The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

xvij. CHAPITER.

FORTO make bi al this proces an answere to the xij^e. argument it is to be seid thus: The hethen men, of which it is now seid that thei worschipiden ymagis for her Goddis, diden so and camen into thilk greet synne of ydolatrie, bi cause thei neuer receyueden the feith which othere men (not being ydolatrers) in tho same daies receyueden: but tho hethen men trustiden as into al her reule to the doom of resoun, and wolden not seche aftir forto attende to the euydencis whiche thei myȝten bi doom of re|soun

haue had for the feith, which othere men in tho daies hadden and to whiche thei attendiden. And therfore the principal clerkis and grettist and wor|thiest reulers of tho hethen men fillen into idolatrie bi the now discriued and tauȝt maner, and the sympler partie of hem folewiden the worthier and the more wijs partie, as hem thouȝte it was conuenient forto do; and thus al the greet multitude fil into ydolatrie and continueden therin.

Manye also of the Iewis, whiche weren [were, MS. (first hand).] bifore suffi|cientli instructid in the feith of oon God and of veri God and in the evidencis longing therto, fillen bi her necligence fro the attendaunce which schulde haue be ȝouun bi a continuaunce to tho evidencis; and thanne thei reuliden hem after her owne witt and after the wittis of the hethen men, whiche weren in tho daies miche wijse and grete philsophiris. And therfore and therbi manie of the Iewis at dyuerse tymes fillen into ydolatrie and continueden therinne.

But now sumwhat bifore the birthe of Crist alle Iewis camen into so greet attendaunce to the euydencis of verry feith teching oon God to be, and also aftir the passioun of Crist hider to in this [inthis, MS.] present day so gret doom of resoun hath be founde bothe of hethen men and of Iewis and of Cristen men, and herwith also so grete evidencis of the feith teching oon God to be aloon ben hadde in so greet haunt and vce and in so long confermed continuaunce, that a this side the passioun of Crist was not into this present dai eny ydolatrie among Iewis neither among hethen men, whiche lyuen in eny notable famose sect; or, if among hethen men be eny ydolatrie, it is in ful fewe placis among wrecchid persoones not sett bi of othere hethen men. And sithen al this is trewe, (as

ech wijs man can it recorde to be trewe,) herof it muste nedis folewe that now adaies it is not perel to Cristen men neithir to the Iewis neither to hethen men forto haue and entermete with ymagis of God, as it was in the daies fer bifore going the incarna|cioun of Crist. And the cause herof is now next bifore seid, that the knowing of oon verri God is more substanciali and more sureli and confermedli had now than it was bifore in tho eeldist daies. Neither it is to be drad that eny Cristen men ben priueli ydolatrers bi occasioun of ymagis. And the cause is now bifore seid, which [is] that the feith of oon God is so weel attendid to and so weel confer|med, and doom of resoun longing therto is so miche hiȝed aboue that it was in eeldist daies, that noon such drede is to be had now of ydolatrie as was longe bifore in eeldist daies to be drad. And this is ynouȝ for answere to the xij^e. argument.

If eny man wole obiecte aȝens my conceit now bifore sett vpon the bigynnyng and cause of idolatrie, and wole allegge aȝens me what is writen in Sa|pience xiiij^e. capitulum. of the bigynnyng and the cause of ydolatrie thus: Forsothe idolis weren [were, MS. (first hand).] not at the bigynnyng, neither tho schulen be withoute ende. Forwhi the voidnessis of men founden these ydolis into the world, and therfore the eend of tho is founden schort. Forwhi the fadir making sorowe with bitter moorning, made soone to him an ymage of the sone which was rauischid, and biganne to worschipe him now as God, which was deed thanne as man; and he ordeyned holi things and sacrificis among hise seruauntis. Aftirward in the tyme comyng bitwixe, whanne the wickid custom was strong, this errour was kept as a lawe, and ymagis

