The edition of John Griffiths revised, edited by Ian Robinson.
Brynmill Press Ltd, 2006
Life was easier for vicars in 1547 when by Royal Injunction one of these Homilies (sermons) was to be read in church every Sunday. So, no need to make up your own sermon, you just read out one of these official ones.
The 39 Articles in the Book of Common Prayer gave them a high place. Article XXXV stated, the
“…Book of Homilies…doth contain a godly and wholesome Doctrine…and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the Ministers, diligently and distinctly, that they may be understanded of the people.”
In all my decades of churchgoing I have never heard a sermon where the vicar has read one of these official Homilies, or any mention of them, so I felt a bit of a rebel reading this book of sermons which were once official and have since been covered over.
There are 36 sermons in The Homilies:
First Book:
- A Fruitful Exhortation to the Reading of Holy Scripture
- Of the Misery of all Mankind
- Of the Salvation of all Mankind by only Christ
- Of the true, lively and Christian Faith
- Of Good Works annexed unto Faith
- Of Christian Love and Charity
- Against Swearing and Perjury
- How Dangerous a Thing it is to Fall from God
- Against the Fear of Death
- Concerning Good Order and Obedience
- Against Whoredom and Uncleanness
- Against Contention and Brawling
Second Book:
- An Admonition to all Ministers Ecclesiastical
- Of the right Use of the Church
- Against Peril of Idolatry
- For Repairing and Keeping Clean of Churches
- Of good Works and first of Fasting
- Against Gluttony and Drunkenness
- Against Excess of Apparel
- Concerning Prayer
- Of the Place and Time of Prayer
- Of Common Prayer and Sacraments in a Tongue Understood
- For them which take Offence at certain Places of Holy Scripture
- Of Almsdeeds and Mercifulness
- Of the Nativity of our Saviour Jesus Christ
- For Good Friday: concerning the Death and Passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ
- The Second Homily concerning the Passion
- Of the Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ: for Easter Day
- Of the Worthy Receiving of the Sacrament
- Of the Coming Down of the Holy Ghost: for Whitsunday
- For Rogation Week: that all Good Things cometh from God
- Perambulations in Rogation Week
- Of the State of Matrimony
- Against Idleness
- Of Repentance and true Reconciliation unto God
- Against Disobedience and Wilful Rebellion
The sermons are certainly not ‘on trend’. Nowadays the modern emphasis is on helping people to feel good about themselves. But the first sermon says that in Scripture:
“we may learn to know ourselves, how vile and miserable we be; and also to know God, how good he is of himself; and how he communicateth his goodness unto us, and to all creatures. […] and after this miserable life, we shall enjoy the endless bliss, and glory of heaven.” (p.5 & 10).
You wouldn’t have the expressions of us as “vile and miserable” in a modern sermon. But the evangelical theology of salvation in the third sermon is something you would have today:
“all merit of our works, as being insufficient, to deserve our justification at God’s hands; and thereby most plainly, to express […] the imperfectness of our own works, and the most abundant grace of our Saviour Christ; and thereby wholly to ascribe the merit, and deserving of our justification, unto Christ only, and his most precious bloodshedding.” (p.21)
but mere belief in Jesus isn’t enough, there needs to be faith with repentance which shows itself in good works. Mere belief in God is insufficient because “even the devils know […] Christ to be the only Saviour of the world.” (p.24). Good works do not earn us a place in heaven, they merely illustrate a true faith in God. “The thief that was hanged when Christ suffered, did believe only, and the most merciful God did justify him.” He died before he had time to do the works that are evidence of faith; it was faith alone that saved him (p.37).
We then switch back to the unfashionable. Today we like to talk about God’s love, and heaven, and we are uncomfortable to think of the other aspect of God’s judgment and hell. These homilies have no such sensitivity:
“as they be ready to believe God’s promises, so they should be as ready to believe the threatenings of God. As well they should believe the Law, as of the Gospel; as well that there is an hell and everlasting fire, as that there is an heaven and everlasting joy.” (p.65).
So, hell is real, but we can have confidence in our future in heaven:
“All those therefore, have great cause to be full of joy, that be joined to Christ with true faith, stedfast hope, and perfect charity, and not to fear death, nor everlasting damnation. For death cannot deprive them of Jesu Christ, nor any sin can condemn them, that are grafted surely in him, which is their only joy, treasure, and life. Let us repent our sins, amend our lives, trust in his mercy and satisfaction, and death can neither take him from us, nor us from him.” (p.70).
The sermon “Concerning Good Order and Obedience to Rulers and Magistrates” is another unfashionable perspective. Today we may take the view of liberation theology and that it is right and just to overthrow a corrupt government. This Sermon however quotes Bible references that God gives rulers their authority, even when they misuse it, and we should respect that authority:
“we may not obey, kings, magistrates, or any other […] if they would command us, to do any thing contrary to God’s commandments. In such a case, we ought to say with the Apostles, ‘We must rather obey God, than man.’ But nevertheless, in that case, we may not in any wise withstand violently, or rebel against rulers, or other ways, against the anointed of the Lord, or any of his appointed officers; but must in such case patiently suffer all wrongs and injuries, referring the judgment of our cause, only to God.” (p.84).
