loue towardes them The vii boke the xiiii ca. Thus sayth Eusebius in the ecclesyasticall historie Hereof we do easely perceyue / that the ymages which Eusebius dyd se / were set vp / nat within the churches / but at the church dores Agayne / nat to theÌ„cent that they shulde be honored / but rather that they shulde be a testimony recorde howe great valiaunt meÌ„ they were soÌ„tyme / therfore worthy to be had in ê‘petuall memorie / whose ymages were reserued kepte All whiche thynges neuerthelesse Eusebius dothe not hyde / to haue taken their begynning of the gentyles heathen people But what thynke ye that he wolde haue sayd if he hadde seen ymages set vp in churches / and no lesse worshyped of christen meÌ„ / thaÌ„ euer they were of any gentyles / whiche thynge a lacke for petye it is vndoubted both than to haue be done yea / to be done euen now iÌ„ these dayes also Of these thynges therfore we may gather what is the cause / why the old fathers dyd write nothyng agaynst suche maner of images for there was no man at that tyme whiche dyd so moche as ones dreme / that euer so gret a multytude of images shulde crepe into churches as hath cropen in for asmoch as they knowe it to be forbydden with so open and euydent wordes of god / and playne testimonyes of the scrypture But agaynst the ymages of the gentyles / a man shal fynde many thinges writteÌ„ by the fathers / very connyngly and eloquently / bycause the supersticyon of theym dyd reygne euerywhere euen at the same tyme / in whiche those holy men were lyuynge yea and was defended of the gentyles with the same wepens / with whiche both in oure tyme / and also in the tyme of our fathers / certayne christen men haue gone aboute to defeÌ„de maynteyn their images 〈◊〉 we â—e 〈◊〉 whâ—â—eur â—mage is What so euer thynge Lactancius LactaÌ„tâ—ê° wrot against the idoles images of the gentyles / we maye by very good right apply the same agaiÌ„ste our images albeit in his tyme as we haue sayde they were nat yet vsed amoÌ„ge cristen men Amonge many places it lyketh me at this tyme to allege one for thus he demauÌ„deth of the geÌ„tyls Libro ii ca. iii. If you do therfore fere worship yor goddes by suche images / bycause you do iuge theÌ„ to be in heuen why do you nat than lyfte vp your eyes in to heuen why do you rather loke to walles / to stockes stones / than to that place where you do beleue that they be This same question in lyke maner may we demaunde of our supersticyouse christeÌ„ men If they do beleue that god sayntes are in heuen / why do they nat rather lyfte vp theire eyes to that place / than to the deed ymages But let vs here also Athanase Athanasius / writyng in this wyse agaynst the geÌ„tyles It is impossyble that any image caÌ„ nowe represente either maÌ„ or womaÌ„ deê‘ted for the bodye is erth and the soule is a spirituall thiÌ„ge vnable to be represented bi any sensyble exterme ymage wherfor Paule saith / we knowe that whatsoeur ymage is in this world / it is a vain thing nothyng represeÌ„tiÌ„g nothing signifyeng Let theÌ„ say I besech you howe or after what maner god is knowen by images / whether is it by the mater stuffe put rounde about them orels is it by the shape and facyon brought iÌ„ to the stuffe If it be by the stuffe of the images that he is knowen / than what nedeth any shape or facion to be brought in by the workeman why is nat god shewed and knowen as well by al maner of stuffe before that any images be made / syth all thinges do witnes declare his glori But if the shape facyon brought in to the stuffe be the cause of the knowlege of god what nedeth than any payntynge or any other stuffe at all and why is natte god knowen rather by the very lyuely creature / whose shapes or ymagê be so perfectly knowen for doutlesse the glorie of god shuld be more clerely and euydently knowen / if it were shewed by the lyuely creatures both reasonable vnreasonable / than by the deed and vnmouable creatures God is knowen sayth Paule Ro. i. by the creation of this worlde Therfore whan you do graue or paynte ymages / for the entent to haue vnderstandynge and knowlege of god forsoth you do an vnworthy an vnmete thynge c. Nowe Athanasius wolde neuer haue purposed in his mynde / to write any suche maner thynge agaynst the gentyles / if he had sene the christen men of his tyme entangled wrapped in such superstityon of images / as we do see a gret parte of the worlde to be pytuousely snarled nowe in our tyme but he wolde rather haue exercised his penne against christen men / if they had ben lyke our christen men nowe a dayes But nothynge letteth / but that we may very accordingly applye the same thynge against our supersticyous christen men For they pretende the same cause of hauynge ymages / with the which Athanasius reherseth that the gentyles were moued that is to wit / that by images they maye