Select English works of John Wyclif. Vol. 3. Miscellaneous works / edited from original mss. by Thomas Arnold.

POINT V.

Also bischopis ande freris putten to pore Cristen men þat þai [5. That the worship of images is un∣lawful and accursed.] seyne, þat ymagis of Cristis crosse, of þo crucifixe, of þo blessid Vergyne Mary, and of oþer seintus, in no maner bene worþi to be worschipid, but þat alle men worschipynge in ony manere þoo ymagis or any payntyngus, synnen ande done ydolatry, and þat God dose not ony myracle by hem, and þat alle men doynge pilgrimage to hem, or ony manere hem worschipynge, or put∣tyng lighttis or ony devocions bifore þoo ymagis, bene cursid.

Here Cristen men seyne, þof ymagis myȝtten be sufferid for lewid men, in defaute of prechyng þat prestis schulden do, noþoles ymagis þat representen pompe and glorie of þo worlde,—as if Criste hade bene crucified wiþ golden cloþis ande golden schone, and as hys pore apostilis hade lyved in worldely glory, and oþer seintes also, and herinne haden plesid God,—bene false ymagys and bokis of heresye worþi to be destroyed,

nomely when þo lewid pepul honouris hem for God and seyntis, and done more honour to hem þen to God and Cristis body. And as þo nobul kyng Ezechye distroyed þo neddur of bras when þo peple did ydolatrie þerby, noutwiþstondynge þat þat same ser∣pent was made by Moyses at Gods biddyng, myche more þese false ymagis made of synnefull men, siþen nouþer God, ne Crist by his monhede, gafe never commaundement to make þese, ne counseile, ne his apostilis in al holy writte. Þerfore Cristen men schulden worschip þo holy Trinite and seintis, ande not þese ymagis, as Seint Gregorie techis in his registre [Gregory the Great (Epistles, IX. 105, and XI. 13) forbids that images should be adored, but re∣proves those who broke them, ap∣prehending such adoration. He speaks of them as the books of the unlearned.]

A! grete blyndenes is in þo pepul, þat þai costen so myche aboute a roten stock, ande offeren faste þerat, and suffren a pore man, verrey ymage of þo holy Trinite mad of God hymselfe, for to lye in muche mescheif, and seken not hym to helpe hym by þer powere; siþen God commaundus þis upon peyne of dampnacione, and of þat oþer offrynge he never bad ne coun∣seylid in holy writte. Hit semes þat þis offrynge to ymagis is a sotile caste of Anticriste and his clerkis, for to drawe almes fro pore men, and cumber worldly prestis with muck, þat þai nouþer know God ne hemselfe, but maken sacrifise to Sathanas by glotony, lecherye, pride, slouthe, envie, and many oþer synnes. For þai ben verreyly wode, if ony trewe man teche þo hestis of God and werkis of mercy to ony nedy man, for defaut of whiche werkis men schul be dampned wiþouten ende. Certis, þese ymagis of hemselfe may do nouþer gode ne yvel to mennis soulis, but þai myȝtten warme a mannes body in colde, if þai were sette upon a fire, ande þo silver ande jewelis upon hem wolden profite to pore men, and þo waxe for to liȝt pore men and creaturis at þer werke. If men wille have ymagis of tre or stone or oþer wyse payntid, be þai suche þat techen þo povert ande peynus of seintis, and forsakynge of worldly vanite after Cristis lyve and his seintis, and þen let þo waste coste of ymagis be delud ferth fully to pore men, ande not to stockis ne to stonys, þat never have honger colde ne þrist, ne to riche

bischopis munkis and riche prestis, þat have myche waste tresoure, and wasten pore mennes lyvelode to þer dampnacione, if þai ben nout founden doyng verrey penaunce þerfore. And þen many ymagis made of hem schal sone cees, and ymages of þo holy Trinite be worschipid and holpen.