Rogers on Article XXXV: Of the Homilies

Of the names of the Homilies.

• 1. Of the right vse of the Church.
• 2. against perill of Idolatrie.
• 3. Of the repairing, and keeping cleane of Churches.
• 4. Of good workes, first of Fasting.
• 5. Against Gluttonie, and drunkenes.
• 6. Against excesse of apparell.
• 7. Of prayer.
• 8. Of the place, and time of prayer.
• 9. That common prayers, and Sacraments ought to bee ministred in a known tongue.
• 10. Of the reuerend estimation of Gods word.
• 11. Of Almes doing.
• 12. Of the Natiuitie of Christ.
• 13. Of the Passion of Christ.
• 14. Of the Resurrection of Christ.
• 15. Of the worthy receiuing of the Sacrament of the Bodie, and Blood of Christ.
• 16. Of the gifts of the holy Ghost.
• 17. For the Rogation daies.
• 18. Of the state of Matrimonie.
• 19. Of Repentance.
• 20. Against Idlenesse.
• 21. Against Rebellion.

Touching this Article the greatest matter is, not whether these Homilies meant, and mentioned doe containe doctrine both godly, wholesome, and necessarie, but whether Homilies, or any Apocrypha wrightings at all may be read in the open Church, and before the congregation, which I thinke they may, and prooue thus.

Great is the excellencie, great also the vtility of Gods word preached. Therefore saith S. Paul, None can beleeue without a preacher ¹, and, Woe is mee if I preach not the Gospell ². Howbeit the manner of preaching is not alwaies one, & the same. For the Apostles were to teach as well by the penne, as by the liuely voice ³.

Paul did preach the Gospell by writing ⁴, wee owe in a manner more to the bonds of Paul (for his bookes,) than to his libertie for preaching ⁵.

Calvins writings will edifie all men continually in the time to come ⁶, Protestants bookes are witnesses of sound doctrine, and sincere Christianitie ⁷.

For my part, I cannot but magnifie the goodnes of God for all good meanes to bring vs vnto Faith, and so vnto saluation, but especially for the written labours of holy, and learned men; whose doings in all ages not onely haue bin approoued, but also vsed, and read many of them in the most sacred assemblies. So

In the primitiue church was publikely read the Epistle of the Laodicians in the Church of the Colossians ⁸, the Epistle of Clemens vnto the Corinthians ⁹,

Hermes his pastor ¹⁰, and the Homilies of the Fathers ¹¹.

In the reformed Churches in Flanders ¹², and France ¹³, read are M. Calvins sermons vpon Iob; and in the Italian, French, Dutch, and Scottish churches, the said Calvin his Catechisme is both read, and expounded publikely, and that before the whole Congregation ¹⁴.

The Errors and adversaries vnto this truth.

Deceiued then, and out of the way of truth, are they which of Preaching by the mouth conceiue either too basely, or too highly: too basely, as doe the anabaptists, and Familie of Loue; they affirming there ought to be no preaching at all ¹⁵, and that Preachers are not sent of God, neither doe preach Gods word but the dead letter of the Scripture ¹⁶, these, with the said Anabaptists, tearming them letter Doctors ¹⁷, preaching the letter, and imagination of their owne knowledge, but not the word of the liuing God ¹⁸.

Too highly, as doe the Puritanes of all sorts. For say they Except God worke miraculously, and extraordinarily (which is not to be looked for of vs) the bare Reading (yea not) of the Scriptures, without Preaching, cannot deliuer so much as one poore soule from destruction ¹⁹, Reading (of whatsoeuer in the Church) without preaching, is not feeding, but as ill as playing vpon a stage, and worse too ²⁰.

Without Preaching of the word (viz. by the liuely voice of a minister, and, without the booke) the Sabboth cannot be hallowed either of a minister, or people in the least measure, which the Lord requireth of vs ²¹.

Next, erre doe they which set their wits, and learning either against all bookes in generall, except the sacred Bible, or against the publike reading of any learned mens writings, be they neuer so diuine, and godly in the open, and sacred assemblies.

Of the former sort are the Anabaptists; who as Sleidan recordeth did burne the bookes, writings, and monuments of learned men, reseruing and preseruing onely, the holy Scriptures from the fire ²².

Of the latter be the Brownists, Disciplinatians, and Sabbatarians,

The Brownists doe say, that No Apocrypha must be brought into the Christian assemblies ²³, so the disciplinarians, Ministers ought not to read openly in the congregation any writings, but onely the Canonicall scriptures ²⁴, they complaine that humane writings are brought into the church ²⁵, they crie out, Remooue Homilies ²⁶, and they supplicate vnto K. Iames, that the Canonicall scriptures onely, may be read in the Church ²⁷.

And so, but much more bitterly, and erroneously the Sabbatarians: we damne our selues (say they) if wee goe not from those ministers and Churches, where the Scriptures, and Homilies onely be read; and seeke not vnto the prophets when (and so often) as wee haue them not at home ²⁸

Footnotes

1. Rom. 10. ↩

2. 1. Tim. 4.16.
   ↩

3. D. VVhitak. contra. Bel. con. 1. q. 6. p. 335. ↩

4. D. Fulke athe Rhem. an. Rom. 1.15. ↩

5. Pauli vinculis plura pen[?] quàm libertati debemu[?]. Beza epist. ded. Olevian. com. in. epist. ad Galat. ↩

6. The Ministers of Geneuas epist. before Caluin on Deuteron. ↩

7. Soiter de Vinda de bello Pa. l. 2. ↩

8. D. Chris. & Mascul. in ad Col. 4 ↩

9. Eus. l. 4. c. 23. ↩

10. Idem l. 3. c. 3. ↩

11. T.C. 2. rep. p. 110. ↩

12. D. Su[?]clif. [?]n. to the Petit. c. 1. p. 23. ↩

13. Editae suntigitur iam pridem Gallicae istae conciones (Caluini in Iobum) &c. Ne que. id verò temer[?] factum fuisse res ipsa mox ostendit, maximo cum remotissimarum etiam Gallicarum ecclesiarum f[?]uctu, quibus vsque adeò priuatim & pub[?]ic[?] placuerunt, & plurimis in locis, quibus quotidiani Pastores decrant, pastorum vice fuerint, &c. Beza. praef. Concionū 1. Ca[?]. in Iobum. ↩

14. Sueton. contra Hamilton. p. 106. ↩

15. Wilkinson against the Fa. of Loue. p. 75. ↩

16. [?]ul[?]ing. […] Anabap. ↩

17. H.N. lament. C[?]mplaint. ↩

18. […] ↩

19. T.C. 1. rep. p. 173. ↩

20. 1. Admon. to the Parliam.
    ↩

21. D.B. Sab. doc. 2. B. p. 277. ↩

22. Sl[?]dan. com. l. 10. ↩

23. Gifford against the B 1. p. 15. ↩

24. Fruct. ser. on Rom. 12. p. 60. ↩

25. Def. of the god. Min. p. 116. ↩

26. 1. Admon. to the Parliam.
    ↩

27. The Petit. of the thousand. ↩

28. D.B. Sab. do[?]. 2. booke [?].173. ↩