be put in remembraunce of god which thynge syth the creatures of god whether we do consydre the stuffe or the shape / and facyon of theÌ„ may do it moche more effectually as Athanasius iugeth full well there is no nede that we shulde ronne vnto the workes of men / which do represent but onely I wote nat what false and vayne image vnto vs. For whom soeuer trees / stones / syluer / golde / other stuffe / wherof images are made fynally whom the syght of man / to whom god hath giuen lyfe reasoÌ„ can natte styre nor put in remembrance of god surely images shal natte styre vp that man with anye frute or profyte for they as Origen writeth agaynste Selsus do rather plucke away the memori mynde of man froÌ„ god / do turne the eyes of the miÌ„de bacwardes / to behold consydre erthly thinges For euery man knoweth / that the more nere that one thynge resembleth another in nature and propertie / so moche the more strongly it doth renew the remembraunce in vs of that thynge / to whom it is lyke For trees or stones do more surely and lyuely putte vs in remembraunce of god / whan they are coÌ„sydered of vs / hauyng their owne naturall shape facyon / so as they were fyrst created of god than whan by the worke and craft of men beynge beryued of theire owne naturall shape / they doo expresse resemble vnto vs the image and lykenesse of man / or of any other thynge For soner shall the remembraunce come to thy mynde of the Karuer or Paynter / whose workmanship thou dost merueyle at / than the remembrance of god / the
¶ A treatise declaryng shewiÌ„g dyuers causes takeÌ„ out of the holy scripturê / of the senteÌ„ces of holy faders of the decrees of deuout Emperours that pyctures other ymages which were wont to be worshypped / ar iÌ„ no wise to be suffred in the temples or churches of Christen men By the whiche treatise the reder that is indifferent shall se and perceyue how good and godly a dede it was of the Senatoures of ArgeÌ„tine that of late daies they caused all the ymages with their auters to be cleane takeÌ„ out of their churches ¶ The authours of this litle treatise ar the opeÌ„ preachers of ArgteÌ„yne I dout nat but some popish doctor or peuish proctor wyl grunt at this treatise / but yet fyrst rede and than iuge The preface ¶ All the whole coÌ„pany of them which at Argentyne do preache teache Christe / vnto the good and godly reders do wysshe grace BYcause our moste noble also most godlye Senatours dyd right well perceyue se / that the sclaunderouse occasyoÌ„s manyfold euyls / which hytherto haue beÌ„ ministred by the reason of pictures ymages / ar nat suffyciently taken away by the only exhortacions of prechers And agayne dyd consyder / that it was nat possyble for any man to decree or coÌ„maunde any thing concernynge them more wysely / than god had prescrybed coÌ„maunded in his lawe and prophetes They decreed / ordeined / and gaue forth a coÌ„maundemeÌ„t / that whatsoeuer pycture or ymages had ben wont to be worshipped in holye places shulde both they and their aulters be clene takeÌ„ away / auoyded out of syght Euery plaÌ„tatioÌ„ that my heuenlye father hath nat planted / shal be extirped plucked vp bi the roote mat 15 Bycause .iiii. yeres ago they had abrogated taken away priuate masses And a yere ago foure coÌ„men and open masses / for fyrste consolatyon and delyberatyon of more pure ceremonyes to be brought in to their places where shal MoÌ„kes â— freers / chanons / noÌ„nes / heremites / recluses become Secondarily they lokyng for certayne counsels and assembles / of whiche it was hoped / that some what shulde be decreed coÌ„cerning the generall reformation of the churche And thyrdly the wekenesse of certayne persones / whiche coulde nat yet se / howe gret abusyon / impietie wyckednesse is in masses / had saued the resydewe of masses they had suspended theÌ„ vpoÌ„ this condition / that if any man coulde proue by the scryptures / that they were nat contrary to Christe / they shuld be restored againe euerione Moreouer seynge that ther be many men / whiche doo nat yet perceyue nor knowe / how moche these thinges do hynder fayth trew godly lyuynge we do easely coniecture that there be nat a fewe / whiche shall accompte this dede of oure coÌ„mune we le / to be a folysshe and wycked presumptyon And therfore / for as moch as it is the dutye of all christen men / as moch as in them lyeth / to gyue dilygence to prouyde / that the thynge whiche they haue godly done wrought / maye be accompted and knoweÌ„ of other men / to be none other wyse than godly done And also to take good hede / that no man may haue occasyon worthely to speke euyl of their goodnesse as Paule sayth Herfore we haue iudged it to be our parte and dutye which taught that the thynge oughte to be done which nowe our senate hath done in very dede / brought to passe very dilygently to