[A treatise declaring and showing that images are not to be suffered in churches] Einigerle Bild. English Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A13931 of text S1386 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 24238). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 81 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 48 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A13931 STC 24238 ESTC S1386 19961662 ocm 19961662 23564 2240909473

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 Early English books online text creation partnership. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A13931) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 23564) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1717:26) [A treatise declaring and showing that images are not to be suffered in churches] Einigerle Bild. English Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551. Bedrotus, Jacobus, d. 1541. Marshall, William, fl. 1535. [96] p. Printed for W. Marshall, [S.l.] : [1535] Title page lacking; title suggested by STC (2nd ed.). Running title: That pictures nor ymages ought to be worshipped. "Tr. by W. Marshall from the Latin trans. by J. Bedrote of M. Bucer's Das einigerle Bild"--STC (2nd ed.). Publisher from colophon; date of imprint suggested by STC (2nd ed.). Signatures: A-F⁸. Imperfect: t.p. (sig. A1, p. [1]-[2]) lacking. Reproduction of original in the British Library. eng Idols and images -- Worship. Theology, Doctrinal -- Early works to 1800. eebo [A treatise declaring and showing that images are not to be suffered in churches] Bucer, Martin, 1535 96 14814 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.68 B The rate of 0.68 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2013-02 Assigned for keying and markup 2013-02 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2013-04 Sampled and proofread 2013-04 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2014-03 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
The preface . All the whole company of them which at Argentoratum do preche and teache Christ / vnto the good and godly reders do wyssh grace .

BYcause our most noble and also moste godlye Senatours dyde perceyue / that the offensyons and manyfolde euyls / which haue ben hytherto by the reason of pyctures & ymages / ar nat suffyciently taken away by the only exhortacyons of prechers . And agayne dyd consydre / that it was nat possyble for any man to decree or commaunde any thing concernynge them more wysely / than god had prescrybed & commaunded in his lawe and prophetes : They decreed and ordeined & gaue forth a commaundement / that whatsoeuer pycture or ymages hath ben wont to be worshypped in holye places / shulde both they and their aulters be clene taken away / and avoyded out of syght . Bycause .iiii. yeres ago / they had abrogated priuate masses / and a tweluemoneth a go foure commune and open masses . For fyrst consultatyon and delyberatyon of more pure ceremonyes to be brought into their places . Secondarily they lokinge for certayne counsels and assembles / of whiche it was hoped / that some what shulde be decreed concerning the generall reformation of the churche . And thyrdly the wekenesse of certayne parsones / whiche coulde nat yet se / how gret impyetie and abusyon is in masses / hadde saued the resydewe of masses . And they hadde suspended theym vpon this condityon / that if any man coulde proue by the scryptures / that they were nat contrary to Christ / they shuld be restored againe euerione .

Moreouer / seyng there ar many men / whiche do nat yet perceyue nor knowe / how moche these thinges do hyndre fayth & trew godly lyuynge : we do easely coniecture / that there are nat a fewe / whiche shall accompte this dede of oure commune we le / to be a folysshe and a wycked presumption . 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 & knowen 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 ) Herefore we haue iudged it to be our parte and dutye which taught that the thynge ought to be done / which nowe our senate hath done in very dede / & brought to passe very dilygently to shewe the cause of all this whole dede : but with as moche brefenesse as maye be / that if it wolde be / we might happely pacify & apease the myndes / at the lest wyse of some persones / whom this busines hath troubled & gretly discontented / & doubtelesse if we may optayn 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 . Secondarily 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 beynge 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 men / dyd folowe & execute in lyke maner . Therfore we praye and beseche all those / whosoeuer can nat yet lyke nor alowe this our example ( which thinge it is no merueyle thoughe it happen to many men / if a man consydre what thinges haue euerywhere goten strengthe amonge Christen men ) that they wyll vouchesafe to rede this shorte lytell treatyse to the ende / which fyrst was made in our maternall tongue / and nowe by oure most welbeloued brother / Iames Bedrote / is translated into laten . But let them fyrste before they begynne to rede / call for the spyrite of Christ / which only ledeth into all verytie and truth / & that done let them than gyue sentence of vs . Christ the sauyour of mankynde graunt to all those which bere his name / grace to reiecte all suche thiges which do call away the mynd from him : that they maye lyfte vp their myndes vnto him syttynge in heuen / and worshippe the father by him / in spiryte and truth . Amen .

