Tomline on Article XXXV: Of the Homilies

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were

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were delivered by ministers to Christian congre- ’ gations assembled in churches. In the first ages of Christianity, preaching was chiefly con- fined to bishops ; but afterwards presbyters, and in process of time deacons also, were p^initted to preach, even when bishops were presents The Homilies or Sermons of Chrysostom, Au- gustine, Gregoty, and many other of the fethers, are still extant.

At the time of the Reformation in England, many of the clergy were exceedingly illiterate, and it was also suspected that some of themi still favoured the tenets of the Church of Rome ; ” therefore to supply the defects of some, and to obli^ the rciSt to teach according to the form of sound doctrine, there were two books of Homilies prepared ; the first was published in king Edward the sixth’s time; the second Wa^ hot finished till about the time of his death ; so it was not published before queen Elizabeth’s tiihe (a).” The design of fherii was to taix spe- culative points with practical riiatters : sonde explain the doctrine, and others etiforce the rules of liffe and manners. These are plain and short dis(X)urses, chiefly caildilated to possess the i^atioH with a sei*5e of thte purity of the Gdspel, iii

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f/SrJ^Th^ first book of Homilies was published in 1547, and was supposed to be writfen ohiefiy by Cranmer ; the second in 1560, and was probably written by Jewell.

549 , Espontionofthe [part. iii.

oppositicKi to the corruptions of Popery, and to reform it from those crying sins that had been so much connived at under Popery, while men knew the price of them, how to compensate for them, and to redeem themselves from the guilt of t|^em by masses and sacraments, by indul- gences and absohitions. (by

These two books of Homilies, upon their first publication, were distributed throu^iout the kingdom, and the parochial clergy were com- manded to read them in their churches. When compared with the age in which they were writ- ten, they may be considered as very extraordi- nary compositions, though perhaps every argu- ment and expression in them is not to be approved ; but whoever will peruse them with candour and attention will be convinced that th^ contain a godly and wholesome doctrine. The compilers of the Articles thought them NECESSARY FOR THE TIMES in which they lived, and directed them to be read in churches

STANDED OF THE PEOPLE. The English lan- guage has changed so much since these Homilies were written, tiiat they would scarcely now be understood by a common congregation; and

therefore (b) Burnet.

ART. XXXV.]. Thirty-nine Articles. 541

therefore the reading of them publicly/ as it would no longer answer any good purpose, has fallen into general disuse, with the tacit consent of the governing part of the church. . The Clergy however may still study them with advantage to themselves, and may, with advantage to others, transfer parts of them into their sermons, with such alterations as the change of circumstances may render expedient (c). It is remarkable that the titles of the Homilies as enumerated in this Article, are not precisely the same as the titles prefixed in the book of Homilies. ’ The want of learning in the clergy at the time of the Reformation has been already no- ticed : and indeed so incompetent were they to the duty of preaching, that it was forbidden by four successive sovereigns of very different reli- gious principles, by Henry the eighth, Edward the sixth, queen Mary, and queen Elizabeth. Towards the end of queen Elizabeth’s reign,

the

(c) Since I wrote the above, I have met with a work published by the Rev. Sir Adam Gordon, bart. intitled, ” Discourses on several Subjects ; being the substance of some select Homilies of the Church of England, rendered in a modem style, and fitted for the general use, and Christian instruction of the community at large ;” in two volumes octavo, printed for Stockdale. The editor appears to me to have performed his part with great judgment, and I desire to recommend these books to the parochial clergy.

54? Ettpositwn of the [paet hi.

the clergy were considerably improved in point of literature ; but even at tiiat time Neal reckons that there were 8,000 parishes without preaching ministers. James the Ifirst made a canon, di- recting that a sermon should be preached every Sunday, in every parish church which had a minister licensed for that purpose ; but by an- other canon, unlicensed ministers were permitted only to read a Homily. And our presit form of ordering deacons does not empower them to preach, unless they be thereunto licensed by the bishop himself ;” but to a priest, the bishop says, ’ Take thou authority to preach the word of God;’

ART. XXXVI,] Thirty-nine Articles. 543