So, Gandhi had the right idea.
The “Sermon against whoredom and uncleanness” (‘whoredom’ is used to mean any kind of sexual sin, including impure thoughts) begins with a paragraph that could have been in modern times, complaining that in recent years people have ignored the Bible’s teaching and that having sexual partners outside of marriage is seen as normal:
“fornication […] overflowed, almost the whole world, unto the great dishonour of God […] the notable decay of true religion […] this vice is grown, into such an height, that in a manner, among many it is counted no sin at all, but rather a pastime, a dalliance, and but a touch of youth; not rebuked, but winked at” (p.88).
And for those tempted to sin, the answer is to avoid impure thoughts and focus on God, and avoid drinking and bad company:
“To avoid fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness, let us provide that above all things, we may keep our hearts pure and clean, from all evil thoughts, and carnal lusts; for it that be once infected and corrupt, we fell headlong, into all kind of ungodliness. This we shall easily do, if when we feel inwardly, that Satan our old enemy tempteth us into whoredom, we by no means consent to his crafty suggestions, but valiantly resist, and withstand him by strong faith, in the word of God […] and consider in our mind, how filthy, beastly, and short that pleasure is, whereunto Satan moveth us, and again, how the pain appointed for that sin, is intolerable and everlasting. Moreover, to use a temperance and sobriety, in eating and drinking, to eschew unclean communication, to avoid all filthy company, to flee idleness, to delight in reading of holy Scripture, to watch in godly prayers and virtuous medications, and at all times, to exercise some godly travails, shall help greatly, unto eschewing whoredom.” (p.98-99).
The sermon “Against images and the worshipping of them” says that stained glass windows and spiritual pictures as a teaching aid had a good purpose, but once it got to statues of saints in church, those statues began to be worshipped and so we must not have statues in churches:
“men are not so ready to worship a picture on a wall, or in a window, as an embossed and gilt image, set with pearl and stone. And a process of a story, painted with the gestures and actions of many persons, and commonly the sum of the story written withal, hath another use in it, than one dumb idol or image standing by itself. But from learning by painted stories, it came by little and little to idolatry.” (p,141)
The sermon also opposes going on pilgrimage to see the sites of the saints:
“the madness of all men professing the religion of Christ […] running on heaps by sea and land, to the great loss of their time, expense and waste of their goods, destitution of their wives, children, and families, and danger to their own bodies and lives, to Compostella, Rome, Jerusalem, and other far countries to visit dumb and dead stocks and stones, doth sufficiently prove the proneness of man’s corrupt nature, to the seeking of idols once set up, and the worshipping of them.”
I went on honeymoon to the Holy Land and didn’t do any idol worshipping when I was there. But some big history books on the reformation need to be read for all the background on this. Perhaps that particular sermon is largely for the history student of the Reformation than for guidance today. Though this passage is important, that we should not be doing all of our financial giving to beautify the church building and give nothing to the physical needs of the poor:
“poor Christian people […] are pined with hunger and thirst, and no man giveth them a penny to refresh them; whereas pounds be ready at all times, contrary to God’s word and will, to deck and trim dead […] stones, which neither feel cold, hunger, nor thirst” (p.191).
“True religion then, and pleasing to God, standeth not in making, setting up, painting, gilding, clothing, and decking of dumb and dead images, which be but great puppets and mammets, for old fools in dotage and wicked idolatry, to dally and play with; nor in kissing of them, capping, kneeling, offering to them, in censing of them, setting up of candles […] or praying and asking of them, or of the Saints, things belonging only to God to give; but all these things be vain and abominable, and most damnable before God.” (p.192).
Having criticised spending on statues in churches, the next sermon “For repairing and keeping clean and comely adorning of churches” redresses the balance:
“churches were built among Christian people […] that God might have his place, and that God might have his time, duly to be honoured and served, of the whole multitude in the parish; first there to hear and learn the blessed word and will, of the everlasting God; secondly, that there the blessed Sacraments, which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hath ordained and appointed, should be duly, reverently, and honourably ministered; thirdly, that the whole multitude of God’s people in the parish, should with one voice and heart, call upon the Name of God, magnify and praise the Name of God, render earnest and hearty thanks to our heavenly Father, for his heap of benefits, daily and plentifully poured upon us, not forgetting to bestow our alms upon God’s poor, to the intent God may bless us more richly.” (p.196).”
We should therefore spend money on the church building to keep it in good repair:
“if his barn, where he keepeth his corn, be out of reparations, what diligence useth he, to make it in perfect state again! […] And shall we be so mindful of our common base houses, deputed to so low occupying, and be forgetful toward that house of God, wherein be ministered the words of our eternal salvation, wherein be ministered the Sacraments and mysteries of our redemption?” (p.196-7).