That ymages wont to be worshipped / ar nat to be suffred in the churches of Christen men .

ALbeit / there are verye manye causes / whyche mighte suffycyently satisfy the myndes of christen men / 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 commaundementes / 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 from Aegypt / the house of thraldom and bondage . Thou shalt haue no straunge goddes besydes me . Thou shalt make vnto thy selfe no grauen or caruen image / nor the symilytude of any maner thinge which is aboue in heuen or beneth in the erth : nor of those thynges whiche are in the waters vnder the erthe . Thou shalte nat bowe thy selfe before them / neither worship them : For I am thy lord god euerlasting / stronge / & mighty / punysshynge the fautes of the fathers in the chyldren / euen vnto the thyrd generatyon of them which do hate me . & powringe forthe my goodnes / euen vnto the thousanth generation of them which do loue me / and do obserue & kepe my commaundementes . Lo / here are .ii. lawes of the lord set forth vnto the whiche natte without good cause amonge other / do chalenge vnto them selues the fyrste place . The fyrst of them requyreth of vs / that we do take this eternall and euer beinge god ( so as he is in very dede ) for oure god . The later doth nat only forbyd straunge goddes / but also it forbyddeth bothe the ymages of them / & also of all other thynges / to be hadde amonge the people of god / vnto which people doutlesse / that is to wytte vnto all true beleuers / all such maner preceptes do apperteyne . For these ar the trewe Israelyties / as it appereth in the scryptures . Rom. 2 iiii . ix . Gala. 3 iiij . For Christ came nat to breke the lawe : but to fulfyll it fyrst of any man . Nowe in very dede thei ar annexed to the lawe of god / & also enclosed and conteyned in it / whatsoeuer thingꝭ do bringe any cause or occasyon vnto the loue of god or of the neyghboure / to shewe or put forth it selfe more and more .

In dede god commaunded very many thynges to his olde people whiche were greatly auaylable & helpynge to the princypall poynte and ende of his lawe . But after that christ was ones exalted to the right hande of his father / and the holighost was sent all abrode into the worlde / we ar delyuered & free from a great parte of suche maner legall ceremonyes . As for example it was goddes wyll & commaundement / that the Iewes shulde lyue togyther by theym selues / abstaynyng from companyeng and dealynge with the gentyles ( for he dyd nat yet vouchesafe that they shuld haue knowlege of hys doctryne ) to th entent / no dout of it / that they shulde by somoche / be the more obedyent to his commaundement / by how moche they were the lesse corrupted & infected with the company of the gentyls / worshippyng false goddes . But after that / the wall which departed the one people from the other was throwen downe / & both the gentyls & also the Iewes grewe togyther in to one people . This lawe whiche forfended the Israelytes / companyenge with the gentyls / coulde do no seruyce nor profyte at all . wherfore it was conuenyent that it shulde be abrogated . Suche another lyke thynge is cyrcumcysyon / & also the rytes & ceremonyes of purifycations / the choyse of metes / the diuersyties of places & persones / & whatsoeuer besydes these is red to haue ben commaunded in the olde lawe / concernynge outwarde sacryfyces . For these thynges in as moche as neither fayth nor charytie doth nowe requyre them : it shal be lawfull & free for vs either to obserue & kepe them / orels to leue them vndone . For the trewe honoure & worshippynge of god / which hath ben by the prechynge of the Apostels indifferently publysshed to the whole worlde / wyll in nowyse suffre it selfe to be thruste so narowly into suche maner streyghtes of places / dayes / meates / and persons .

