that came to pass by the maintenance of images. Whereas, from Constantinus Magnus' time, until this day, all authority imperial and princely dominion of the empire of Rome remained continually in the right and possession of the emperors, who had their continuance and seat imperial at Constantinople, the city royal: Leo the third, then bishop of Rome, seeing the Greek emperors so bent against. his gods of gold and silver, timber and stone, and having the king of the Francons or Frenchmen, named Charles, whose power was exceeding great in the west countries, very applicable to his mind, for causes hereafter appearing, under the pretence that they of Constantinople were for that matter of images under the pope's ban and curse, and therefore unworthy to be emperors, or to bear rule, and for that the emperors of Greece, being far off, were not ready at a beck to defend the pope against the Lombards his enemies, and others with whom he had variance: this Leo the third, I say, attempted a thing exceeding strange and unheard of before, and of incredible boldness and presumption: for he by his papal authority doth translate the government of the empire and the crown and name imperial from the Greeks, and giveth it unto Charles the great, king of the Francons, not without the consent of the forenamed Irene, empress of Greece, who also sought to be joined in marriage with the said Charles. For the which cause the said These things Irene was by the lords of Greece deposed and banished, as were done one that had betrayed the empire, as ye before have heard. of our Lord 803. And the said princes of Greece did, after the deprivation of the said Irene, by common consent, elect and create, as they always had done, an emperor named Nicephorus, whom the bishop of Rome, and they of the west, would not acknowledge for their emperor; for they had already created them another, and so there became two emperors. And the empire, which was before one, was divided into two parts, upon occasion of idols and images, and the worshipping of them: even as the kingdom of the Israelites was in old time, for the like cause of idolatry, divided in king Roboam his time. And so the bishop of Rome having the favour of Charles the great by this means assured to him, was wondrously enhanced in power and authority, and did in all the west church, especiallyd in Italy, what he lust, where images were set up, garnished, and worshipped of all sorts of men. But images were not so fast set up, and so much honoured in Italy and the west, but Nicephorus, emperor

this day] that day A. other] others A. especially] specially A.

about the year

Or, Stauratius. of Constantinople, and his successors Scauratius, the two Michaels, Leo, Theophilus, and other emperors their successors in the empire of Greece, continually pulled them down, brake them, burned them, and destroyed them as fast. And when Theodorus emperor would at the council of Lyons have agreed with the bishop of Rome, and have. set up images, he was by the nobles of the empire of Greece deprived, and another chosen in his place; and so rose a jealousy, suspicion, grudge, hatred, and enmity between the Christians and empires of the east countries and west, which could never be quenched or pacified. So that when the Saracens first, and afterward the Turks, invaded the Christians, the one part of christendom would not help the other. By reason whereof at the last, the noble empire of Greece, and the city imperial Constantinople, was lost, and is come into the hands of the infidels, who now have overrun almost all christendom, and possessing past the middle of Hungary, which is part of the west empire, do hang over all our heads, to the utter danger of all christendom.

Thus we see what a sea of mischiefs the maintenance of images hath wrought with it; what an horrible schism between the east and the west church; what an hatred between one Christian and another; councils against councils, church against church, Christians against Christians, princes against princes, rebellions, treasons, unnatural and most cruel murders; the daughter digging up and burning her father the emperor's bodye; the mother, for love of idols, most abominably murdering her own son, being an emperor; at the last, the tearing in sunder of christendom and the empire into two pieces, till the infidels, Saracens and Turks, common enemies to both parts, have most cruelly vanquished, destroyed, and subdued the one part, the whole empire of Greece, Asia the Less, Thracia, Macedonia, Epirus, and many other great and goodly countries and provinces, and have won a great piece of the other empire, and put the whole in dreadful fear and most horrible danger. For it is not without a just and great cause to be dread, lest as the empire of Rome was even for the like cause of images, and the worshipping of them, torn in pieces and divided, as was for idolatry the kingdom of Israel in old time divided; so like punishment, as for the like offence fell upon the Jews, will also light upon us; that is, lest the cruel tyrant, and enemy of our commonwealth and religion, the Turk, by God's just vengeance, in likewise

partly murder, and partly lead away into captivity us Christians, as did the Assyrian and Babylonian kings murder and lead away the Israelites; and lest the empire of Rome and Christian religion be so utterly brought under foot, as was then the kingdom of Israel and true religion of God, whereunto the matter already (as I have declared) shrewdly inclineth on our part, the greater part of christendom, within less than three hundred years space, being brought into captivity and most miserable thraldom under the Turk", and the noble empire of Greece clean everted. Whereas, if the Christians, divided by these image-matters, had holden together, no infidels and miscreants could thus have prevailed against christendom. And all this mischief and misery, which we have hitherto fallen into, do we owe to our mighty gods of gold and silver, stock and stone, in whose help and defence (where they cannot help themselves) we have trusted so long, until our enemies the infidels have overcome and overrun us almost altogether. A just reward for those that have left the mighty living God, the Lord of hosts, and have stooped and given the honour due to him to dead blocks and stocks, who have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, feet and cannot go, and so forth, and are cursed of God, and all they that make them, and that put their trust in them.