shew the cause of all this whole dede but with as moche brefenesse as maye be / that if it wolde be / we might happely pacify appese the myndes / at the lest wyse of some persones / whom this busines hath troubled gretly discontented / doubtlesse / if we may optaine this one thyng whiche is denyed to no man / be he neuer so gret a malefactour that we maye haue the one eare open to here what we shall saye We feare nat / but that whosoeuer can fynde in their hertes / and abyde to know these fewe thinges / which we shall allege fyrst out of holy scriptures / secondarilye of the writynges of the fathers And thyrdly of the decrees of emperours agaynst pyctures and ymages If it be shewed also of whom / for what cause consyderation both they were first brought vp in the churches of christen men / and also beyng defended haue contynued in the same We doute nat I saye but that all suche persones / if it be so / that it be graunted vnto them to knowe the truthe / wyll also desyre with vs / that this thynge whiche is done here with vs / all other churches of christen meÌ„ / wold folowe execute in lyke maner Therfore we pray and beseche all those / whosoeuer caÌ„ nat yet lyke nor a lowe this our exaÌ„ple which thinge it is no merueyle thoughe it happen to many men / if a man consydre which thinges haue euerywhere goten strengthe amonge Christen men that they wyll vouchesafe to rede this shorte lytell treatyse to the ende and entent / which fyrst was made in oure maternall tongue / than by our moste welbeloued brother Iames Bedrote / was translated into Laten / and nowe at the laste in to Englysshe But let theÌ„ firste before they begynne to rede / call for the spiryte of Christe / whiche onely ledeth into all veryte truth and that done / let them than gyue sentence of vs Io. 16. Christ the sauyour of mankynde / graunte to all those whiche bere his name / grace to reiecte and cast awaye all suche thinges / whiche do alyenate and call awaye the mynde from him / that they maye lyfte vp theire myndes vnto him / syttynge in heuen and worshippe the father by him in spiryte and truth Io. 4. Amen ¶ That images nor pictures whiche haue ben wonte to be worshipped ar nat to be suffred in the churches of Christen men ALbeit / there are verye mani iust causes which mighte suffycyently satisfy the myndes of christen meÌ„ / and perswade them to take awaye images out of theire churches yet no man wyll deny this cause to be without dout chefe and princypall / bycause it is forbydden in the fyrste of goddes coÌ„maundementes / that any maner of images shulde be had amonge his peple For thus we rede in the scrypture Ex. 20 I am that euerlastyng god I am thy god which haue delyuered the froÌ„ Aegypt / the house of thraldom and bondage Thou shalt haue no straunge goddes in my syght Thou shalt make vnto thy selfe no grauen or karuen image / nor the symylytude of any maner thinge which is aboue in heueÌ„ or beneth in the erth nor of those thynges whiche are in the waters vnder the erth Thou shalte nat bowe thy selfe before them / nether worship them for I am thy lorde god euerlastyng / stronge mighty / punysshinge
wayes hi mynde is vpon Christ the heuenly doctor maister Christ is our teacher as the garment done vpoÌ„ the body / doth the body both ê“fyte honesty euen so doth a godly mynde thiÌ„ke that christ is the very weddyng garment / whoÌ„ all those ê‘sons haue done on theÌ„selues / how many soeuer haue beÌ„ baptysed Christ is the wedding garment Gala. 3 Christ is our heueÌ„ly meate drinke A christen maÌ„ neuer eteth drinketh / but forthw t he is put in remeÌ„brance that christ is the only the very meate / which fedeth norissheth vs into eternall lyfe Christ is the fountayne of lyfe Iere. 2 104.7 If at any tyme he dothe occupye water / forthwith it cometh to his miÌ„de the Christ is the fouÌ„tayne / out of whiche we may drawe drinke agaynst vnsacyable thyrst Christ is the lambe / the herdinaÌ„ / the dore / the way c. Brefly / so often tymes as he shall se / either a shepe or a shepherde / a gate / a waye / a vynetree / or a stone / forthwith he conceyueth an image similytude of his lorde Chrrist / Io 1.10 14.15 whiche wyllyngly suffred hiÌ„ selfe to be slayne and offered vp / for the reconsylyacyon of the worlde / Io. 10. Io. 14. which bosteth him selfe to be a good shepherde / which is the waye and the yate / by which men go and entre into heueÌ„ which wytnesseth him selfe to be the true vynetre / the corner stone / and set for a foundation Io. 15. Ps 118. Esa 28 1. Pe. 2 A goodly frutefull lesson / a preseÌ„t coÌ„solation for the troubled mynde Fynally if thou be sore vexed with aduersytie / or els seest any other man to be in afflyctyon and calamytie Besydes this / if thou be troubled with passyons and noughty affectyons and desyres / forthewith if ther be any percel