But as concernynge ymages / the thyng is farre other wyse : For these beynge ones forbidden must nedes stande alwayes styll forbydden / specyally for this cause . Bycause the trewe honouryng of god can nat be but either mynisshed / or els dyuerse wayes letted : as sone as we shall suffre the sayde ymages / contrary to the commaundement of god in churches / or in other places / where they be honoured or els maye be honoured . For substancyall & parfyte fayth / & the parfyte honouryng of god requyreth / that we shulde do our dilygence to cause this only god to be knowen in all places / that we shulde drede and honour him : that we shulde in all places and at all tymes with full mouth / prayse & magnify the workes of him alone . But ymages ar so farre from helpynge vnto this thynge / that the same do dyuerse wayes hyndre & let euery man from the trewe honouryng of god . For who is he ( I beseche you ) whom ymages set vp in churches / or in other more narowe places / haue nat rather made neglygent about the trewe honouryng of god / than holpen him any whyt to honoure god trewly . Ye / moreouer ( if it be lawfull to speke the truth ) the true honour of god / beynge subuerted and ouerthrowen / they haue quite blotted out of mennes myndes the remembrance of those thinges / for whose cause it is fayned / that they were fyrst set vp . And though it be so / that otherwhyles peraduenture by the occasyon of these godly admonytours / some thought and remembrance of god doth come into our mynde : yet the same thought is soner vanysshed away / than that it can gether sufficient rotes in the brestes or myndes of men . For as it is but a thyng of mans deuisyng / and receyued without the commaundement of god : euen so was it neuer able to moue or stere oure hertes & myndes with the quycke & lyuely perceyuynge / eyther of the workes or of the benefytes of god . By the reason of which thynge it hath come to passe / that no place hath ben lefte to the lyuely admonition / which is by the creatures of god : nat withstandinge that these sayd creatures / bycause in all places we do se them / & handell them / ought also in all places to styre vp and renewe in vs the remembrance of goddes infynite goodnesse . Brefly / there is no cause / why we may more rightfully impute / shall I say or neglygence / or els our contempte towardis the trewe honour which is acceptable to god / vnto any other thynge than vnto images . For after that these began to be worshipped in certayne places / forthwith flowed in an vnmeasurable see of all euyls . For though we passe ouer / that god by the reason herof / was many wayes greuously offended & displeased / bicause contrary to his open & euydent commaundement / nat only we haue worshipped them / but also puttyng our trust in such maner worshippinge haue persuaded vnto oure selues / that herewith we do wynne to our selues the fauour of god / & trustyng vnto these vayne & tryflynge workes / haue either vtterly nat mynded / or at the lestwyse / haue lothsomly & disdaynefully done those workes / with whiche only a christen mynde may be pleasynge and acceptable to god . And who is he but he knoweth that by the reason herof / very many men haue ben so tycked with a merueylouse vayne hope / to get of the lorde I wot nat what great hepes and treasures of meritis : that if thei had nat thought these maner tryfles to be moste acceptable to god . Nat the goddesse Pitho herselfe / Pitho the goddesse of eloquence with all her swete eloquence / shuld haue ben able to bringe them in mynde / beyng slowe inough / & to moche vnto all other workes of charyte besydes / to haue pleasure to lasshe oute so great rychesse / partly vpon the makyng and partely vpon the payntynge / gyldynge / or otherwyse garnysshynge and deckynge of ymages .

Besydes all this / I say ( which is a thing more to be sorowed for ) this vayne honouryng of images hath engendred such a confydence and trust in a greate sorte of men / that those workes which ar in very dede good & godly / layde clene a syde : they haue taken occasyon to lyue a gret dele the more at large and more lycentiously / bycause they ar perswaded & in stedfast belefe / that with these workes they haue so gotten the fauour of god / that at all other synnes & vyciouse lyuynge / he doth wynke and wyll nat se them / & as though hauynge lybertie graunted to synne vnpunysshed / they might gyue themselues at large to all maner vyces / euen as they lyst themselues . If this thynge were nat well inough knowen vnto all men by experyence : we coulde proue it with suche maner examples & proufes / that euen he that were blynde / shuld perceyue playnly / that ther hath nat lyghtely any other more perilouse mischefe cropen into the churche / than this of honourynge ymages .

