The Books of Homilies
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The Books of Homilies (1547, 1562, and 1571) are two books together containing thirty-three sermons developing the authorized reformed doctrines of the
Revision and reform
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Following the secession of the
The Bishops' Book and King's Book
Attempts to reformulate the doctrine of the English Church, led by Archbishop
Dedicated by the bishops to King Henry, this was first ordered to be read from the pulpits, but then suppressed with a view to revision. In 1539 the Six Articles
* The declaration of Faith
* The articles of our belief, called the Creed
* The seven sacraments
* The ten commandments of almighty god
* Our lord's prayer called the Pater noster
* The salutation of the angel, called the Ave Maria
* An article of free will
* An article of justification
* An article of good works
* Of prayer for souls departed.
Edwardian Reform: the First Book of Homilies (1547)
It was under Thomas Cranmer, the reformist
This volume The homilies are:
At the end of the first volume appeared the following statement: "Hereafter shall follow Homilies of Fasting, Prayer, Almose-deeds, of the Nativity, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Saviour Christ: of the due Receiving of his Body and Blood, under the form of Bread and Wine: against Idleness, against Gluttony and Drunkenness, against Couetousness, against Envy, Ire and Malice: with many other matters, as well fruitful and necessary to the edifying of Christian people, and the increase of godly living. GOD SAVE THE KING." In this way the completion of the work was projected in 1547.
The First Book saw a new edition in 1562, the homilies divided into parts for better understanding: in its preface, the Queen's injunction for them to be read was given. This, and the editions of 1563, 1567 and of 1571, in which the Second Book of homilies and sermons was added, belong to the time of
Elizabethan Reform: the Second Book of Homilies (1563, completed 1571)
1563
The Second Book, mainly written by Matthew Parker with Bishop John Jewel and others, was printed perhaps in two or more editions by Richarde Iugge and John Cawood, "printers to the Queenes Maiestie". According to Parker, the Homilies had already been printed in 1562 and only awaited the Queen's approval at Midsummer 1563 for final publication.[8] Entitled Certayne Sermons appoynted by the Queenes Maiestie, it contained twenty sermons. Reprints appeared in succeeding years.[9] The publication followed the Convocation's approval of Thirty-Nine Articles, from which the Queen removed a further article to pacify objections from her Catholic subjects. These complete the promised scope of the Homilies as projected in the final notice of the First Book.
1571
The full second series of twenty-one homilies, entitled The Second Tome of Homilees, was published in 1571.[10] The reinstatement of the Thirty-ninth Article, and the publication of the Second Book of Homilies containing the final, twenty-first homily (against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion), followed the excommunication of Queen Elizabeth by the papal bull named Regnans in Excelsis. The Thirty-fifth Article (still so mandated today) states:
"The second Book of Homilies, the several Titles whereof we have joined under this Article, doth contain a godly and wholsom Doctrine, and necessary for these Times, as doth the former Book of Homilies, which were set forth in the time of Edward the Sixth; and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the Ministers, diligently and distinctly, that they may be understanded of the People."[11]
This volume includes:
- Of the right use of the Church.
- Against peril of Idolatry.
- For repairing and keeping clean the Church.
- Of good works. And first of Fasting.
- Against gluttony and drunkenness.
- Against excess of apparel.
- An homily of Prayer.
- Of the place and time of Prayer.
- Of Common Prayer and Sacraments
- An information of them which take offence at certain places of holy Scripture.
- Of alms deeds.
- Of the Nativity.
- Of the Passion for good Friday.
- Of the Resurrection for Easter day.
- Of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament.
- An Homily concerning the coming down of the holy Ghost, for Whitsunday.
- An Homily for Rogation week.
- Of the state of Matrimony.
- Against Idleness.
- Of Repentance and true Reconciliation unto God.
- An Homily against disobedience and willful rebellion.
Character of the Homilies
Many of the sermons are straightforward exhortations to read scripture daily and lead a life of prayer and faith in
The longest homily is the second of the second book, "Against Peril of Idolatry", which runs to about 136 printed pages (pp. 25–161 in the 1571 edition) and is divided into three parts. The first part elaborates the Mosaic law against the worship of images, and down to St Paul's condemnations: the second part follows the
"And where one saint hath images in divers places, the same saint hath divers names thereof, moste lyke to the Gentiles. When you heare of our Lady of Walsingham, our Lady of Ipswich, our Lady of Wilsdon, and suche other: what is it but an imitation of the Gentiles idolaters? Diana Agrotera, Diana Coriphea, Diana Ephesia, etc., Venus Cipria, Venus Paphia, Venus Gnidia. Whereby is evidently meant, that the saint for the image sake, shoulde in those places, yea in the images them selves, have a dwellyng, whiche is the grounde of theyr idolatrie. For where no images be, they have no such meanes" (at p. 99).