Thus you understand, well-beloved in our saviour Christ, by the judgment of the old learned and godly doctors of the church, and by ancient histories ecclesiastical, agreeing to the verity of God's word, alleged out of the Old Testament and the New, that images and image-worshipping were in the primitive church (which was most pure and uncorrupt) abhorred and detested, as abominable and contrary to true Christian religion. And that when images began to creep into the church, they were not only spoken and written against by godly and learned bishops, doctors, and clerks, but also condemned by whole councils of bishops and learned men assembled together; yea, the said images by many Christian emperors and bishops were defaced, broken, and destroyed, and that above seven hundred and eight hundred years ago, and that therefore it is not of late days (as some would bear you in hand) that images and image-worshipping have been spoken and written against. Finally, you have heard what mischief and misery hath by the occasion of the said images fallen upon whole christendom, besides the loss of infinite souls, which

freligion] region A. into] in A.

Turk] Turks A.

ears and hear not] omitted B.

is most horrible of all. Wherefore let us beseech God, that we, being warned by his holy word, forbidding all idolatry, and by the writingk of old godly doctors, and ecclesiastical histories, written and preserved by God's ordinance for our admonition and warning, may flee from all idolatry, and so escape the horrible punishment and plagues, as well worldly as everlasting, threatened for the same, which God our heavenly father grant us, for our only saviour and mediator, Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

The Third Part of the Homily against Images, and the worshipping of them, containing the Confutation of the principal Arguments which are used to be made for the Maintenance of Images. Which Part may serve to instruct the Curates themselves, or Men of good Understanding.

Now ye have heard how plainly, how vehemently, and

that in many places, the word of God speaketh against not only idolatry and worshipping of images, but also against idols and images themselves: (I mean always thus herein, in that we be stirred and provoked by them to worship them, and not as though they were simply forbidden by the New Testament, without such occasion and danger.) And ye have heard likewise out of histories ecclesiastical, the beginning, proceeding, and success of idolatry by images, and the great contention in the church of Christ about them, to the great trouble and decay of christendom. And withal ye have heard the sentences of old ancient fathers, and godly learned doctors and bishops, against images and idolatry, taken out of their own writings. It remaineth, that such reasons as be made for the maintenance of images, and excessive painting, gilding, and decking, as well of them as of1 the temples or churches, also be answered and confuted, partly by application of some places before alleged to their reasons, and partly by otherwise answering the same. Which part hath the last place in this treatise, for that it cannot be well understood of the meaner sort, nor the arguments of image-maintainers can, without prolixity too much tedious", be answered without the knowledge of the treatise going be

writing] writings A.

' as of] as A.

be well understood] well be understanded A.

D

tedious] testious A.

fore. And although divers things before mentioned be here rehearsed again, yet this repetition is not superfluous, but in a manner necessary, for that the simple sort cannot else understand how the aforesaid places are to be applied to the arguments of such as do maintain images, wherewith otherwise they might be abused.

First, it is alleged by them that maintain images, that all laws, prohibitions, and curses, noted by us out of the holy scripture, and sentences of the doctors also by us alleged, against images and the worshipping of them, appertain to the idols of the Gentiles or pagans, as the idol of Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, &c. and not to our images of God, of Christ, and his saints. But it shall be declared both by God's word, and the sentences of the ancient doctors, and judgment of the primitive church, that all images, as well ours as the idols of the Gentiles, be forbidden and unlawful, namely in churches and temples. And first this is to be replied out of God's word, that the images of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, either severally, or the images of the Trinity, which we had in every church, be by the scriptures expressly and directly forbidden and condemned, as appeareth by these places: The Lord spake unto you out of the Deut. 4. [12,16.] middle of fire: you heard the voice or sound of his words, but you did see no form or shape at all, lest peradventure you, being deceived, should make to yourself any graven image or likeness: and so forth, as is at large rehearsed in the first part of this treatise against images. And therefore in the old law, the middle of the propitiatory, which presented God's seat, was empty, lest any should take occasion to make any similitude or likeness of him. Esaias, after he hath set forth the incomprehensible majesty of God, he asketh, To whom then will ye make God like? or what si- Isaiah 40. [19– militude will ye set up unto him? Shall the carver make him 20.] a carved image? And shall the goldsmith cover him with gold, or cast him into a form of silver plates? And for the poor man, shall the image-maker frame an image of timber, that he may have somewhat to set up also? And after this

he crieth out: O wretches, heard ye never of this? Hath it [Isaiah 40. 21.] not been preached to you since the beginning, how by the creation of the world, and the greatness of the work, they might understand the majesty of God, the maker and creator of all, to be greater than that it could be expressed or set forth in any image or bodily similitude? Thus far the pro

treatise] treaty A. presented] represented A. Esaias] Esay A.