Beveridge on Article XXXV: Of the Homilies

To run through every particular homily here mentioned, and to confirm every particular expression therein contained, would not only swell this into many of the like volumes, but take up more time also than either I or any one else (that hath no more time than one age to live) can have to do it in ;

Of Homilies.

ART.

and when all is done it would still be but a superfluous and needless work too; for it is not so much the homilies them- selves that are to be read, as the reading of these homilies in public assemblies, that is the thing carped at; so that the principal thing here to be confirmed is, that it is lawful even in public meetings, where the people of God are assembled to perform service and worship to him, to read other books, dis- courses, sermons, or homilies, (for a homily and a sermon is all one,) than what is expressly and word for word con-

tained in the holy scriptures.

And to prove this from serip-

ture, I might instance in the words of St. Paul to the Coles- sians, And when this epistle is read amongst you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, * and that ye also read the epistle from Laodicea, Coloss. iv. 16. Here we see St. Paul charges the Colossians to read the epistle from Lao- dicea ; what epistle? not any of the epistle of St. Paul’s to the Laodiceans, but rather the epistle of the Laodiceans to

St. Paul.

b« Some,” saith Theodoret, “ have thought that

St. Paul also wrote to the Laodiceans, and therefore they pro- duce also a feigned epistle; but St. Paul doth not say the epistle which was to the Laodiceans, but that which was from Laodicea : for they had written concerning certain things to him.” And St. Chrysostom, ©“ Some say that he doth not understand any epistle of St. Paul sent to them, but one sent

a The vulgar Latin renders it here, Et eam que Laodicensium est vos quoque legatis, whereas the Greek hath it expressly, Kai rv ék Aaodixelas iva kal tyeis dvayvarte, and therefore the Syriac Woo ao|z.0 fase hohaz olal, i.e. And that which was writ-

ten from Laodicea do you also read, which being the true and genuine exposition of the words, it is not any epistle of St, Paul written to the Laodiceans that can be here under- stood ; nor indeed, though we should admit of the vulgar Latin to give us the right translation of the words, can there be any such consequence, but rather the quite contrary, drawn from them. For suppose it be Lao-

dicensium epistola, that doth not imply St. Paul’s Epistle to them, but rather the Laodiceans’ to him, and therefore it is called the Laodi- ceans’, not St. Paul’s Epistle.

b Quidam existimant ipsum etiam, scripsisse ad Laodicenses: itaque fictam etiam epistolam proferunt, Divinus autem apostolus non dixit eam que est ad Laodicenses, sed eam que est a Laodiczea; illi enim de aliquibus rebus ad illum scripse- rant. Theodoret. in loc. [p. 363. vol. IIL.}

[…]

XXXV. Of Homities. 543

from them to St. Paul: for he did not say the epistle writ- ten to the Laodiceans, but he said, that written from Lao- dicea.” And therefore St. Justinian, ¢“‘ The opinion of Chry- sostom and Theodoret seems to me to be the nearest the truth, even that not St. Paul’s epistle to the Laodiceans, but rather the Laodiceans’ epistle to St. Paul is here signified, which the Greek words plainly shew.” So that here the Holy Ghost doth not only permit them, but command them to read a discourse which was not any part of the canonical scriptures. For though perhaps it might be some epistle written by St. Paul from Laodieea, yet it is plain, that it is not any part of the holy scriptures, unless we hold that some part of the holy seriptures is lost ; which no wise man will; and therefore we cannot but from hence grant it to be lawful, even in the church, to read some things which are no part of the canon of scriptures.

And if we call to mind the practice of the primitive church, we shall find that even then many things were read in the church besides canonical scriptures, yea, and ordered to be read by councils. The [third] council of Carthage decreed indeed, ¢ “ That nothing should be read in the church besides the canonical scripture under the name of holy scriptures :” but in decreeing that, they imply that something else may be read in the church, though not under the name of holy scrip- tures; and therefore themselves add too presently, f ‘“ The passions of the martyrs may also be read when their anniver- sary days are celebrated.” And the council at Vasiona or Vasens, & “ This also pleaseth us, for the edification of all

f Liceat etiam legi passiones mar- tyrum, cum anniyersarii dies eorum celebrantur. Ibid.

