the cross serve me and I not it. And this was the use of the cross once, and for this cause it was at the beginning set up in the churches.

And so if I make an image of Christ, or of any thing that Christ hath done for me, in a memory, it is good and not evil until it be abused.

The worshipping of images.

And even so, if I take the true life of a saint and cause it to be painted or carved, to put me in remembrance of the saint's life, to follow the saint as the saint did Christ, and to put me in remembrance of the great faith of the saint to God, and how true God was to help him out of all tribulation, and to see the saint's love towards his neighbour, in that he so patiently suffered so painful a death, and so cruel martyrdom to testify the truth for to save other, and all to strength my soul withal, and my faith to God and love to my neighbour, then doth the image serve me, and I not it. And this was the use of images at the Images and beginning, and of relicks also.

And to kneel before the cross unto the word of God which the cross preacheth, is not evil. Neither to kneel down before an image in a man's meditations to call the living of the saint to mind for to desire God of like grace to follow the ensample, is not evil. But the abuse of the thing is evil, and to have a false faith: as to bear a piece of the cross about a man, thinking that so long as that is about him, spirits shall not come at him, his enemies shall do him no bodily harm, all causes shall go on his side, even for bearing it about him, and to think that if it were not about him it would not be so; and to think, if any misfortune chance, that it came for leaving it off, or because this or that ceremony was left undone, and not rather because we have broken God's commandments, or that God tempteth us to prove our patience: this is plain idolatry: and here a man is captive, bond and servant unto a false faith, and a false imagination, that is neither God nor his word. Now am I God's only, and ought to serve nothing but God and his word. My body must serve the

relicks at the first were well used, but

now shamefully

abused.

False

worship

ping.

The abuse

of images.

My body must serve

the prince,

and my neighbour, but my soul

must serve

God only.

St. John's gospel.

This is a true crossing that we should

use.

A great number of superstitious bag.

gages.

rulers of this world, and my neighbour, (as God hath ap-
pointed it) and so must all my goods: but my soul must
serve God only, to love his law and to trust in his promises
of mercy in all my deeds. And in like manner it is that
thousands, while the priest pattereth St. John's gospel in
Latin over their heads, cross themselves with, I trow a
legion of crosses, behind and before, and with reverence
on the very arses, and (as Jack of napes when he claweth
himself) pluck up their legs and cross so much as their
heels and the very soles of their feet, and believe that if it
be done in the time that he readeth the gospel (and else
not) that there shall no mischance happen them that day,
because only of those crosses. And where he should
cross himself, to be armed and to make himself strong to
bear the cross with Christ, he crosseth himself to drive the
cross from him, and blesseth himself with a cross from the
cross; and if he leave it undone, he thinketh it no small sin,
and that God is highly displeased with him, and if any
misfortune chance, thinketh it is therefore, which is also
idolatry and not God's word. And such is the confidence
in the place, or image, or whatsoever bodily observance it
be: such is St. Agathe's letter written in the gospel time.
And such are the crosses on palm-sunday made in the
passion time. And such is the bearing of holy wax about
a man. And such is, that some hang a piece of St. John's
gospel about their necks. And such is to bear the names
of God with crosses between each name about them.
Such is the saying of gospels unto women in child-bed.
Such is the limiter's saying of In principio erat verbum
from house to house. Such is the saying of gospels to
the corn in the field in the procession week that it should
the better grow.
And such is holy bread, holy water, and
serving of all ceremonies and sacraments in general without
signification. And, I pray you, how is it possible that the
people can worship images, relicks, ceremonies and
sacraments, save superstitiously, so long as they know not
the true meaning, neither will the prelates suffer any man

to tell them: yea, and the very meaning of some and right use no man can tell?

Riches be

stowed on

images or

relicks.

