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
Matthew Parker as archbishop, from the commencement of the reign of Queen
Elizabeth I until his death in 1575. They followed that interruption to the Reforms occasioned by Queen
Mary I (ruled 1553–1558) and the Roman Catholic Archbishop
Reginald Pole (1556–1558), and the execution of Thomas Cranmer (author of much of the first volume) as a heretic in 1556. The Forty-two Articles had not been enforced during Mary's reign, during which the English Church was reunited with that of Rome, but at once regained importance in
Elizabeth's religious settlement.
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. Entitled
Certayne Sermons appoynted by the Queenes Maiestie, it contained twenty sermons. Reprints appeared in succeeding years. 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. 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." 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
Jesus Christ; the other works are lengthy scholarly treatises intended to inform church leaders in theology, church history, the
fall of the Byzantine Empire and those aspects of the
Roman Catholic Church and doctrine from which the Reformed Anglican faith had turned away. Each homily is heavily annotated with references to
holy scripture, the
Church Fathers and other primary sources. 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
patristic writings on the same point, and traces from the
Iconoclastic Controversy (which underlay the schism between Western and
Eastern churches, and aroused Rome's hostility towards the parts of Christendom not under papal authority). The third part presents, from the perspective of the Reformed Church, a history of such Roman Catholic religious teachings and practices as were deemed to have led to idolatrous observances, as, for instance:"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
Vulgate and
Septuagint, of Biblical names such as
Noe for Noah and
Esay for Isaiah. The colourful expression "
mummishe massyng" appears in the fifteenth sermon of the second book (
Of the worthy receaving of the Sacrament), not to characterize the Mass itself, but (on the contrary) to describe those who come to the Lord's Supper "unreverentlye, not discerning the Lordes bodye" (like the Corinthians blamed by St Paul,
I Corinthians, xi, 27–29), with "rude and unreverent ignoraunce", as if it were a mime-show. == Editions ==