4 Chrysostomi et Theodoreti sen- tentia mihi vero propinquior visa est. Non Pauli epistolam ad Lao-

dicenses, sed contra potius Laodi- censium ad Paulum significari quod Greeca verba aperte indicant. Jus- tinian. in loc. [p. 363. vol. I]

[…]

& Hoc etiam pro eedificatione omnium ecclesiarum et pro utilitate totius populi nobis placuit, ut non solum in civitatibus, sed etiam in omnibus parochiis verbum faciendi daremus presbyteris potestatem ; ita ut si presbyter, aliqua infirmitate prohibente, per seipsum non potue- rit predicare, sanctorum patrum

544 Of Homilies. Art.

churches and the profit of all people, that we give power to priests to preach the word, not only in cities, but im all parishes. So that if the priest, some infirmity hindering him, cannot preach himself, the homilies of the holy fathers be read or recited by the deacons.” And so the council at Rhemes ordained, 4 “That bishops study to preach, according to the property of the language, the sermons and homilies of the holy fathers, so that all may understand them.” So that it is no new thing for homilies to be ordained to be read in churches. And if we still ascend higher, we shall find that. presently after our Saviour’s time there were several things read in the churches besides canonical scripture ; especially there are three writings which I find then to be read in pub- lic, Hermas’s Pastor, Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians, and Clemens’s Epistle to the Corinthians.

First for Hermas’s Pastor, of which Eusebius Ceesariensis saith, i“ But because the same apostle, at the end of his Epistle to the Romans, makes mention with others of one Hermas also, whose the book of the Pastor they say is, we must know that that also is gainsaid by some by whom it is not put amongst the acknowledged books of the scriptures, yet by others it is judged very necessary, especially for such as are to be instructed in the first elements; whereupon we know that it is read publicly in the churches.” And St. Jerome, ‘ “« Hermas, of whom the apostle Paul writing to the Romans makes mention, saying, Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon,

[…]

h Ut episcopi sermones et homi-

[…]

Sednpoctevpévoy. Euseb. hist. 1. 3.

k Hermas, cujus apostolus Pau- lus ad Romanos scribens meminit, Salutate Asyncritum, Phlegonem, Hermam, Patrobum, Hermen et qui cum eis fratres sunt. Asserunt au- torem esse libri qui appellatur Pa- stor, et apud quasdam Grecie ec- clesias etiam publice legitur. Hieron. in catalog. scriptor. eccles. [p. 831. vol. II.]

XXXYV.

Of Homilies.

Hlermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them, (Rom. xvi. 14.) they say he was the author of the book which is called the Pastor, and in some churches of Greece it is read publicly ;” and therefore saith Ruffinus, !“ Of that order (viz. of ecclesiastical, not canonical books) is the book of Tobit and Judith, and the books of the Maccabees, but in the New Testament the book which is called the book of the Pastor, or Hermas; all which they (the ancient Fathers) would have to be read in the churches, but not produced to confirm the authority of faith out of them.” So that it is manifest that this book, though not canonical scripture, was read publicly in the primitive churches.

The next is Polyearp’s Epistle to the Philippians, of which Trenzeus saith, ™‘‘it was written accurately, out of which such as will and mind their salvation may learn the character of his faith and the preaching of truth.” And St. Jerome, speak- ing of Polycarp, saith, ”‘“* He wrote to the Philippians a very useful epistle, which to this day is read in the Asian assem- blies.” The last is Clemens’s Epistle to the Corinthians, con- cerning which St. Jerome saith, °‘‘Clemens wrote from the church of Rome to that at Corinth a very useful epistle, which also in some places is publicly read, which seems to me to agree with the character of that epistle which goes under the name of Paul to the Hebrews.” And Eusebius saith of this epistle, P‘‘ It is a great and an admirable one, which he wrote

1 Kjusdem ordinis est libellus in Asie conyentu legitur. Hieron.

Tobie et Judeth et Maccabeorum libri: in Novo vero ‘T’estamento li- bellus, qui dicitur Pastoris sive Her- matis, &c.; que omnia legi quidem in ecclesiis *voluerunt, non tamen proferri ad autoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam. Ruffin. in expos. symb. [p. 26. ]

[…]

n Scripsit ad Philippenses valde utilem epistolam, que usque hodie

in catal. scrip. eccles. [p.843. vol. II.]

© Clemens scripsit ex persona Romanorum ad ecclesiam Corinthi- orum yalde utilem epistolam, que et in nonnullis locis publice legitur, que mihi videtur characteri episto- le, que sub Pauli nomine ad He- bros fertur, convenire. Ibid. [p. 839.] an:

[…]

hist. 1, 3. c. [16.] NOD

546 Of Homihes. Arr. XXXV,

from the church of the Romans to that of the Corinthians, there being a sedition then at Corinth. And this epistle we know to be read publicly both long ago and also in our time.” And go we have three discourses besure, like so many homi- lies, read publicly in the primitive churches; and therefore we do not recede from them in decreeing some to be read in ours,