of Christ in the sette before the eyes of thy mynde both the deth the resurrection of Christ / that the syck soule go on pilgrimage vnto Christes deth stedfastly depely consyder theÌ„ / bi the meanes wherof thou maist in such wise arme fence thi mynde with complete harnesse / so sure so full of most effettuall consolacyons / that thou shalte be able easely to abyde ouercome what soeuer aduersite shal fall vnto the. So that if after this maner facyon we wold haue lust pleasure to learne Christe perfytely in all thinges / his workes with a certayne lyuely felyng iugement of the mynde / which shuld traÌ„sforme change vs without dout the loue of god shuld be meruelously augmented encreased in vs / we shulde also as it were in a glasse see / with what comelynes / after what maner and facyon the course of this lyfe oughte to be passed ouer and brought to an ende / whiche no ymages canne euer be able to teache vs. Es 44. For these of what so euer maner they be can nat sette before thyne eyes any symilytude of god / but rather with a vayne imagynation / whan thou wenest that thou art warme with a certayne hote loue and desyre to consyder and thynke vpon godly thynges / sodenly thys heate and feruentnesse vanyssheth a waye / and it shall make the more neglygente to all true workes semelye for a ChristeÌ„ man / than euer thou wast before We do therefore pytuousely deceyue our owne selues with this flieng deuotion / as they call it For whaÌ„ we haue thought our selues to be fed and full of better thynges winde is vayn doctryne of men we fynde by experyence / sooner than we wolâ—â— haue thoughte / that we haue ben fedde with mynde as it is sayde in the prouerbe and that we ar emptye and voyde of meate / whiche doth nourysshe and make fatte in vertue and godly lyuynge But as for these persones whiche trustynge and berynge theym selues bolde vpon the lawe of christen lybertye / do excuse ymages / sayenge That for this cause they ar nat vnlawfull / bycause we may vse them lawfully at our owne plesure / aswell as we may other outwarde thynges / and therfore that it is better that there be images of Christe / than to haue ymages of prophane thynges The honour gyuen to ymages â–ª may nat be rekened amoÌ„ge outeward thiÌ„ges I wolde that these men shulde fyrst learne / that whatsoeuer ymages ar honoured or may be honoured / are nat to be accompted in the nombre of outewarde thynges / and therfore they are vsed both to the iniurye of the diuyne maiesty / which only ought to be honoured / and also to the labefactacion and dekay of the faith There is no cause therfore / why the consyderation of christen lybertye / maye suffre in any wyse suche maner images For the lyberty of a christen man The lybertie of a christeÌ„ man is nat a lycence to do whatsoeuer he lyst / but it is rather a voluntary execution of vertuouse workes / which are done by the motyon of charitie / and nat by the commaundement and compulsyon of the lawe Nowe as touchynge the obiection of some men The obiections of some men / that there is no cause why it maye nat be lawfull for vs to vse pictures standynge images For lykewise as men and those persons which haue ben suffycyentely instructed in the trewe doctryne and fayth of Christ / are nothynge offended nor do take any hurte by images euen so weke persons / suche as be nat yet well skylled iÌ„ godly thingê / eyther whaÌ„ they haue better instruction / are taught the truthe / shal be nothing hurt by the reason of images / or if they be sturdy / suche as wyll nat be taughte / they shal be nothynge the better / though al images were clene takeÌ„ away So than neither for the weke ê‘sons cause / neyther for their cause which ar perfect it is necessary to take away images Doutlesse / whosoeuer with suche forked reasons do coueyte to defende and mayntaygne ymages They haue nat verye well consydered nor wayed the counsell and entent of Paule / whan he saythe All thynges are lawfull for me But all thynges are nat expedyent nor profytable â— Co 10 All thynges are laufull to me but all thynges do nat edifye And agayne in another place Knowlege maketh a man proude but charytie dothe edifye 1 Cor 8 Also there is none that wyll vnderstande and seke god Ps 14. And agayne take hede that your lybertye be nat an occasyon of offence and hurte to theym whiche are weake 1 Cor 8 We do nat saye / but images may be hadde / but yet in no place to be worshipped SolucioÌ„ We do graunt also that karuers paynters craftes / are craftes both gyuen by god / and also lawfull But syth it is so / that in churches euerywhere / ymages are honoured namely Roodes It is