Who is he than / that doth nat here somwhat smell and perceyue the false wyly craftes of oure olde enemy / which hath neuer cessed to driue the worlde vnto suche madnesse / that puttynge away the true honour of god / men shuld receyue and embrace this honour / whiche maketh them to go the cleane contrary waye from god / disceyuyng all maner men with the vayne apparence & outward syght of ymages / as though ( god wot ) men by them were put in remembrance of godly thinges / whan in very dede by them nothinge els hath been brought in / but an innumerable hepe of all euyls . Moreouer / that man / whom heuen / erth / & whatsoeuer is conteyned in them / & moste specyally man / which is created to the image of god / fynally whom god him selfe / the worker of all these thynges / doth nat waken & stere vp to loue him & prayse him : no man / vnlesse he be madder than a man of Bedlem / wyll beleue that this man wyll be moued greatly with deed and vnsensyble images . Yf so many workes of god / if so many creatures / no lesse profytable than merueylouse / whiche set the goodnesse of god before thyne eyes / can nat enflame the / thou arte doutlesse to vnsensyble for to be admonysshed and styrred euer of vnsensyble ymages . The goodnesse of god shineth & appereth in all his creatures . There is nothynge / but it expresseth god himself . All the world is full of thinges / which do nat cesse to put vs in remembrance of oure duty / that is to wyt / that we shuld contynue to be vnto other men / as god is vnto vs / & that we shulde resemble him by a certaine endles goodnesse . But verily that thys thing hath the lesse esely been brought to passe hitherto / we maye thanke ymages for a gret parte therof : for suche expenses which ought to haue ben made vpon poore nedy folke ( whom as beynge the very lyue images of god / it was conuenyent to haue socoured & made our frendes with our lyberalyte ) we haue wastfully bestowed vpon stockes and stones . you se therfore that the trew honour / & that which only is accepted to god / hath ben by no other thing so moch backed & hindred as it hath by the vayne superstition of images : & that the deuil bi these craftes hath brought in the contempt of god / the ouerthrowing of faith a more large lybertie to do whatsoeuer one lyst vnpunysshed / false confydence in merytes / lothfulnesse to exercyse charite towardes our neybours : brefly in excedynge greate hepe of all maner euylles hath ben brought in : & to make an ende / a wyndowe opened to all maner vyce & synne : which thinge although it might be esely proued by examples out of nombre : yet at this present tyme let one example of the kingis of Israell suffyce . For howe many so euer of those kyngis t history of the Byble doth nombre among wycked & vngodly persons / the same kyngis it doth recorde to haue been also idolaters & worshippers of ymages . on the other syde agayne / who soeuer ar commended for their loue and exercyse of vertue & godlynesse : they wolde gyue euydent testymonie & wytnesse by distroyenge & rydding ymages shortly out of the way / that they were ruled by the holy ghost / and coulde nat but hate all maner thynges / whiche are abhomynable in the syght of god .