weren worschipid bi lordschip of tyrannys, et cætera: —certis herto y answere thus: If this processe writun Sapience xiiij^e. capitulum. meene that thilk maner, which is there sett and seid, ydolatrie biganne in the world, as it semeth that thilk processe schulde it meene, thanne y seie and holde that thilk proces, Sapience xiiij^e. capitulum., is vntrewe. And forto so holde, whilis y haue strong euydence bi Holi Scripture and bi resoun and bi witnes of him which was a greet clerk among idolatrers, y may be bold ynowȝ. For the Book of Sapience is not a book of Holi Scripture, and the nakid affermyng of the writer and maker of thilk book of Sapience, whos name was Philo, [Pecock got this notion from the Prologue to Wisdom in the Vulgate, which is also prefixed to the book in Wiclif's translation, from which (in its later form) he has cited the above passage. See Wicl. Bibl. vol. 3, p. 85. The prologue runs thus: "Liber Sapientiæ apud Hebræos nusquam est. Unde et ipse stylus Græcam magis eloquen|tiam redolet. Hunc Judæi Philonis esse affirmant."] is not so myche to be bileeued neither so myche to be cleued to [to is added by a later hand.] as it is to bileeue or cleue to Holi Scripture, and to the euydencis which y haue bifore here write and sett for fundacioun of my conceit vpon the bigynnyng and cause of ydolatrie. And ȝit ferther and more to hem y mai sette this skile thus: Whanne euer weren the ful causis of ydolatrie, was ydolatrie: but so it is, that ful causis of ydolatrie whiche y haue bifore here write weren bifore thilk fadiris dai of which the xiiij^e. chapiter of Sapience spekith, and that as miche and as ful as thei han be a this side the deies of thilk fadir. And no mann [man, MS. (first hand).] maie seie but that tho causis musten [muste, MS. (first hand).] needis bringe forth ydolatrie, whanne euere thei were. Wherfore it is rather to be holde that ydolatrie was bifore the daies of thilk fadir, (as it was aftir hise daies,) than that idolatrie biganne

in the daies of thilk fadir. And so (as it semeth to me) credence is not to be ȝouun to the xiiij^e. chapiter of Sapience, as in that.

If symple men wolen wondre here whi that thilk book of Sapience is so famoseli sett in Biblis now adaies, ȝhe, and lijk solempneli as othere bokis of Holi Scripture ben sett in the Bible, herto y mai answere thus: That in the bigynnyng of the chirche, soone aftir Cristis passioun, writingis dressing men into holynes weren scant and fewe in reward that thei han ben sithen and aftir in tyme, and Cristen men [men is added by a later hand.] weren thanne ful myche desirose forto haue deuoute writ|ingis; and therfore for deuocioun and avidite whiche men in tho daies hadden into goostli techingis thei wroten into her Biblis the book of Philo which is clepid Sapience, and the book of Iesus the sone of Sirak which is clepid Ecclesiastik, and othere mo, for greet deinte which Cristen men hadden [hadde, MS. (first hand).] of tho bokis in tyme of so greet scarsenes of deuoute bokis; not with stonding that thei wisten these seid bokis not be of Holi Scripture, as Ierom and othere mo openli witnessen that tho bokis ben not of Holi Scripture. ["Porro in eo libro, qui a pleris|que Sapientia Salomonis inscribitur, et in Ecclesiastico, quem esse Jesu filii Sirach nullus ignorat, calamo temperavi: tantummodo Canonicas Scripturas vobis emendare deside|rans." S. Hieron. in libros Salom. juxt. LXX. (Op. tom. x. p. 436., Ed. 1740.)] And this oolde deuocioun forto plante the seid bokis into Biblis, whanne euere Biblis weren in writing, ceecid not into al tyme after. And ȝit herbi is not the auctorite of tho bokis reisid hiȝer than it was bifore; and namelich it cannot be reisid therbi so hiȝe, that it be putt bifore gretter euydencis than is the nakid seiyng of hem. And thus y answere to the laste moued dout.

Perauenture, whanne al this what y haue write of the ij^e. and iij^e. principal gouernauncis in the firste and in the ij^e. and iij^e. parties of this book hiderto schal be weel ouer red and schal be weel vndir|stonde, the men whiche were bifore impugners of the seid first and ij^e. gouernauncis, that is to seie, of having and vsing ymagis and of doing pilgrimagis, wolen agree and accorde to al what is entendid fro the bigynnyng of the ij^e. parti of this book hidir to, (or perauenture fro the bigynnyng of the first parti of this book hidir to,) but thanne thei wolen seie thus: "Thouȝ it be leeful and expedient to manie folk for to haue the seid vce of ymagis and for to do pilgrimagis, ȝit we seen so manye viciose gouer|nauncis mengid ther with or comyng forth therfro, that we wolen be free forto speke aȝens tho syn|ful gouernauncis. And also, thouȝ it be leeful and expedient to manye folkis forto vce in the seid maner ymagis and forto haunte pilgrimagis, ȝit sithen it is not to alle folk lijk expedient and profitable, and it is not to eny persoon comaundid bi doom of resoun or bi Holi Scripture, we wolen not holde us bounde as bi eny precept of lawe of kinde or of God forto vce ymagis and do pilgrim|agis; but we wolen stonde in oure liberte forto be remembrid upon God and hise benefetis and the othere fer bifore rehercid thingis bi suche ymagis and pilgrymagis, or by redingis and heringis of Holi Scripture, or by inward meditaciouns, or bi talking to gidere of oure neibouris or with oure curat hauyng cure of oure soulis."

