The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

iiij. CHAPITER.

THE ij^e. bifore sett and spoken doom of resoun, wijting hauers and vsers of ymagis to be gilti of vntrewe feith or vntrewe opinioun had upon tho ymagis, is not sufficient for to reproue and weerne the hauyng and the vsing of hem as for mynding signes. Forwhi thilk doom and thilk wijting and bering an hond is vntrewe.

And that y schal proue, so that y sette bifore a reule or supposicioun which is this. Sum vntrewe opinioun of men is such that for it her conuersa|cioun is the worse morali, for it is leding into deedis whiche ben grete moral vicis; as this opinioun, that fleischli comunyng bitwixe a syngil man and a syngil womman doon bi her fre consent is no synne; and this opinioun, ech man forto take as myche as hym lustith and may holde withoute clayme and victorie of hise neiȝboris worldli good is no synne; and this opinioun, a man for to smyte and bete his neiȝbour a this side deeth for wraththe or trespace is no synne; and suche othere opiniouns. Sum other vntrewe opinioun of men is such that for it her conuersacioun schal not be maad the worse moralli, or ellis not aȝens notable, good, vertuose moralte; as is this opinioun, that a man which stale sumtyme a birthan of thornis was sett in to the moone, there forto abide for euere; and this opinioun, that Seint Michaelis bonys resten in the Mount Michael; and this opinioun, that iij. sistris (whiche ben spiritis) comen to the cradilis of infantis, forto sette to the babe what schal bifalle to him; and suche othere manye. Forwhi more than the dotage or deceit or folynes or the bigiling of the persoones so trowing,

at whiche men mowe lawȝe and take bourde for her symplenes or her vnkunnyng as of folis, cometh not of suche now laste spokun opiniouns.

Thanne upon this reule or supposicioun y argue thus: For noon such fonnys opinioun, of which it is now last spokun in the ij^e. parti of this reule or sup|posicioun, is eny long bifore stabilid gouernaunce to be left and to be leid aside, which is in him silf resonable, honest, and expedient, namelich if thilk fonnysch opinioun may soone bi wise men be schewid to the holder to be vntrewe. But so it is that these opiniouns, bi whiche symple men trowen at sumtyme that an ymage hath withinne him vertu, such as God mai putte into a creature; or that the ymage dooth miraclis, or spekith at sumtyme, or heerith alwey, or swetith at sum tyme, ben opi|niouns of the ij^e. now seid soort; that for hem discrete men mowe oonli lauȝe at suche folies of men, as thei doon at her othere folies, of whiche no moral harme cometh. Wherfore for noon such opinioun the hauyng, and the vpsetting of ymagis, whilis therbi myche moral good cometh, (as schal be proued aftir and as is proued al redi in The book of worschiping,) ouȝte be left and leid aside; namelich, sithen these now seid folisch opiniouns mowe liȝtli be schewid to her holders forto be vntrewe.

Confirmacioun herto is this: Whanne Seint Bernard lyued he dide manye myraclis bi his lijf, and whanne Seint Nicholas lyued, and whanne Seint Martyn lyued, thei diden many myraclis bi her lijf; and therfore manye men (as it is likeli) trowiden in tho daies, that these now [now is interlineated in a later (?) hand.] named persoones hadden goostli vertu ȝouun to hem fro God, bi which thei in hem silf diden tho miraclis; but ȝit not therfore and bi cause

that summe symple persoones hadden thilk opinion, tho iij. seid persoones ouȝtiden to be slayn and to be take [take is interlineated in a later (?) hand.] fro lijf and fro siȝt of men and fro worching of myraclis, bi cause that foolis and symple persoones hadden suche seid vntrewe opiniouns upon the seid worching of myraclis.

Also thouȝ men trowen that my precious stoonys, whiche y haue, han vertues whiche in trouthe thei han not, schal y therfore breke hem or caste hem awey, that suche lewid men haue no such wrong opinioun vpon hem? Also if men trowe that sum aldirman in Londoun is miche riccher than in trouthe he is, schal therfore thilk aldirman be slayn or be banyschid out of the citee, that men haue no such folisch vntrewe opinioun upon his ricches? God forbede. Wherfore lijk wise it is to be holde in this present purpos, that the having and vsing [the vsing, MS. (first hand).] of ymagis, (sithen therbi miche moral good cometh,) ouȝt not be left for this, that foolis han suche seid folisch opiniouns of the ij^e. bifore spokun soort vpon tho ymagis and vpon the vsis of hem.

And ȝit ferthermore, that men mowe haue withoute blame and withoute folie this opinioun that summe ymagis at sumwhile sweten, and that bi hem speche is mad, and that at sumwhile thei ben moued fro oon place to an other place withoute mannys therto doing, and suche othere like opiniouns, schal be schewid after in the ij^e. principal gouernaunce, whanne y schal trete of pilgrimage. And thus myche is ynouȝ, that the ij^e. bifore spokun doom of resoun is not sufficient forto lette ymagis to be had and vsid.