And as for that which some men do fayne / that ymages are the bokes of laye men . ( For so they say ) it is nat onely a weyke reason / but also a folysshe : as who shulde say / that god / of all moste wysest / and which is very wysdome it self / either dyd nat know these bokes / or els through malyce dyd withhold from his owne people such maner bokes & monumentes / wherby they might be put in remembraunce of godly thinges . Forsoth it is a wicked thynge / euen ones to thynke / that god ( which accordyng to his goodnes towardes vs / lefte none of those thynges vnshewed / & as they say / poynted with his fynger which might helpe to further & encrease the knowlege of him selfe / & to styrre vs vp also to the loue of him selfe ) I can nat tell of what euyll wyll & hatred had kepte this worshippynge of ymages from his owne people . For nat only he dyd nat teche the worshippinge of images / but also he dyd with expresse and playne wordes vtterly forbyd it / as it appereth euydently by the fyrste lawe of all . Nowe what is more vnreasonable and vnlykely / than if the vse of ymages be so profytable / as these men do fayne it to be / that god dyd nothynge esteme theym / seynge that in the meane season he had begon to tech his people / beynge yet but yonge beginners / & hauing but small knolege with so many outward thinges / euen as one shuld enduce a chylde / seing also that he wold his workis and benefytes to be openly knowen by so many wonderfull myracles / and by so manyfolde ceremonies , besydes this / dyd induce the peple with holydayes / & other rytes innumerable . Fynally lefte nothing behynde to the shadowing & fyguringe of himselfe largely vnto them . I say / how fortuned it / if ymages be so profytable / that god for al this insomoch dyd nothinge esteme them that he wold in no wise suffre them to be amonge his people . Syth than it is so / that it was nat lauful for the people / which was yet rude and ignorante to haue any maner ymages / althoughe the lorde dyd by many other dyuerse ceremonies by lytle & lytle teche and facyon the same people . Howe moch lesse shall it be lawfull for vs / whom the truthe succeded in to the place of shadowes / hathe nowe made free frome outwarde ceremonies / requyryng non other honour or seruyce of vs / than that whiche standeth in spirit and truth .

Let vs therfore haue ymages / nat of stone / nat of wood / nat grauen / or cast in any moulde ( al whiche god hath ones for euer forbydden / as well to vs / as to the Iues ) But let vs rather consyder the verye worde of god / let vs occupye and busye oure selues in it bothe night and daye : Besydes this / let all the whole frame of this world be vnto vs amonument and token to put vs in remembrance of god / that whatsoeuer trewe godlynesse is remaynynge in vs / it maye nat by the workes of men / but by the workes of god wel & after a godly facyon consydre / enflame & kyndle vs to the praysyng & louyng of him .

