ABSTRACT
Whereas late-medieval Catholicism had been based on visual rituals, Protestantism was “above all a religion of the sermon”, and preaching was thought of as a “specifically protestant activity”. Sermons replaced confession as the primary means of conveying guidance on spiritual, moral, and other social issues including economics and politics. Authorship of homilies is not definitely known, though doubtless they were written by leading figures of Reformation. Cranmer is credited with writing the majority of sermons in the first book. There were a number of homilies on moral values, three of which addressed issues of personal, sexual, and gender relations: “Against Whoredom and Adultery,” “Against Excess of Apparel,” and “Of the State of Matrimony.” The word of Almighty GOD doth testify and declare whence original beginning of Matrimony cometh and why it is ordained. It is instituted of GOD, to intent that man and woman should live lawfully in a perpetual friendship, to bring forth fruit and to avoid fornication. t.
