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…

And in like wise the said idols or images, and worshipping of them, are in the Scriptures of the new Testament by the spirit of God much abhorred and detested, and earnestly forbidden, as appeareth both in the forenamed places, and also many others besides, as in the. vii. and. xv. of the Acts of the Apostles, the first to the Romans, where is set forth the horrible plague of idolaters, given over by God into a reprobate sense, to work all wickedness and abominations not to be spoken, as usually spiritual and carnal fornication go together.

And in lyke wyse the sayd idols or images, and worshyppyng of them, are in the Scriptures of the newe Testament by the spirite of God much abhorred and detested, and earnestly forbydden, as appeareth both in the forenamed places, and also manye others besydes, as in the. vii. and. xv. of the Actes of the Apostles, the fyrste to the Romanes, where is set foorth the horrible plague of idolaters, geuen ouer by God into a reprobate sense, to worke all wyckednesse and abhominations not to be spoken, as vsuallye spirituall and carnall fornication go together.

In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the fifth Chapter, we are forbidden once to keep company, or to eat and drink with such as be called brethren or Christians that do worship images. In the fifth to the Galatians, the worshipping of images is numbered amongst the works of the flesh. And in the first to the Corinthians the tenth, it is called the service of devils, & that such as use it shall be destroyed. And in the. vi. Chapter of the said Epistle, & the fifth to the Galatians, is denounced, that such image worshippers shall never come into the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. And in sundry other places is threatened, that the wrath of God shall come upon all such. And therefore. S. John in his ¹Epistle exhorteth us as his dear children to beware of images. And. S. Paul warneth us to flee ⟨p. 43⟩²from the worshipping of them if we be wise, that is to say, if we care for health and fear destruction, if we regard the kingdom of God, and life everlasting, and dread the wrath of God and everlasting damnation. For it is not possible that we should be worshippers of images, and the true servants of God also, as. S. Paul teacheth, the second to the Corinthians the. vi. Chapter, affirming expressly that there can be no more consent or agreement between the Temple of God (which all true Christians be) and images, then between righteousness and unrighteousness, between light and darkness, between the faithful and the unfaithful, or between Christ and the devil. Which place enforceth both that we should not worship images, and that we should not have images in the Temple, for fear and occasion of worshipping them, though they be of them selves things indifferent: For the Christian is the holy Temple and lively image of God, as the place well declareth, to such as will read and weight it. And where as all godly men did ever abhor that any kneeling and worshipping or offering should be used to them selves when they were alive (for that it was the honour due to God only) as appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles by Saint