Nowe as touchyng to this reason / that some men do make for to excuse the vse of ymages / bycause ( as they say ) after that god takinge the nature of man vpon him / had vouchesafed to lyue amonge men / and to be nayled fast to the crosse / and wylled the knowlege of him selfe to be egall publysshed and declared vnto all men : there is no cause why it shulde nat be lawfull to vse ymages / but yet most specyally of Christ crucifyed / to th entent that we might oftentymes be put in remembrance / how by his deth we haue gotten redemptyon & saluatyon . Verily we do nat denye / whatsoeuer holsome & profytable thinge hath come to vs by the deth of Christ / which he suffryng whan he was conuersaunte amonge men / reconsyled mankinde to his father : yet that natwithstandyng the same Christ dyd playnly wytnesse / that his bodily presence was nothynge profytable . Ioa. vi It is the spyrit ( sayth he ) that quyckeneth . It was therfore for our profyte / that he shulde bodily departe from vs . Io. xvi And for that cause after his resurrection he ascended vp into heuen to the right hande of his father / to th ende that he might cary vs also vp to the same place / if it be so that we haue rysen with him by fayth . Col. iij Besydes this / whan Paule / accordynge to the same sentence / dothe openly esaye / that he doth no lengre know Christ / as touchinge the flesshe : he sygnifyeth that another maner of worshippynge is requyred of vs / that is to wyt / a spirytuall honour and suche one / which may effectually and strongly transforme oure hertes / which thing syth it can nat be done by the benefyte & helpe of ymages / let vs saye a due for euer to these tryfelynge & vnprofytable helpes / which ar rather hynderers of true fayth & godly lyuynge / than monumentes & tokens to put vs in remembraunce of godly thynges . It is vndoutedly starke madnesse to desyre to be put in remembrance of the benefytes of Christ by images / whan Christ him selfe ought to worke the same in our myndes / whiche in vs & all creatures worketh all thinges . Let vs ( I saye ) haue this Iesus nayled faste vpon the crosse / set vp before the eyes of oure mynde / as oftentymes as he tryeth vs / & layeth his crosse vpon vs / by pacyence of trybulations & aduersyte . Let Christ so possesse & fyll the brest of a christen man / of whom he hath his name / that ther be no thinge / but it do put him in remembrance of his lorde / the creatour & maker / the gouernour / and the sauyour / & preseruer of al thinges . Wherfore so oftentymes as he loketh vp towardes the skye / he can nat chuse but remembre forthwith his sauyour Christe / whiche raygneth aboue all heuens on the right hande of his father . As sone as he beholdeth the sonne / by & by he thinketh vpon Christ the sonne of rightuousnes / & the lyght of the worlde / whiche with his beames lyghteneth the herte . Whan he seeth a man / he remembreth that Christ was made man for our sake . If he do met● with a kynge or a prince / anon Christ the kyng of kynges / and lorde of lordes / is in hys remembrance . Whan he hereth any precher or techer / lo / streight ways his mynde is vpon Christe the heuenly doctour and maister : as the garment done vpon the body doth the body both profyte & honestye : euen so doth a godly mynde thinke that Christ is the very weddynge garment / whom all those persons haue done on theym selues / howe many soeuer haue ben baptysed . A christen man neuer eteth or drinketh / but forthwith he is put in remembrance that christ is the only and the very meate / which fedeth and nouryssheth vs into eternall lyfe . If at any tyme he doth occupye water / forthwith it cometh to his mynde / that Christ is the fountayne / out of which we may draw drinke agaynst vnsaciable thurst . Brefly / so oftentymes as he shall see either a shepe or a shepherde / a gate / a way / a vynetree / or a stone / forthwith he conceyueth an image and symilytude of his lorde christ which wyllyngly suffred him selfe to be slayne & offred vp for the reconcylyation of the worlde / which bosteth him selfe to be a good shepherde / whiche is the waye and the yate / by whiche men go & entre in to heuen / which wytnesseth himselfe to be the trewe vynetre / the corner-stone / & set for a foundatyon . Fynally / if thou before vxed with aduersyte / orels seest any other man to be in afflyction & calamyte : besydes this / if thou be troubled with passyons & noughtye affectyons & desyres : forthwith ( if there be any percell of Christe in the ) set afore the eyes of thy mynde / bothe the deth & the resurrectyon of Christ / & stedfastly and depely consydre them / by the meanes wherof thou maist in suche wyse arme and fence thy mynde with complete harnesse / so sure and so full of moste effectuall consolations / that thou shalt be able casely to abyde and ouercome whatsoeuer aduersytie shall fall vnto the. So than if after this maner & facyon we wold haue lust and pleasure to lerne Christe parfytely in all thinges / & his workes with a certaine lyuely felynge and iugement of the minde / which shuld transforme & chaunge vs : without dout the loue of god shuld be merueylously augmented in vs / & we shulde also ( as it were in a glasse ) see / with what comlynesse / & after what maner & facyon the course of this lyfe ought to be passed ouer & brought to an ende / which thinge none ymages can euer be able to teache vs . For these ( whatsoeuer manerons they be ) can nat set before thyne eyes any symilytude of god : but rather with a vayne imagynation whan thou wenest that thou arte warme with a certayne hote loue & desyre / to consydre and thynke vpon godly thinges : sodenly this heate & feruentnesse vanissheth awaye / and it shall make the more neglygent to all trew workis semely for a christen man / than euer thou wast before . We do therefore pituously disceyue our own selues with this flyeng deuotion / as thei call it . For whan we haue thought our selues to be fed & full of the better thinges : we fynde by experyence / sooner than we wolde haue thoughte / that we haue ben fedde with wynde ( as it is sayde in the prouerbe ) and that we are 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 law of christen lybertie / doo excuse ymages / sayenge / that for this cause they ar nat vnlawfull / bycause we maye vse them lawfully at our owne plesure / as well as we may other outward thinges / & therfore that it is better that there be images of Christ than to haue ymages of prophane thynges : I wolde that these men shuld fyrst lerne / that whatsoeuer ymages are honoured or maye be honoured / ar nat to be compted in the nombre of outward thinges / & therfore they ar vsed both to the iniury of the diuyne maiesty / which only ought to be honoured / & also to the labefactation & decay of the fayth . There is no cause therfore why the consyderation of christen lybertye / maye suffre in any wyse suche maner ymages . For the lybertie of a Christen man / is nat a lycence to do what soeuer he lyste / but it is rather a voluntary execution of vertuouse workes / which ar done by the motyon of charytie / & nat by the commaundemente and compulsyon of the lawe .

