coured the lively and reasonable creatures." All these be the words of Clemens. Note, I pray you, how this most ancient and learned doctor, within one hundred years of our Saviour Christ's time, most plainly teacheth, that no fervice of God, or religion acceptable to him, can be in honouring of dead images; but in fuccouring of the poor, the lively images of God, according to St. James, who faith, This is the pure and true religion before God the Father, to fuccour fatherless and motherless children, and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself undefiled from this world. True religion then, and pleafing of God, ftandeth not in making, fetting up, painting, gilding, clothing, and decking of dumb and dead images, (which be but great puppets and babies for old fools in dotage, and wicked idolatry, to dally and play with,) nor in kiffing of them, capping, kneeling, offering to them, incenfing of them, fetting up of candles, hanging up of legs, arms, or whole bodies of wax before them, or praying and afking of them, or of faints, things belonging only to God to give. But all these things be vain and abominable, and moft damnable before God. Wherefore all fuch do not only beftow their money and labour in vain ; but with their pains and coft purchase to themselves God's wrath and utter indignation, and everlasting damnation both of body and foul. For ye have heard it evidently proved in thefe homilies against idolatry, by God's word, the doctors of the church, ecclefiaftical hiftories, reason, and experience, that images have been and be worshipped, and fo idolatry committed to them by infinite multitudes, to the great offence of God's majefty, and danger of infinite fouls; and that idolatry cannot poffibly be feparated from images fet up in churches and temples, gilded and decked gorgeously, and that therefore our images be indeed very idols, and fo all the prohibitions, laws, curfes, 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 fet up in churches and temples, and to the makers, maintainers, and worshippers of them. And all thofe names of abomination, which God's word in the holy Scriptures giveth to the idols of the Gen tiles, appertain to our images, being idols like to them, and having like idolatry committed unto them. And God's own mouth in the holy Scriptures calleth them vanities, John iv. vanities, lies, deceits, uncleannefs, filthiness, dung, mifchief, and abomination before the Lord. Wherefore God's horrible wrath, and our most dreadful danger cannot be avoided, without the deftruction and utter abolishing of all images and idols out of the church and temple of God, which to accomplish, God put in the minds of all Chriftian princes. And in the mean time, let us take heed and be wife, O ye beloved of the Lord, and let us have no strange gods, but one only God, who made us when we were nothing, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who redeemed us when we were loft, and with his Holy Spirit John xvii. doth fanctify us. For this is life everlasting, to know him to be the only true God, and Jefus Christ, whom he hath fent. Let us honour and worship for religion's fake none but him; and him let us worship and honour as he will himself, and hath declared by his word, that he will be honoured and worshipped, not in nor by images or idols, which he hath moft ftrictly forbidden, neither in kneeling, lighting of candles, burning of incenfe, offering up of gifts unto images and idols, to believe that we fhall pleafe him; for all these be abomination before God: but let us honour and worship God in fpirit and in truth, fearing and loving him above all things, trufting in him only, calling upon him, and praying to him only, praifing and lauding of him only, and all other in him, and for him. For fuch worshippers doth our heavenly Father love, who is a moft pure Spirit, and therefore will be worshipped in fpirit and in truth. And fuch worshippers were Abraham, Mofes, David, Elias, Peter, Paul, John, and all other the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and all true Saints of God, who all, as the true friends of God, were enemies and deftroyers of images and idols, as the enemies of God and his true religion. Wherefore take heed and be wife, O ye beloved of the Lord, and that which others, contrary to God's word, bestow wickedly, and to their damnation, upon dead ftocks and ftones, (no images, but enemies of God and his faints,) that beftow ye, as the faithful fervants of God, according to God's word, mercifully upon poor men and women, fatherlefs children, widows, fick perfons, ftrangers, prifoners, and fuch others that be in any neceffity, that ye may, at that great day of the Lord, hear that moft bleffed and comfortable faying of our Saviour Chrift: Come, ye bleffed, into the kingdom of my Father, pre pared pared