ȝoure hertis to the Lord God of Israel. Wherfore bi lijk skile and lijk weel it myȝte be seid to Cristen men: "Do ȝe awey fro the myddis of ȝou alien Goddis, that is to seie, ȝoure ymagis whiche ȝe worschipen and holden as ȝoure Goddis."
The xije. argument is this: The peple of Iewis weren not so vnwise and so lewid as ben Cristen children now of x. ȝeer age, neither as ben foolis now among Cristen men. Forwhi her werkis in con|questis making and her bateilis disposing and her lotting of cuntrees and her beldingis and her othere craftiose doingis whiche thei diden schewen weel the contrarie. Also the hethen men which weren in the daies of Iewis weren ful wise, and thei weren not so vndiscrete as ben now Cristen children of x. ȝeer age, neither as ben folis among Cristen men. Forwhi the fynding of kunnyngis, (as of comoun natural phil|sophie, of medicinal philsophie, of methaphisik, of astronomye, and of geometrie, and othere particuler sciencis, and of moral philsophie, and of ful discrete policie, and of sutil craftis doon bi hem) schewith ful miche the contrarie. But not with stonding al this, the Iewis weren [were, MS. (first hand).] so cumbrid bi having and vsing ymagis that thei maden hem a calf of siluer, and seiden that it was her God which brouȝt hem out of Egipt, as it is open Exodi xxxije. capitulum., and ofte in othere tymes thei worschipiden ymagis of stoonys or of stockis as for her Goddis, as it is open ynouȝ in ful manye placis of the Book of Kingis in Holi Writt. And also hethen men, how euere greet clerkis thei weren and how euer politik wise men thei weren, ȝit thei also worschipiden ymagis of tre and of stoon for her Goddis, as the Sauter seith therof in the cxiije. psalme thus: The symylacris of hethen men ben siluer and gold, the werkis of mennys hondis;