Paule accuseth Peter in the epystle to the Galatians Gala 2 For Peter whyles he was afrayde to offende certayne iewes of Ierusalem at Antioch / for that cause wolde nat vse the lybertie of eatyng all maner meates as he was wonte to do before Paule withstode him to his face iÌ„ the preseÌ„ce of the whole multitude bycause he walked nat the ryght way / according to the truthe of the gospell For asmoch as was iÌ„ him with his vnwyse desyre to auoyde offendyng of the iewes / he febled the right faithe / also norisshed the incredulyte and vnbelefe of them / whom he studyed to please in the meane season Brefely he dyd no thynge els / than whyles he went aboute vnwysely to auoyde one ieoê‘dy he did cast hiÌ„ self into twayn Doutles after this maner to desyre to auoyde occasyons of sclanders and offensyons / is the full cause of offensyons And wolde god it wer nat of so gret strength as it is amonge very manye men nowe in these dayes For a man shall se very many / which bicause they wolde imagyne some honest cloke and colour of their vnbelefe do fayne them selues bothe to do also to eschew very many thinges lest they might gyue any man occasyon to be offended / whan in very dede they do it rather to kepe the crosse of Christ from themselues For with this fayned desyre to wyn certayne curable ê‘sons / they shifte well for themselues / that they may neither haue the euyll wyll of desperate persons / neyther any displeasure or hurt done vnto theÌ„ by the same We do nat deny verily / that suche maner of doctryne and lyuynge is most to be enbraced and folowed / whiche is an obstacle or lettynge to no man / whiche doth purposely angre no man / whiche doth turne no mans mynde away from the truthe yet neuerthelesse great dilygence ought to be giuen in the meane season / that none of those thyngê be let of and omytted wherby the glorye of god and the helth of our neyghtbours / may be furthered and encreased Christe him selfe is the stomblynge stone vnto the vnbeleuers but he is a precyouse stone / vnto them which are fore ordeyned to lyfe 1. Pe. 2 After that we our selues do know the wyll pleasure of the lorde / we must dilygently labour that other men also may lyke and prayse the same that other men also maye haue luste pleasure to confyrme them selues vnto the same If we can nat obteyne this / than oughte we rather to forsake father mother / all our goodes yea / moreouer to renounce our owne selues than to resyst or gruge against the wyll pleasure of god But most comeÌ„ly we se it come to passe / that a great parte of meÌ„ had leuer both to get / to maynteyne kepe the fauour of men with the minysshing of goddes honour Albeit / yet it were better to wyn both the fauour of god also of men / with honest maners honest lyuynge / with redy desyre wyl to do good vnto all meÌ„ / if we wold begyn this maner of wynnynge the fauour of meÌ„ and in other thinges wold lyue in this worlde fautelesse / as nere as we coulde / doutlesse there shulde be no maÌ„ so parcyall in iugement but he wolde by and by gather in mynde / that he wolde neither presumptuously nor wtout good cause done of vs / that we haue banysshed pictures and ymages cleane out of churches But wherto shulde we make many wordes / syth it is euydent ynough nowe / that ymages do diminysshe the true honour of god / and that it is nat possyble / but that weke men be gretly offended / and do take moch hurte by them For they I meane weke persons wolde passe lytell vpon the takynge awaye of ymages / if they wer taught playnly for what consyderation and skyll they were taken awaye On the other syde if they be nat taken awaye / forthwith they conceyue an opinion / as though it were nat laufull to put them away Nowe after obstinate and vncurable persons / nat onely we can nat with permyttyng / and wynkyng at images / bringe them to goodnesse but also with oure sufferaunce and slacknesse we shal confyrme and establysshe them the more in idolatrye Brefely / if thou haste so great desyre and loue / to wynne many men to thy lorde / ordre thy selfe so that other men maye in very dede see and perceyue experyence and proufe that Christ is a lyue in the / and that all thy dedes and sayngê do breth and sauour of him With out doute / if thou wylte ordre thy selfe in this wyse / thou shalt cause euen wycked men also / that they can nat chuse but at the least wyse closly in their hertê confesse their conscyeÌ„ce driuyng them thervnto that thou waste nat onely moued / but also compelled by the zele of god to put awaye ymages And though in the meane season many thynges be wantynge in vs yet that natwithstandynge we ought to be neuerthelesse dilygent / to prouyde that all such maner thynges be put awaye / which soeuer ar repugnant to the worde of god Let vs take no thought for any maner thynge which may cast vs out any maner way of the fauour of men Let vs go streyght forth and take the nexte waye to fulfyll the rule of a christen mannes lyfe For a true christen man / although he doth in many thinges aknowlege him self to be a