The homilies contain many historical spellings, based on the
Editions
The following recensions were issued down to 1623, some under public authority:
- Richard Jugge, Queen's Printer (died 1577): Volumes I and II (1574); Volumes I and II (1576–1577), in quarto
- Christopher Barker, Queen's Printer and Henry Middleton: Volumes I and II (1582), in quarto
- John Charlewood and Thomas East: Volumes I and II (1587), in quarto
- Edward Allde: Volumes I and II (1595), in quarto
- John Bill, King's Printer: Both parts (with numerous revisions) united (1623), in folio
Some later recensions include:
- John Norton, for Joyce Norton and Richard Whitaker (London, 1633/1635)
- Ralph Hodkinson and John Norton for Richard Whitaker (London 1640 [1650])
- Thomas Roycroft, for Andrew Crooke, Samuel Mearne and Robert Powlet (London 1673)
- Thomas Roycroft, for Samuel Mearne and Robert Powlet (London 1676)
- Ann Mearn and Blanch Pawlet (London 1683)
- For Moses Pitt, Peter Parkins and Thomas Guy (The Theatre, Oxford 1683)
- George Wells, Abel Swall and George Pawlett (London 1687), "for use of private families"
The edition of the Homilies most widely available today is that edited in 1859 by John Griffiths and originally published by Oxford University Press. An earlier edition published by Oxford in 1822 has been criticised for its heavy editing.[13]
A critical edition of the Homilies appeared in 2015, edited by Gerald Bray.[14] An edition of the First Book of Homilies in modern English was published in 2021 for the Church Society, edited by Lee Gatiss.[15]
Reception in the United States
The Episcopal Church's version of the Articles endorses the content of the Homilies, but states that it suspends the order for reading them until they can be updated.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-227-90511-1.
- ^ Church of England; Berthelet, Thomas; Amherst, William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst (1537). The institution of a Christen man: conteynynge the exposytion or interpretation of the commune Crede, of the seuen Sacramentes, of the .x. commandementes, and of the Pater noster, and the Aue Maria, iustyfication [and] purgatory. Boston Public Library. London: Londini: In aedibus Thomae Bertheleti regii impressoris.
- ^ Church of England; Berthelet, Thomas; Higgins, Charles Longuet; England and Wales. Sovereign (1536–1547: Henry VIII); Bernard Quaritch (Firm), former owner (1543). A necessary doctrine and erudition for any Christen man. Boston Public Library. Imprinted at London in Fletestrete: By Thomas Barthelet printer to the Kynges Hyghnes.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ISBN 978-0-300-07448-2.
- ^ 'Preface', in (T. Cranmer), Certayne Sermons, or Homelies appoynted by the kynges Maiestie, to be declared and redde, by all persones, vicars, or curates, euery Sondaye in their churches, where they haue cure. Anno 1547 (Rychard Grafton, London 31 July 1547), at umich/eebo. Pageview at (Google).
- ^ Cranmer, Church of England, T. (1547). Certayne Sermons, or Homelies, appoynted by the kynges Maiestie, to be declared and redde, by all persones, Vicars, or Curates, every Sondaye in their churches, where they have Cure. London, England: Richard Grafton.
- ^ Maittaire, Michael, ed. (1725). Annales Typographici: Annales typograpici ab anno M.D.XXXVI. ad annum M.D.LVII. continuati; Pars Prior. Tomi tertii, pars prior [3,1] (in Latin). Vol. 3, part 1. The Hague: apud Fratres Vaillant et Nicolaum Prevost. pp. 396–397.
- ^ Bennet, Thomas (1715). An Essay on the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, Agreed on in 1562 and Revised in 1571: Wherein ... an Account is Given of the Proceedings of Convocation ... : with a Prefatory Epistle to Anthony Collins ... London, England: M.J. for W. Innys. p. 245.
- ^ See, e.g., Early English Printed Books in the Cambridge University Library (1475–1640), 4 Vols, (Cambridge University Press, 1907), IV: Appendix, p. 1792, no. 8019, where a 1567 copy of Volume II is bound together with no. 8018, a 1569 printing of Volume I.
- ^ The Second Tome of Homilees: of such matters as were promised, and intituled in the former part of homilees. Set out by the aucthoritie of the Queenes Maiestie: and to be read in euery parishe church agreeably (Richard Jugge and John Cawood, London 1571), full text at umich/eebo. 32 pageviews available from the British Library, ref. 4455.b.12 (British Library bl.uk).
- ^ '35. Of Homilies', in B. Cummings, The Book of Common Prayer: The Texts of 1549, 1559, and 1662 (Oxford University Press, 2011), at p. 678 (Google).
- ^ 'An Homilee of the worthy receaving and reverend esteeming of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christe', in (J. Jewel), The Second Tome of Homilees (Richard Iugge and Iohn Cawood, London 1571), pp. 397–406 (umich/eebo), at pp. 401–402.
- ^ Jo, Kenji. The Two Authorized Books of Homilies (PDF). Teikyo University.
- ^ "The Books of Homilies: A Critical Edition". Retrieved 2021-11-15.
- ^ "The First Book of Homilies in Modern English". Church Society. Retrieved 2021-11-15.