for you before the beginning of the world. For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink; naked, and ye clothed me; harbourless, and ye lodged me; in prifon, and ye vifited me; fick, and ye comforted me. For whatfoever ye have done for the poor and needy in my name, and for my fake, that have ye done for me. To the which his heavenly kingdom, God the Father of mercies bring us, for Jefus Chrift's fake, our only Saviour, Mediator, and Advocate, to whom with the Holy Ghoft, one immortal, invifible, and moft glorious God, be all honour, and thanksgiving, and glory, world without end. Amen. AN AN HOMILY FOR Repairing and keeping clean, and comely adorning of It is a common cuftom used of all men, when they intend to have their friends or neighbours to come to their houses to eat or drink with them, or to have any folemn affembly to treat and talk of any matter, they will have their houses, which they keep in continual reparations, to be clean and fine, left they fhould be counted fluttish, or little to regard their friends and neighbours. How much more then ought the house of God, which we commonly call the church, to be fufficiently repaired in all places, and to be honourably adorned and garnished, and to be kept clean and sweet, to the comfort of the people that fhall refort thereto ! It appeareth in the holy Scripture, how God's house, which was called his holy temple, and was the mother church of all Jewry, fell fometimes into decay, and was oftentimes profaned and defiled, through the negligence and ungodlinefs of fuch as had the charge thereof. But when godly kings and governors were in place, then commandment was given forthwith, that the church and temple of God fhould be repaired, and the devotion of the people to be gathered for the reparation of the fame. 2 Kings xii. We read in the fecond Book of the Kings, how that King 2 Kings xxii. Joas, being a godly prince, gave commandment to the priests to convert certain offerings of the people towards the reparation and amendment of God's temple. Like commandment gave that moft godly King Jofias, concerning the reparation and reedification of God's temple, which in his time he found in fore decay. It hath pleased Almighty God, that these hiftories touching the your the reedifying and repairing of his holy temple, fhould be written at large, to the end we thould be taught thereby; first, that God is well pleafed, that his people fhould have a convenient place to refort unto, and to come together, to praife and magnify God's holy name. And fecondly, he is highly pleafed with all thofe, which diligently and zealously go about to amend and restore fuch places as are appointed for the congregation of God's people to refort unto, and wherein they humbly and jointly render thanks to God for his benefits, and with one heart and voice praife his holy name. Thirdly, God was fore difpleafed with his people, because they builded, decked, and trimmed up their own houfes, and fuffered God's houfe to be in ruin and decay, to lie uncomely and fulfomely. Wherefore God was fore grieved with them, and plagued them, as appeareth in the Prophet Haggai. Thus faith the Lord: Is it time for you to dwell in your Haggai i. ceiled houfes, and the Lord's houfe not regarded? Ye have fowed much, and gathered in but little; your meat and clothes have neither filled you, nor made you warm; and he that had his wages, put it in a bottomlef's purfe. By these plagues, which God laid upon his people for neglecting of his temple, it may evidently appear, that God will have his temple, his church, the place where his congregation fhall refort to magnify him, well edified, well repaired, and well maintained. Some, neither regarding godlinefs, nor the place of godly exercife, will fay, the temple in the old law was commanded to be built and repaired by God himself, because it had great promises annexed unto it, and because it was a figure, a facrament, or a fignification of Chrift, and alfo of his church. To this may be eafily answered; firft, that our churches are not deftitute of promises, forafmuch as our Saviour Chrift faith, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midft among them. A great number therefore coming to church together in the name of Chrift, have there, that is to fay in the church, their God and Saviour Jefus Chrift, prefent among the congregation of his faithful people, by his grace, by his favour and godly affiftance, according to his most affured and comfortable promifes. Why then ought not Chriftian people to build them temples and churches, having as great promises of the prefence of God, as ever had Solomon for the material temple, which he did build? As touching the other point, that Solomon's temple was a figure of Chrift: we know that now in the time of the clear light of Chrift Jefus, Q 2 the |