synner as he is in very dede yet doth he neither alowe nor excuse any maner thyng / whiche doth minysshe or deface the honor of his lorde and maister Christ Of the abuse of ymages we haue spoken somewhat here tofore But if anye man do somewhat dilygeÌ„tely consydre way the mater he shall perceyue vndoutedly / that imagis ar falleÌ„ into a farre gretter abuse amoÌ„ge ChristeÌ„ men / than euer was amoÌ„ge any heathen men Images haue gyuen answeres with vs / they haue wept / one of theÌ„ hath beÌ„ thought more holy of more power thaÌ„ another One more louely and more gratious than another a man shal fynde some / which in a certayne place haue shewed forthe their power in workiÌ„g of miracles whan they haue ben translated remoued into another place And yet was it satan that thus stroÌ„gly deluded vs / with lyeng myracles for oure hatynge of the truth / for oure misbeleue 2 thes 2 they haue cessed to do the same Of the ymage at Lauretum / and dyuers other syth the matter is knowen well inough / we nede nat to saye any thynge at all And I praye you / how moch richesse in the meane season hath this superstition of ymages gathered togyther / nat withoute plentuouse occasyon of sclanderouse offences wolde god the miracles of the ymagis of walsyngham / caÌ„torbury / pppeswiche / haples / worcester chestre suche other wer well tryed bi
creatour maker of all thingê It is therefore nothynge els but a pure disceyte of the deuyll / which calleth vs from the praisynge and charitable louynge of the lyuely images of god / vnto deed ymages of wood or stone / which some maÌ„ a folysshe couÌ„terfaiter of god / hath folysshly karuen or paynted We coulde also allege many other testymonyes oute of the writynges of the fathers but it shulde be all in vayne / to recyte any mo to him whiche is natte moued with these which we haue alredy rehersed Here we haue thought it verye expedient and necessary to declare and make playne / according to the truthe of hystories / whan and by what begynners images began to come vp amonge christen men who againe on the other syde did their endeuoure to put theÌ„ downe and with howe moche busynesse / and howe great ieoperdy / good well dysposed meÌ„ haue attempted this thinge / vntyl the church was brought into this present coÌ„dition and state of thynges fallynge incessantly to worse worse Very ydelnes / ydle neglygence of Bysshoppes â–ª suffred first this idolatry of worshipping images â—o entre in to the churche / and their gredye insaciable couetousnes holdeth yet stylle this idolatrye Vndoutedly the lawes / aswell of the christen emperours / as of the christen counsels / made agaynste images / came than first forth / whaÌ„ through the slouthfulnesse neglygence of bysshops / their vayne curyouse desyres to wyn the fauour of god / nat only images pictures crepte into the churches / but also which is wonte comenly to chaunce they began to be worshipped of the peple We rede that Serenus / the bysshop of Massilia Serenê° bysshop of Massilia / a very holy man / was so displeased / toke it so greuousely as reasoÌ„ was that images were sette vp in churches that he dyd cast downe all the images atones which wer in his churche did breke them / and at the last dyd also burne theym We do nat deny / but that this dede of Serenus was sore rebuked of Gregory which was called Gregorius magnus Gregorius Magnus / and that the seyd Serenus was admonysshed counselled of the sayd Gregorye Gret gregory began first to teache his flocke with these bilde bokes / that he shulde nat forbyd or let images to be had but that he shulde teche the honourynge of them in any wyse to be auoyded But what other thynge shuld the staÌ„derdberer of relygioÌ„ and vertue fallyng in decay / do in this mater / as well as in many other By this maner of doctrine mai yeiâ—ge what a shepard this great doctor was For about that tyme the church of Rome began to threten / ê“nosticate giue lykelyhod of gret ruyn of the faith afterwardê to folowe But amonge the Grekes / Leo Leo Emperoure of the Grekes themperour / the .iii. of that name a man both well lerned / also vertuous godly he raygned in the yere of our lorde .vii. C.lxxxiiii distroyed all images vniuersally / and coÌ„maunded Gregorie the .iii. here may â—e smell what a sheperde Gregory the third was of that name by his letters / that he shuld do the same thinge lykewise at Rome But this Gregorie nat onely refused to be obedyent to the emperours coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t / Before he wolde nat haue them honored nowe in despite of themperoure he decreed them to be in high honour but also at Rauenna was the authour be gynner of sedition / to which cytie he called a certayne meyny of bysshoppes made a counsel / in whiche he decreed agaynste themperours coÌ„mauÌ„dement / that images ought to be