Cristendoom, aftir that the man is come into ȝeeris of discrecioun and is passid childhode, and which is not a natural fool. Forwhi, if of eny of hem it be askid, whether this ymage is God in heuen, which made al thing, and which was euer withoute bigynnyng, and was therfore eer this ymage was maad; he wole seie anoon, that this ymage is not he, but that this ymage is the ymage of him. And thanne, if this man take not this ymage as for his God, certis he wole not therwith worschipe him as his God; neither he wole ȝeue to him the worschip which he knowith to be dew to God oonli; neither he wole be aknowe that the ymage is his God. Forwhi ther yn he dide re|pugnaunce in sum maner, or ellis certis cause is not likeli to be founde whi he schulde so do tho thingis to gidere. And therfore as for drede of ydolatrie, that is to seie, lest peple be ydolatreris in having and vsing ymagis, doom of resoun hath not forto weerne and reproue ymagis to be had and vsid.
The strengthe of this argument stondith vpon the very knowing what ydolatrie is. And sithen ydolatrie is no thing ellis than what is now seid to be, the argu|ment now maad muste needis haue his entent. Ful ofte haue y herd men and wommen vnwiseli iuge and dif|fame ful scherpli weelnyȝ alle Cristene to be ydolatrers, and al for the hauyng and vsing of ymagis. And ȝit whanne it hadde be askid of hem what ydolatrie is, forsothe thei couthe not seie neither feele what it is in his trouthe, thouȝ thei schulden haue wonne therbi al the worldis blis or the blis of heuen. And whether this was not an horrible abhomynacioun and a vile stinking presumpcioun hem forto so sturdili bi manye ȝeeris iuge and diffame bothe the clergi and weelnyȝ al the lay party of Goddis chirche in so greet a cryme, which thei couthen neither myȝten proue to be doon, (for whi thei wisten not what thing thilk cryme is, and therfore thei myȝten not knowe whether it was doon
