Article XXXV
The Books of Homilies

Teaching a whole church

Article XXXV commends two collections of sermons known as the Books of Homilies. A homily is a sermon or extended religious instruction. These books provided authorised teaching for parish churches during the English Reformation. The Article values the doctrine they contain and directs ministers to read them diligently and clearly so that ordinary people can understand. Its practical concern is the reliable communication of Christian truth across many congregations.

The first collection belongs to Edward VI's reign; the second develops the programme further. Their subject matter stretches from salvation and Scripture to prayer, generosity, marriage and the care of buildings. This breadth matters. Reformation teaching aimed to shape the whole life of a Christian community. Theological convictions were expected to influence appetites, finances, households and public conduct, as well as the words used in worship.

Why these sermons have authority

The Article describes their doctrine as godly and wholesome, and especially necessary for their time. This gives the Homilies a significant place in interpreting the church's Reformation teaching. Article XI, for example, directs readers to the homily associated with justification when explaining acceptance with God through faith. The collections help us hear how concise doctrinal statements were developed into pastoral instruction for ordinary hearers.

Their authority must still be read alongside Article VI's account of Scripture. A collection of sermons remains a human work subordinate to God's Word. Endorsing its doctrinal teaching does not make every historical illustration, rhetorical judgement or political assumption infallible. Readers need to distinguish a central theological argument from the cultural clothing in which it appears. That is also a useful discipline when reading much more recent Christian teachers whose assumptions can feel natural simply because they resemble our own.

Biblical teaching must be understood

Nehemiah 8:1–12 describes a people gathered to hear God's law, with explanation enabling understanding. Their response includes grief, joy and generous sharing. The passage provides a compelling pattern for teaching: public reading, careful interpretation and a life shaped by what has been heard. It challenges teachers to ask whether listeners understand the actual message rather than simply respecting the solemnity of the occasion.

Second Timothy 3:14–4:5 joins confidence in Scripture's usefulness with the charge to preach patiently. Teaching equips people for good work and confronts their tendency to seek agreeable messages. Titus 2 likewise connects sound doctrine with the conduct of different groups within the church and with the grace of God training his people. These passages illuminate the Homilies' ambition. Christian teaching should be dependable, intelligible and morally fruitful. Explanation matters because people cannot deliberately practise truths that remain hidden behind unfamiliar vocabulary.

Reading difficult historical material

Modern readers will encounter lengthy arguments, severe polemic and assumptions about social hierarchy. The homily against rebellion, for example, needs careful attention to its political setting. Reading responsibly involves neither pretending those difficulties disappear nor dismissing the entire collection before hearing its theological reasoning. Ask what issue the writer addresses, which biblical passages support the argument and where the application reflects a particular historical situation.

A useful approach is to read a short section beside the relevant Article and biblical texts. Summarise the main claim in your own words. Then separate what you think Scripture requires from what the preacher recommends for contemporary circumstances. Discuss troubling passages honestly, especially where religious language could encourage unjust submission or contempt for others. Such reading forms mature judgement. It also helps Anglicans receive their inheritance gratefully without treating every sentence from the sixteenth century as the final answer to every modern question.

A model for present discipleship

Imagine a parish with several gifted volunteers and limited time for preparing teaching. A shared course can give them dependable material, common language and a coherent progression. Article XXXV supports the wisdom of providing such resources. Quality still depends on leaders understanding what they teach, checking their sources and communicating in ways their own listeners can follow. Reading someone else's words mechanically will rarely produce the same benefit as thoughtful, well-prepared delivery.

For your own discipleship, choose one practical theme from the Article's list: prayer, generosity, repentance, marriage or the use of time. Trace how the gospel supplies both motivation and direction in that area. For teachers, ask a listener to explain your main point afterwards without copying your wording. Their answer reveals more than polite appreciation. A church grows in maturity when good teaching becomes understandable conviction and then habitual obedience. The Homilies remind us that accessible doctrine is a shared pastoral responsibility, deserving preparation, clarity and sustained attention across the whole congregation.

There is also a lesson for those who listen. Bring an open Bible, ask what the passage actually means, and identify one concrete response. Learning becomes more durable when the congregation returns to the teaching in conversation, prayer and ordinary decisions during the week.