That the iij^e. bifore spokun and sett doom of re|soun, which is that ymagis ouȝten [ouȝte, MS. (first hand).] not be had and

vsid, and that for therof cometh moral yuel (as ouer|myche worschiping not being ydolatrie, or ellis co|ueitise or pride or suche othere moral vicis,) y schal proue, so that y sette and sende bifore a reule or supposicioun, which is this. [It is evident that this sentence cannot be construed: probably after 'vicis,' we should add 'is not suffi|cient forto reproue the hauyng of ymagis vttirly,' or something to that effect.] Summe moral vicis com|yng bi occasioun of a vertuose gouernaunce ben litle, and suche as wolen soone be amendid with labour, thouȝ the same vertuose gouernaunce be lete stonde stille and be lete contynued; and summe ben grete, and so grete that thei ben in myche more quantite grete, than is the godenes of the seide gouernaunce in his contynaunce. Vpon this reule y argue thus. For such yuelis, of whiche it is now spokun in the firste parti of this reule or supposicioun, a notable vertuose gouernaunce, of which miche moral good cometh, is not to be left and leid aside; and namelich, whilis it is not impossible or ouer myche hard that tho moral vicis so comyng be amendid bi good informacioun and othere good labouris. Forwhi thanne ech good and profitable craft, ȝhe, and weelnyȝ ech notable vertuose gouernaunce ouȝte be lefte and leid aside; sithen ech of hem is an occasioun of sum moral yuel, at the lest of such moral yuel as of which it is spokun in the firste partie of the next bifore going supposicioun or reule. But so it is, that the yuelis whiche comen out and bi the having and holding of ymagis in chirchis, ben noon othere or not gretter than ben the yuelis of whiche it is spokun in the firste partie of the next seid supposicioun or reule; and ȝit ferther to seie, thei ben not gretter than the yuelis whiche occa|sionarili comen out fro the having and the vsing of profitable craftis and marchaundising; neither gretter

than ben the yuelis comyng bi this, that lay men vsen the Bible in her modir tunge; neither gretter than the yuelis which comen bi this, that preestis ben and that prechers ben. Wherfore this iij^e. bifore seid and sett doom of resoun is not sufficient for to lette the having and the vsing of ymagis, but if he schulde lette the hauyng and the vsing of alle maners of craftis, and the hauing and vsing of Holi Scripture among the lay persoones, ȝhe, and but if he schulde lette the being of alle preestis and of alle prechouris, namelich sithen the worschiping, bi which perauenture manye persoones worschipen ymagis more than resoun wole, is not a greet vice; so that thilk worschiping be such, that thei not worschipen tho ymagis as God: and bifore it is schewid, that no persoones taken eny ymage for verri God.

Confirmacioun to this argument is this: Summen wolen knele deppir and louȝer to a knyȝt, than summe othere men wolen; ȝhe, and thei wolen sixe sithis more preise and worschipe him in word and dide, than summe othere men wolen; [wolen is interlineated by a later hand.] ȝhe, and pera|uenture more than resoun wole that he be worschipid. What harme or yuel is this forto be so myche chargid, that the good knyȝt be put out of mennys cumpa|nying: sithen this worschiping is fer fro godli wor|schiping; and fer fro this, that eny worschipers of him takyn hym for her God? Wherfore folewith bi sufficient likenes, that thouȝ men worschipen ymagis more than resoun wole hem be worschipid, ȝit this is not vice of so greet fors that for it ymagis be put doun; namelich, sithen thilk worschip is noon such, wherbi the worschipers maken tho ymagis to be her God or her Goddis. Goddis forbode that for ech folis folie stable gouernaunces weel takun of wise men

ouȝten be chaungid; for thanne ouer many and ouer thicke chaungis of ful vertuose gouernauncis schulde be mad, and no good gouernaunce schulde be bi [bi is interlineated by a later (?) hand.] eny while contynued: but certis aȝens such vicis comyng bi tho gouernauncis labour ouȝte be maad, and tho gouernauncis ouȝten be suffrid to stonde and contynue stille.

Another confirmacioun into this present purpos may be this: If y haue a fruyteful tre, which in oon or in summe of hise braunchis hath a canker, schal y therfore hewe doun al my tre? Goddis forbode y schulde be so lewid; but y ouȝt rather pare awey the canker, and sette medicyn therto, and lete the tre stonde forto bringe forth good fruyt. Also in caas that this tree in summe of his bowis bringith forth soure applis and in summe othere bowȝes sweete hap|plis and gode, as y haue knowe so to be trewe in a tre which hath come of dyuerse graffis in oon stok, or if perauenture many of tho applis roten upon the tre, eer it be tyme to schake the tree, schal y therfore hewe doun the tree? Nay, nai, y ouȝte cast awei what is badde, ȝhe, and helpe cure what is badde, and kepe what is good. Wherfore bi like skile in oure present purpos a badde husbondrie [husbondie, MS. (first hand).] it were for [for is interlineated in a later hand.] to caste awey the having and vsing of ymagis for ech moral vice which myȝte rise therbi, namelich sithen the havyng and vsing of ymagis is fruyteful into moral good, and the yuel therbi comyng is pareable and kutteable awey bi good and thrifti bisynes therto sett. And this is ynouȝ forto schewe, that the iij^e. bifore spokun and sett doom of resoun is not sufficient forto weerne and lette the hauyng and vsing of ymagis into rememoratijf or mynding signes.

And so fynaly it is lad thus fer forth fro the bi|gynnyng of the iij^e. chapiter hidir to, that no doom of resoun werneth and lettith ymagis as now is seid to be had and to be vsid. And here yn eendith the proof of the ij^e. principal conclusioun.