Nowe as touchyng the obiectyon of some men / that there is no cause why it maye nat be lawfull for vs to vse pyctures & standynge ymages . For lykewyse as wyse men / & those persones which haue ben suffyciently instructed in the trew doctryne & fayth of Christ / ar nothing offended nor do take any hurte by images : euen so weke persones / and suche as be nat yet well skylled in godlye thinges / eyther whan they haue better instruction and are taught the truthe / shall be nothynge hurte by the reason of ymages / or if they be sturdy & such as wyll nat be taught / they shal be no whyt better / though all images were clene taken away . So than neither for the weke persons cause neither for their cause whiche are parfyte / is it necessarye to take awaye ymages . Doutlesse / whosoeuer with suche forked reasons do coueyte to defende & mayntayne images : they haue nat verye well consydered nor waied the counsell and entent of Paule / whan he saith i Co. ix All thynges ar laufull for me : but all thynges are nat expedyent nor profytable . All thynges ar laufull to me : but all thynges do nat edyfye . And agayne in another place knowlege maketh a man proude / but charyte doth edify . i. Co. 8 Also there is no knowlege in all men . And agayne : Take hede that your lybertye be nat an occasyon of offense and hurte to them which ar weke . i. Co. 8 We do nat saye / naye verily : but that there is nothynge / whiche letteth Images to be hadde / so that they be natte worshypped . j. Co. 8 We do graunte also / that caruers and paynters crafte / are craftes both gyuen by god / and also lawfull . But syth it is so that in churches euery were / ymages are honoured / and namely roodes . It is nat possyble though thou prech neuer so ofte / nor neuer so ernestly vnto the people / that ymages are nat to be honoured : but that there wyll be some / whiche wyll hold on styl to put of their cappes vnto them orels to lowte and make curtesye to them . For suche is the strength of an olde rooted custome / and the deuyll agayne exercyseth and putteth forthe his craftes & disceytes so busely / that they which be ones snarled in his bondes / wyll neuer refrayne from worshippinge of ymages , Now both the occasyons and also the prouocations & entise mentes of al such maner euyls must nedes be taken awaye / if ymages were ones put downe . And albeit truth it is / whiche they saye commenly / that where this vayne perswasyon of images is nat plucked out of mennes myndes by the word of god / there can nat the same be taken awaye neither by puttynge downe of ymages : yet is it nat generally trew / so that we may thinke it to be trewly sayde by all maner men indyfferently / as moch by one as by another . For by wicked men you maye well and truly say the same / which contynue always lyke to them selues / & chaunge nat their mynde / whether thou doest with wordes make playne the abhomynation of ymages with wordes orels dost in very dede ryd all ymages oute quyte of syght . But to them that are weke / & in whom there is remaynynge any / be it neuer so lytell sparke of godly loue and reuerence : it shall nat be vnprofytable nor in vaine / to witnes and confyrme their doctryne with their dede / that is for to saye / after that thou hast discrybed & paynted ymages so as they oughte to be with theyr owne coloures / borowed of the scrypture / than dilygently to prouide / that the same also be ryd oute of mennes syght . For by that dede weke men shal be confyrmed / as in other thinges / so lykewyse in this . For thy techynge shal be all in vayne \ vnlesse the example of thy dede do forthwith folowe / which shall cause thy doctrine to be of strength and auctoryte . Paule doutles thought it nat sufficient that the Corinthians knewe j. Co. 8 an idole to be nothing : but he wold also that the same people shuld in any wyse absteyne from etynge of the meates offred to idoles / and that for the weke persones sake / to whom full knowlege of suche maner thinges was natte yet gyuen . Therefore he badde the Corinthyans to confyrme and fortifye this doctryne with the auctoritye of their dede / and to refrayne nat onely from eatynge of the flesshe offred vp in sacrifyce to idoles : but also from all maner thynges that might appere euyll / or anye maner waye mighte offende weke persones .

i. Co. 9 For albeit he gaue them leaue to eate all maner flesshe / euen that also whiche was offered to Idoles / if it were solde in the flesshe market : yet in the churches where they were offred vppe to ydoles / he wolde in no wyse graunte them lybertye to eate suche metes .