To worship idolatry. images is

And as for the riches that is bestowed on images and relicks, they cannot prove but that it is abominable, as long as the poor are despised and uncared for and not first served, for whose sakes, and to find preachers, offerings, tithes, lands, rents, and all that they have, was given the spiritualty. They will say we may do both. May or Objection. not may, I see that the one most necessary of both is not Solution done but the poor are bereaved of the spiritualty of all that was in time past offered unto them. Moreover, though both were done, they shall never prove that the sight of gold and silver and of precious stones should move a man's heart to despise such things after the doctrine of Christ. Neither can the rich coat help to move thy mind, to follow the ensample of the saint, but rather if he were pourtrayed as he suffered, in the most ungoodly wise. Which thing taken away, that such things with all other service, as sticking up candles, move not thy mind to follow the ensample of the saint, nor teach thy soul any godly learning: then the image serveth not thee, but thou the image, and so art thou an idolater, that is to say in English, a serve image. And thus it appeareth that your ungodly and belly doctrine; wherewith ye so magnify the deeds of your ceremonies, and of your pilgrimages, and offering for the deed itself, to please God and to obtain the favour of dead saints (and not to move you, and to put you in remembrance of the law of God and of the promises which are in his Son, and to follow the ensample of the saint); is but an exhorting to serve images, and so are ye image servers, that is, idolaters. And finally, the more devotion men have unto such deeds, the less they have unto God's commandment, insomuch, that they which be most wont to offer to images and to shew them, be so cold in offering to the poor, that they will scarce give them the scraps which must else be given dogs, or their old shoes, if they may have new brooms for them.

PILGRIMAGES.

True pilgrimage is to walk from place to place the better to

serve God

and to help my neigh bour.

God dwelleth not in temples

made with men's hands.

TO speak of pilgrimages, I say, that a christian man, so
that he leave nothing undone at home that he is bound
to do, is free to go whither he will, only after the doctrine
of the Lord, whose servant he is, and not his own. If he
go and visit the poor, the sick, and the prisoner, it is well
done, and a work that God commandeth. If he go to
this or that place, to hear a sermon, or because his mind
is not quiet at home, or if because his heart is too much
occupied on his worldly businesses by the reason of occa-
sions at home, he get him into a more quiet and still place,
where his mind is more abstract and pulled from worldly
thoughts, it is well done. And in all these places, if,
whatsoever it be, whether lively preaching, ceremony,
relick, or image, stir up his heart to God, and preach the
word of God, and the ensample of our Saviour Jesus more
in one place than in another, that he thither go I am
content. And yet he bideth a lord, and the things serve
him, and he not them. Now whether his intent be so or
no, his deeds will testify, as his virtuous governing of his
house, and loving demeanour toward his neighbours: yea,▾
and God's word will be alway in his heart, and in his
mouth, and he every day perfecter than other.
For there can nothing edify man's soul, save that which
preacheth him God's word. Only the word of God
worketh the health of the soul. And whatsoever preacheth

him that cannot but make him perfecter.

But to believe that God will be sought more in one place than in another, or that God will hear thee more in

one place than in another, or more where the image is, then where it is not, is a false faith, and idolatry, or image service. For first God dwelleth not in temples made with hands. (Acts xvii.) Item, Stephen died for the contrary,

and proved it by the prophets. (Acts vii.) And Solomon in the viiith of the third of the Kings, when he had built his temple testified the same, and that he had not built it for God to dwell in, yea, and that God dwelleth not in the earth, but that he should out of heaven hear the prayers of them that prayed there. And the prophets did often testify unto the people that had such a false faith that God dwelt in the temple, that he dwelt not there. Moreover, God in his Testament bindeth himself unto no place, nor yet thee; but speaketh generally (concerning where and when) saying, (Psalm xlix.) In the day of the tribulation Psalm xlix. thou shalt call on me, and I will deliver thee, and thou

shalt glorify me. He setteth neither place nor time; but wheresoever and whensoever: so that the prayer of Job upon the dunghill was as good as Paul's in the temple. And when our Saviour saith (John xvi.) Whatsoever ye ask John xvi. my father in my name, I will give it you, he saith not in this or that place, or this or that day; but wheresoever and whensoever, as well in the fields as in the town, and on the Monday, as on the Sunday. God is a spirit, and will be worshipped in the spirit. (John iv.) That is, John iv. though he be present every where, yet he dwelleth lively and gloriously in the minds of angels only, and hearts of men that love his laws, and trust in his promises. And wheresoever God findeth such an heart, there he heareth the prayer in all places and times indifferently. So that the outward place neither helpeth or hindereth except (as I said) that a man's mind be more quiet and still from the rage of worldly businesses, or that some thing stir up the word of God and ensample of our Saviour more in one place, than in another.

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