had in moche more honoure than euer they were before And to the entent that he might the moore boldely instytute thys thynge agaynst themperour with oute any punysshement CoÌ„staÌ„tine the v. Here theÌ„peroure called a counsell without the coÌ„seÌ„t of the bisshop of Rome / yea corrected the former erroniê° scismatike counsell of the bisshop of Rome bi the scriptures nat very longe before / he had gone aboute traitourously to forsake theÌ„perour and to fall vnto the part of the freÌ„che kynge After the deth of Leo / Constantyne his sonne / the fyfth of that name / wyllyng to conferme his fathers coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t decree / called togyther all the lerned men and bysshoppes oute of all Grece lande / beyng in noÌ„bre CCC.xxx which comparynge the scriptures to the reasons of the couÌ„sell / which we spake of before / called by Gregori determyned with one coÌ„sent That it is nat laufull to them whiche by Christ do beleue in god / to haue any images either of the creatoure or the creatures to honour them but rather of the ieoperdyes of offensyons or hurtes that they were all to be taken away atones So that from the begynnynge of Leo / Constantyne his sonne / and all his successours dyd cleue to / abyde by it / vntyll suche tyme that the cruell woman Hirene Hiren went about that horryble and excedynge wycked tragedy / wherof we shall speke nat longe herafter But the decrees of that wycked woman / were vertuousely abrogated and suppressed by CoÌ„stantins soÌ„ne the syxte of that name There cometh nowe happely to my mynde / the decree of Theodosius Theodosius Valens Valens / which Petrus Crinitê° Petrus Crinitê° / a maÌ„ that had red many thiÌ„ges / doth recyte in the nynth boke / De honesta disciplina his owne verye wordes I shall faythfully truly reherse Valens Theodosius The decree of Theodosius and Valens the noble emperours wrot to the officer called Prefectus pretorius Forasmoche as our dilygent study care is / in all thingê to maynteyne vphold the faith honour of god we forbyd any maner maÌ„ to graue or make the image of christ our sauyour of stone / of wood / or of any other stuffe / or els to paynte the same with colours yea / and whersoeuer any such image be fouÌ„de / we coÌ„mauÌ„de that it be taken awaye / and they sore punysshed / who soeuer shall attempte any thynge contrarye to our decrees and commauÌ„dement / in whiche thynge if any man doo requyre an authour / let him rede the decrees and commaundementes of Emperours / whiche haue ben collected and gathered by a satyre of the righte connynge men / Tribunianus / Basylydes / Theophilus / Discorus / and other / at the commaundement of the moost noble Emperour Iustinian Thus farre sayth Crinitus It is therfore euydent and manyfest / that themperours also whiche were before the tyme of Leo / dydde dilygentlye prouyde / that the supersticyon of Images shulde nat by any maner meanes pollute and defyle the churches of crysten men The fyrst of all other as farre as we can gather of hystories which dyd cause Images to be paynted in churches Was Pontius Paulinus bysshoppe of Nola
Pontiê° paulinê° bysshop of Nola the fyrste causer that images wer paynted / about the yere of our lorde ccccl. For he solemnisynge yerely the byrth daye of saynt Felix / was wonte to make a great and a costly fest vnto the churche / to th entent that thei which sate at the seid fest / shulde be the soner and more easely prouoked to temperaunce / to the coÌ„syderatyon of godly thinges he paynted on the churche walles / ymages of the histories of the olde testament / that they shulde haue somwhat also wherewith they mighte fede and delyte theire eyes frutefully Afore this Paulinus you shall nat lyghtly fynde that any such thinges was attempted by any man / at the leastwyse / beyng of any famouse memorie For in suche wyse by lytell and lytell / this supersticyon must nedes crepe in lykewyse as other thynges did / which haue corrupted the puryte prefection of the churche Nowe who is he / that dothe nat perceyue and see / that Paulinus dyd two maner waies offende for fyrst agaynste the coÌ„maundement of saynte Paule / he was bolde / toke vpon him selfe to make open festes in the churche And which agayne was as greate an offence / and suche as can nat be excluded he begane with images to exhorte men vnto the loue exercisynge of temperaunce / whan he beynge a christen man / ought rather to haue gone aboute to do the same / with holesom doctryne good example Wherfore it doth euydeÌ„tly appere that this bysshop dyd in no wyse begyn that thynge of a pure godly spirit but if a maÌ„ wyll do well coÌ„sydre way euerythynge / he shall fynde that with the same spirite / that is to wytte / most recheles dispysyng of godly thynges other men also haue taken vpon them to defeÌ„de ymages For the