enemies, and set them in some libertie in the wildernes, he set them vp a costly & a curious tabernacle, whiche was as it were the paryshe church, a place to resort vnto of the whole multitude, a place to haue his sacrifices made in, and other obseruaunces and rites to be vsed in. Furthermore,