HOMILY ON REPAIRING AND KEEPING CLEAN THE CHURCH

from Short-Title Catalogue 13675. Renaissance Electronic Texts 1.1.
copyright 1994 Ian Lancashire (ed.) University of Toronto

Text input: Claire Smith

  Edited to 2003 American English* by Curtis I. Caldwell on 09 May 2003.
Revised 15 August 2004.

 

A HOMILY FOR REPAIRING AND KEEPING CLEAN, 
AND ATTRACTIVE ADORNING OF CHURCHES

Of repairing and keeping clean of Churches.
[Title from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, Episcopal Church USA,
Articles of Religion Article XXXV, Of the Homilies]


It is a common custom of all men, when they intend to have their friends or neighbors to come to their houses to eat or drink with them, or to have any solemn assembly to treat and talk of any matter, they will have their houses, which they keep in continual repair, to be clean and fine, lest they should be counted slovenly, or little to regard their friends and neighbors. How much more then ought the house of God, which we commonly call the church, to be sufficiently repaired in all places, and to be honorably adorned and garnished, and to be kept clean and sweet, to the comfort of the people that shall resort thereunto.

It appears in the Holy Scripture, how God's house, which was called his holy temple, and was the mother church of all Jewry, fell sometimes into decay, and was oftentimes profaned and defiled, through the negligence and ungodliness by those who were in charge of it. But when godly kings and governors were in place, then an order was given that the church and temple of God should be repaired, and the tithes and offerings of the people to be gathered for the reparation of the same. We read in the second1 Book of the Kings, how that King Jehoash, being a godly ruler, gave an order to the priests to convert certain offerings of the people to use for the repair and improvement of God's temple (2 Kings 12:4-5).

That most godly King Josiah gave a similar command concerning the repair and rebuilding of God's temple, which in his time he found in sore decay (2 Kings 22.3-7). It has pleased Almighty God, that these histories touching the improvement and repairing of his holy temple should be written at length, to the end we should be taught by it. First, that God is well pleased that his people should have a convenient place to gather unto, and to come together, to praise and magnify God's holy name. And secondly, he is highly pleased with all those who diligently and zealously go about to improve and restore such places as are appointed for the congregation of God's people to gather unto, and wherein they humbly and jointly render thanks to God for his benefits, and with one heart and voice praise his holy name. Thirdly, God was very displeased with his people because they built, decorated, and trimmed up their own houses, and permitted God's house to be in ruin and decay, to lie unattractive and offensive. Wherefore God was very grieved with them, and plagued them, as appears in the Prophet Haggai. "Thus says the Lord: Is it time for you to dwell in your sealed houses, and the Lord's house not regarded? You have sown much and gathered in but little, your meat and your clothes have neither filled you nor made you warm, and he that had his wages put it in a bottomless purse" (Haggai 1:4, 6). By these plagues which God laid upon his people for neglecting of his temple, it may evidently appear and that God will have his temple, his church, the place where his congregation shall gather to magnify him, well built, well repaired, and well maintained. Some, neither regarding godliness nor the place of godly exercise, will say, "The temple in the old Law was commanded to be built and repaired by God himself, because it had great promises annexed to it, and because it was a figure, a sacrament, or a signification of Christ, and also of his church." To this may be easily answered: First, that our churches are not destitute of promises, forasmuch as our Savior Christ says, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst among them." A great number therefore coming to church together in the name of Christ have there, that is to say in the church, their God and Savior Christ Jesus present among the congregation of his faithful people, by his grace, by his favor and godly assistance, according to his most assured and comfortable promises. Why then ought not Christian people to build temples and churches, having as great promises of the presence of God, as ever had Solomon, for the material temple which he built? As touching the other point, that Solomon's Temple was a figure of Christ, we know that now in the time of the clear light of Christ Jesus the Son of God, all shadows, figures, and significations are utterly gone, all vain and unprofitable ceremonies, both Jewish and heathen, fully abolished. And therefore our churches are not set up for figures, and significations of messiahs and Christ to come, but for other godly and necessary purposes, that is to say, that like as every man has his own house to abide in, to refresh himself in, to rest in, with such like commodities, so Almighty God will have his house and place where the whole parish and congregation shall gather, which is called the church and temple of God, for that the church, which is the company of God's people, there assembles and comes together to serve him. Not meaning, hereby, that the Lord whom the heaven of heavens is not able to hold or comprise, does dwell in the church of lime and stone, made with man's hands, as wholly and only contained there within, and nowhere else, for so he never dwelt in Solomon's Temple. Moreover, the church or temple is counted and called holy, yet not of itself, but because God's people gathering there are holy, and exercise themselves in holy and heavenly things. And to the intent you may understand further why churches were built among Christian people, this was the greatest consideration: that God might have his place, and that God might have his time, duly to be honored and served by 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 Savior Christ Jesus has ordained and appointed, should be duly, reverently, and decently ministered. Thirdly, that there 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 many 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. Thus you may well perceive and understand why churches were built and set up amongst Christian people, and dedicated and appointed to these godly uses, and wholly exempted from all filthy, profane, and worldly uses. Wherefore all they that have little mind or devotion to repair and build God's temple are to be counted people of much ungodliness, spurning against good order in Christ's church, despising the true honor of God, with evil example offending and hindering their neighbors otherwise well and godly disposed. The world thinks it but a trifle to see their church in ruin and decay. But those who do not lay to their helping hands sin against God and his holy congregation. For if it had not been sin to neglect and slightly regard the improvement and rebuilding of his temple, God would not have been so much grieved, and so soon have plagued his people, because they built and decorated their own houses so gorgeously, and despised the house of God their Lord. It is sin and shame to see so many churches so ruinous, and so foully decayed, almost in every corner. If a man's private house wherein he dwells is decayed, he will never cease till it is restored again. Yes, if his barn where he keeps his corn is out of repair, what diligence does he use to make it in perfect state again? If his stable for his horse, yeas the sty for his swine, is not able to hold out water and wind, how careful is he to do repairs thereon? And shall we be so mindful of our common base houses, deputed to so vile employment, and be forgetful toward that house of God wherein is entreated the words of our eternal salvation, wherein is ministered the sacraments and mysteries of our redemption? The fountain of our regeneration is presented to us there, the partaking of the body and blood of our Savior Christ is offered unto us there. And shall we not esteem the place where heavenly things are handled? Wherefore if you have any reverence to the service of God, if you have any common honesty, if you have any conscience in keeping of necessary and godly ordinances, keep your churches in good repair, whereby you shall not only please God and deserve his manifold blessings, but also deserve the good report of all godly people.