popes bisshops I wotte nat whether thorowe euyll wyll / or els thorowe a certayne pride began with tothe and nayle to defende the vse / or rather the abuse of ymages against the Greke emperours vntyll such tyme as by the labour and helpe of Hyrenes Hirene EmpÌ„sse which after the deceasse of Leo her husbande / had the rule and gouernance of thempyer many yeres a couÌ„sell was assembled at Nice Here mai ye se what rule this wycked woman bare in the counsell of Nece / in which counsell she caused to be abrogated dysadnulled whatsoeuer was before decreed bi Constantyne / concernyng the puttynge awaye of images Neither coulde this wyckednesse suffyce content her mynde but she did cause the bodye of Constantyne to be digged vp againe out of the grouÌ„de to be brent to asshes / and last of all to be throwen into the see This very same Hyrene / after that she was by her sonne deposed from her tyrannouse empery / lefte nothynge vnassayed nor neuer rested vntyll by abhominable traytorous craftes she wan againe the empier vnto her selfe which thing whan she had brought to passe / accordynge to her owne mynde / she dyd cast her soÌ„ne into prison / plucked oute his eyes / in conclusyon slewe hiÌ„ also here mai ye see by what a wycked Bysshop of Rome consedered with a wicked woman / the Impery was craftely traÌ„slatâ—d from the Grekes to the freÌ„che men But whan she fered that her tyraÌ„ny shuld nat continue nor last longe / she made labours the pope of Rome beynge broker and spokesman to be maried vnto Charles the gret / otherwise called Charlemayne / kyng of Fraunce and for this cause she gaue lycence to the bysshop of Rome to translate the crowne of thempier of Rome vnto Charles / hopynge verily that her owne tyrannye shulde be safe / if by translatyng thempier of the Grekes traytorousely vnto the Frenchemen / she dyd bynde / nat only Charles / but also the bisshop of Rome and make them her frendes with this great benefyte But whan Nicephorus Nicephorus / which than was capitaine of the army of the Grekes perceyued these traytorouse disceytes / forthewith in all hast he dyd cast Hirene into prisoÌ„ / as she had discerued / in which she made a wretched ende / changed this lyfe with deth / worthy mete for suche goodlye actes as she had done O cruell woman This same Hyrene whiche dygged vp the deed bodye of her father in lawe and brent it Which put out her owne soÌ„nes eyes / and slewe hiÌ„ in prison which betraied themperour of the Grekes this same bysshop of Rome / the couÌ„seller and helper of the most wicked and vngracyouse womans purposes enforcemeÌ„tes which bisshop toke awaye from the right laufull emperoure his empyer / dyd put in another iÌ„ to the empier whoÌ„ it pleased him selfe but yet vpon this condicyon / that he hiÌ„self shulde haue Rome and Italye for his parte This worshipfull couple I say aduauÌ„ced imagê vnto this estimatyon honour For whatsoeuer imagê or pictures ar iÌ„ estimation they maye nat without good cause thanke these two for it / as their fyrst beginners / howbeit the successours also of Charles / dyd afterwardes their dilygent endeuoure to maynteyne and vpholde these abhominatyons lest the fouÌ„dation and ground worke of idolatrye which charles had layde / shulde haue lacked buyldynge to garnysshe it full of all impyetie and wyckednesse Howbeit these men in tymes passed / dyd neuer than pollute and defyle temples churches with so many images / shewynge so manyfest apparance of idolatry whiche thynge we maye perceyue and see euen yet by those whiche they buylde as haue ben sette vp euerywhere in these laste v. hundreth yeres / to the occasyon of most vayne honour which honour to th entent to make it the more accepted with false and lyeng wonders / he styred vp moued supersticyouse persones in euery place / to begynne pylgrymages to suche images to their great hynderance both of god / of fayth / and of godlynesse For I praye you tell me what other thiÌ„ge shal a man fynde in such maner churches of the blessed virgin than certayne fylthye and smoky images for god such is his excedynge goodnesse lest any occasyon of ydolatrye shulde be lefte vnto men / he wolde that the body of the blessed vyrgin shulde nat be knowen wher it became Lykewise as he did by the body of Moses And yet as nomaÌ„ caÌ„ expres an angel by any sensyble images so is ther nothyng â—depted represeÌ„ted by thâ—se ymages of sayntes We wyl say nothing here of the ymages of saynte Anne / of sayntes / nor of the images of Angels which men with lyke supersticyon haue begon to set vp / welnere in euery corner / to worship them And which is as gret a folysshnes as may be whan there ar so many images ofteÌ„tymes in one church to one they do gyue I wot nat what power of workynge myracles / to the great hynderaunce contempte of all the resydue Brefly / so gret is