Sunday Morning Worship, 12th Sunday after Trinity, Sept. 7, 2025
This Sunday, we are reading the 10th Homily in the first book of homilies, which is entitled:
An Exhortation Concerning Good Order And Obedience to Rulers and Magistrates
These sermons have been edited to shorten them and to update the language, with the intent of maintaining the content, or at least the core meaning. The original texts of the homilies can be found in the manuscripts after the edited texts that were preached. For background on these homilies, see the links below.
The 10th homily begins by noting the intricate order that God embedded in Creation, and, as part of Creation, within human society and individual persons as well. Mankind flourishes when the order, at all levels, is honored. Christians are commanded in scripture to obey their governing authorities, even when they are wicked. Christ submitted to Pontius Pilate even when is was condemned unjustly. Likewise Sts. Peter and Paul submitted to the civil authorities, and they commanded fellow believers to submit as well. St. David also submitted to unwarranted persecution by King Saul and executed those who raised their hand against the Lord’s Anointed. Considering all of these examples, we have no Biblical justification to rebel against duly established authority.
This homily ends with a short justification for the English Church to throw off the yoke of the Bishop of Rome. Both Christ and Peter say submit to the governing authorities. Christ, as the head of the Church, and Peter, as the accepted first bishop of Rome, do not claim civil authority but defer to the governing authority established by God. If Peter did not assume governing authority, how much less justified are his successor bishops of Rome.