The second point, which pertains to the maintenance of God's house, is to have it well adorned, attractive, and kept clean, which may be more easily performed when the church is well repaired. Just as men are well refreshed and comforted when they find their houses having all things in good order, and all corners clean and sweet, so when God's house the church is well adorned, with places convenient to sit in, with the pulpit for the preacher, with the Lord's table for the ministration of his holy supper, with the font to Christen in, and also is kept clean, attractive, and sweetly, the people are more desirous, and the more comforted to gather there, and to tarry there the whole time appointed them. With what earnestness, with what vehement zeal, did our Savior Christ drive the buyers and sellers out of the temple of God, and hurled down the tables of the changers of money, and the seats of the dove-sellers, and could not endure any man to carry a vessel through the temple (Matthew 21:12)? He told them that they had made his Father's house a den of thieves, partly through their superstition, hypocrisy, false worship, false doctrine, and insatiable covetousness, and partly through contempt, abusing that place with walking and talking, with worldly matters without any fear of God, and due reverence to that place. What dens of thieves the churches of England have been made by the blasphemous buying and selling the most precious body and blood of Christ in the Mass, as the world was made to believe, at dirges, at month's minds2, at trental3, in abbeys and chantries4, beside other horrible abuses (God's holy name be blessed for ever) which we now see and understand. Those who supply the room of Christ have cleansed and purged the churches of England of all these abominations, taking away all such offensiveness and filthiness, as through blind devotion and ignorance has crept into the church these many hundred years [written in 1623 A.D.]. Wherefore, good Christian people, you dearly beloved in Christ Jesus, you that glory not in worldly and vain religion, in fantastical adorning and decorating, but rejoice in heart to see the glory of God truly set forth, and the churches restored to their ancient and godly use, render your hearty thanks to the goodness of Almighty God, who has in our days stirred up the hearts, not only of his godly preachers and ministers, but also of his faithful and most Christian magistrates and governors, to bring such godly things to pass.

And forasmuch as your churches are scoured and swept from the sinful and superstitious filthiness with which they were defiled and disfigured, do your part, good people, to keep your churches attractive and clean. Do not permit them to be defiled with rain and weather, with dung of doves, and owls, starlings, and choughs, and other filthiness, as it is foul and lamentable to behold in many places of this country. It is the house of prayer, not the house of talking, of walking, of brawling, of minstrelsy, of hawks, of dogs. Provoke not the displeasure and plagues of God for despising and abusing his holy house as the wicked Jews did. But have God in your heart, be obedient to his blessed will, bind your selves every man and woman to your power toward the repair and clean keeping of the church, to the intent that you may be partakers of God's manifold blessings, and that you may be better encouraged to gather to your parish church there to learn your duty towards God and your neighbor, there to be present and partakers of Christ's holy sacraments, there to render thanks to your Heavenly Father for the manifold benefits which he daily pours upon you, there to pray together, and to call upon God's holy name which is blessed, world without end. Amen.


*Editing goals: Clear the text from obsolete words and phrases and from references local to England, its constitution, and laws.

*1 The original homily text said "fourth".

*2 Month's Minds: A Mass commemorating a person one month after they died. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, Oxford University Press (1989) CD-ROM Version 3.0 (2002).

*3 Trental: A set of thirty requiem masses. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, Oxford University Press (1989) CD-ROM Version 3.0 (2002).

*4 Chantry: A group of priests maintained to sing the daily Mass for specific souls, or a chapel set aside for this purpose. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, Oxford University Press (1989) CD-ROM Version 3.0 (2002).

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