Sotheli if the men, whiche weren sumtyme impug|ners aȝens ymagis and pilgrimagis, wolen in this now rehercid maner seie and holde, y wole seie to hem aȝenward as for her firste seiyng thus: Be ȝe weel avisid what is vicioseli doon and vsid aboute ymagis and pilgrimagis, and be ȝe siker of the treuthe, bifore

ȝe bigynne to vndirnyme it; and whanne ȝe ben ther of sufficientli leerned and instructid, se ȝe that in ȝoure vndirnymyng ȝe bere ȝou discreetli, as the office of vndirnymyng askith, which is sumwhat tauȝt bifore in the prolog of this present book: and Goddis forbode that eny man forbede ȝou forto make such vndirnymyng. And ferthir as anentis the ij^e. seiyng y haue not herde ȝit into this day, that eny prelat hath compellid ȝou for to vce ymagis or forto make pilgrimagis: but sithen it is a trouthe of Goddis lawe that ymagis mowen be vcid profitabili and a trouthe it is of Goddis lawe that pilgrimagis mowen be doon fruytefulli, therfore prelatis of the chirche mowen [mowe, MS. (first hand), and perhaps so also in the two instances preceding.] leeffulli compelle ȝou that ȝe not seie aȝens these treuthis of Goddis lawe; and that ȝe lette not othere men forto vce ymagis into the seid dew maner and forto make pilgrimagis in the seid dew maner, thouȝ to ȝou silf it likith not forto haue and vse ymagis and forto make pilgrimagis; and that ȝe lette not eny othere persoones forto take the seid vce of ymagis and of pilgrimagis in dew maner; and that ȝe make no cisme neither disturblaunce neither debate among Cristen peple bi holding [biholding, MS.] aȝens the seid dew vce of ymagis and of pilgrimagis; and that ȝe not diffame alle vsers of ymagis and pilgrimagis, bering an hond upon hem that thei ben ydolatrers, whilis they ben [be, MS. (first hand).] noon. And if ȝe wolen not obeie herto with good wil, after that the cleer teching of this book fro the bigynnyng of it hidir to is to ȝou mynystrid, (namelich with therto ioyned The book of worschiping,) sotheli y schal neuere birewe ȝou, thouȝ ȝe be therto dryue bi peynes, and thouȝ ȝe for so greet and so perilose obstinacie be soor punyschid.

And oon thing truste ȝe weel, that thouȝ ȝe wolde wyncy and repugne aȝens the clergie and aȝens alle tho whiche wolen deuoutli and profitabli vce ymagis and pilgrimagis, ȝe schulen neuer haue the maistrie. Forwhi Leo the Thridde Emperour, whanne he was emperour of the hool Eest and Weest Cristendom, impungned ymagis with al his power, and he brake ymagis, and punyschid men soor whiche wolde vse hem; and myche of the Eest cuntre helde with him: but ȝit, ther upon was mad a greet counceil of all the Eest and Weest clergie bi Gregori the ij^e. Pope of Rome; and it was so stabilid ymagis to be had in chirchis aȝens the Emperouris entent, and the de|uocioun of al the peple in the West partie was therto so greet, that tho which wolden haue had ymagis to be leid doun myȝten not haue her entent.

Also Constantyn the v^e. (sone of the seid Leo and emperour next aftir his fadir,) attemptid the same which his fadir bifore attemptid; but ȝit Stevyn the ij^e. Pope aȝenstode him, and aftirward a greet coun|ceil was mad bi Pope Adrian [Audrian, MS.] and bi the Patriarke of Constantinople, [Constantyn, MS.] Tharasi, in which counceil in the citee of Nycee the riȝt vce of ymagis was eftsoone confermed.

And certis in lijk maner it wole fare, who euer attempte aȝens the seid vce of ymagis. And ther fore, sithen ymagis and pilgrimagis ben leeful and mowe be profitabili vsid, (as it is sufficientli bi me proued here and in The book of worschiping,) and peple ben so sett that thilk vce thei wolen not lacke and leue, it is a greet folie forto theraȝens repugne; and a greet folie it is forto counceile men into the contrarie, but if a man wole make myche yuel come whanne noon is had, and but if he wole of a litil

defaut make ten tymes gretter yuel come forth, which ouȝte not bi eny lawe of God to be doon.

Who euer wole se more for iustifiyng of the seid first and ij^e. principal gouernauncis now bifore tretid thoruȝout this present ij^e. partie of this book, rede he ouer weel The book of worschiping thoruȝ hise bothe parties, and there of this mater he schal se more toward the fulnes.