The sermon on fasting sets out the purpose of that spiritual discipline, which is not fashionable in the church today, apart from during Lent:
“The first is, to chastise the flesh, that it be not too wanton, but tamed, and brought into subjection to the spirit. […] The second, that the spirit may be more fervent and earnest in prayer. […] The third, that our fast be a testimony and witness with us, before God, of our humble submission to his hight Majesty, when we confess and acknowledge our sins unto him, and are inwardly touched with sorrowfulness of heart, bewailing the same, in the affliction of our bodies.” (p.205)
The sermon “Against excess of apparel” is probably more relevant today than then, given that people tend to wardrobes filled with more clothes than 500 years ago.
“Our Saviour Christ bad his disciples they should not have two coats: but the most men, far unlike his scholars, have their presses so full of apparel, that many know not how many sorts they have.” (p.224).
“Let us content ourselves quietly, with that which God sendeth, be it never so little. And if it please him to send plenty, let us not wax proud thereof, but let us use it moderately, as well to our own comfort, as to the relief of such as stand in necessity.” (p.226).
Whilst I don’t agree that make-up is the work of the devil! there is perhaps a message about being content with how God made us:
“Who can paint her face, and curl her hair, and change it to an unnatural colour, but therein doth work reproof to her Maker, as though she could make herself more comely than God hath appointed the measure of her beauty? What do these women but go about to reform that which God hath made, not knowing that all things natural ae the work of God, and things disguised and unnatural be the works of the devil? […] the more thou garnish thyself with these outward blazings, the less thou carest for the inward garnishing of thy mind,” (p.227).
Today we do criticise “fast fashion”, this sermon also does so:
“I speak not against convenient apparel, for every state agreeable, but against the superfluity, against the vain delight to covet such vanities, to devise new fashions to feed thy pride with, to spend so much upon thy carcase, that thou and thy husband are compelled to rob the poor, to maintain thy costliness.” (p.228).
The sermon on prayer quotes Chrysostom “there is nothing in all the world more strong, than a man that giveth himself to fervent prayer.” (p.232). It then opposes prayer for the dead, because purgatory is not in scripture, “in what state he dieth, in the same state he shall also be judged, whether it be to salvation, or damnation.” (p.243).
The sermon on “the Death and Passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ” addresses the anti-semitism at that time against Jewish people, though it does it imperfectly (e.g, no mention of Pilate who was a gentile who pronounced sentence on Jesus):
“If we, my friends, consider this, that for our sins, this most innocent Lamb was driven to death, we shall have much more cause to bewail ourselves, that we were the cause of his death, than to cry out of the malice and cruelty of the Jews, which pursued him to his death. We did the deeds wherefore he was thus stricken and wounded; they were only the ministers of our wickedness.” (p.298).
The sermon on the Holy Spirit rejects those who say that the Holy Spirit leads the church to new doctrines that are not found in the Bible:
“they will allege for themselves, that there are divers necessary points not expressed in holy Scripture, which were left to the revelation of the Holy Ghost; who being given to the Church, according to Christ’s promise, hath taught ‘many things’ from time to time, which the Apostles ‘could not then bear.’ [John 16:12] To this we may easily answer, by the plain words of Christ, teaching us that the proper office of the Holy Ghost is, not to institute and bring in new ordinances, contrary to his doctrine before taught, so that they might be well understood. ‘When the Holy Ghost’, saith he, ‘shall come, he shall lead you into all truth.’[John 13:14]. What truth doth he mean? any other than he himself had before expressed in his word? No. For he saith, ‘He shall take of mine, and show it unto you’. Again, ‘He shall bring you in remembrance, of all things that I have told you.’ [John 14:26] It is not then the duty and part of any Christian, under pretence of the Holy Ghost, to bring his own dreams and phantasies into the Church; but he must diligently provide, that his doctrine and decrees be agreeable to Christ’s holy Testament: otherwise, in making the Holy Ghost the author thereof, he doth blaspheme, and belie the Holy Ghost, to his own condemnation.” (p.337).
The sermon on matrimony has no mention of marriage being about falling in love with someone and wanting to spend the rest of your life with them:
“matrimony […] is instituted of God, to the intent that man and woman should live lawfully, in a perpetual friendly fellowship, to bring forth fruit, and to avoid fornication […] in bridling the corrupt inclinations of the flesh” (p.363).
It does have what they say in America, ‘the couple that prays together, stays together’:
“This necessity of prayer must be oft in the practice and using of married persons, that ofttime the one should pray for the other, lest hate and debate do arise betwixt them. […] make thy earnest prayer to God, that he would govern both your hearts, by his Holy Spirit, to restrain the devil’s power, whereby your concord may remain perpetually.” (p.364 & p.365).
The sermon on the Nativity would be a good passage to have as an end quote:
“Let us receive Christ, not for a time, but for ever; let us believe his word, not for a time, but for ever; let us become his servants, not for a time, but for ever; and will receive us into his heavenly kingdom, there to reign with him, not for a time, but for ever. To him therefore, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, praise, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.” (p.296).
Adrian Vincent, January 2021