Protestantism in England From the Times of Henry VIII - James Aitken Wylie

published, and appointed to be read in those
churches in which the ministers were disqualified
to preach. The clergy, the majority of whom were
secretly friendly to the Romish creed, contrived to
evade the Act at the same time that they professed
to obey it. They indeed read the homily, but in such
a way as to frustrate its object. The minister
"would," says Latimer, "so hawk and chop it, that it
were as good for them to be without it, fox any
word that could be understood."
Edward's Book of Homilies, which contained
only twelve short sermons, was to be followed by a
second book, which had also been prepared by the
same men--Cranmer, Latimer, and others; but
before it could be published Edward died. But now
the project was revived. Soon after Elizabeth
ascended the throne, the first Book of Homilies
was re-published, and along with it came the
second series, which had been prepared but never
printed. This last book contained twenty sermons,
and both sets of homilies were appointed to be read
from the pulpit. No more effectual plan could have
been adopted for the diffusion of Scriptural
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