Euen lyke wyse do we iuge / that it is to be thought of images / whiche lykewyse / as peraduenture som man maye haue at home within his owne house / so that it be done without offendynge of his neyghboure : euen so the vse of theym in churches or in other places / where either they maye be worshypped or offende & hurt their neyghbour is no wyse longer to be suffred .

Paule doutelesse had leuer neuer eate flesshe in all his lyfe / than to gyue hys brother occasyon to be offended : i. Co. 8 And shall we all carelesse wynke at so many occasyons bothe of offensyons and also of ydolatrye . Mat. v If Christe dothe byd the eye to be plucked oute of the heed / which is an obstacle & impedyment to vs : how moch more than ought pyctures and ymages to be plucked out of churches / by which we do nat only offende weke parsones / but also do sette forthe oure relygyon to be scorned & euyl spoken of amonge the Turkes & iues which do conuince vs / that in this behalfe we do agaynst the princypall poyntes of the christen fayth . Wolde god that with this superstition & vayne honourynge of ymages we dyd nat stoppe & kepe awaye a great menye bothe of the iewes and also of the Turkes / from receyuynge and takinge of the crysten fayth vpon them .

Now / if any man wyl obiecte that for the abuse ( which peraduenture no man wyll denye ) ymages are nat altogyther to be taken a-away ( for els the souper of the lorde / and baptyme / with many other thinges / which ar encombred with dyuerse abuses / ought also in lyke maner to be abrogated ) this answere we do make vnto him : That christen men shulde nat wynke at any abuse / & therfore whatsoeuer is brought into the church / contrary to scrypture / it is to be amended / & to be tryed by the squyer & rule of goddes worde / if any thing doth nat agree with it / it is to be cut away / with all spede that may be . And onely that thinge / which is right / whiche is holesome / is to be restored to his owne place / and taken in his owne place / specyally in the souper of the lorde / in baptyme / & other thinges also whiche haue ben instytuted by the lorde . But ymages ar all maner wayes to be taken awaye / nat only for the abuses / but moch more for the worde of god / to which they ar playne contrarye and repugnaunte . For we can nat ymagyn anye maner vtylitie / which may be sayd to haue come by the reason of ymages . On the other syde / that the superstityon of images doth draw with it an hepe of all euylles : we haue here to fore declared .

To make shorte / god neuer for bad any of those thinges / wherof any commodytie or profyte might ryse : but rather whatsoeuer thinge is profytable / and maye make vs better / he taught full largely / as wytnesseth Paule verye euydently .ii. Timoth. iii.

But if any folysshe wyse man doth thynke / that ymages ar therfore nat to be taken awaye / bycause he fereth that those weake persones / which now supersticiously do worshippe / ymages / wolde be offended with the puttinge downe of ymages : this man doutelesse / whyles he goth aboute to auoyde from the smoke ( as it is sayde in the prouerbe ) is fallen into the flamyng fyre . For whyles he feareth to offende disperate persons : with hurtefull offensyons of ymages / he backeth and hindreth better men whiche haue begonne to ronne the waye of the lorde withoute anye tournynge agayne .

Who so euer dothe this / shall be gyltye of that cryme / of whiche Paule accuseth Peter / in the epystle to the Galatyans . Gala 2 For Peter whyles he was afrayde to offende certayne Iewes of Hierusalem at Antyoche / and for that cause wolde natte vse the lybertye of etynge all maner meates / as he was wonte to doo before : Paule with stode him to his face in the presens of the whole multytude / bycause he walked nat the ryght way / accordynge to the truth of the gospell . For as moch as was in him with his vnwyse desyre to auoyde offendynge of the Iewes / he febled the right fayth / & also nourysshed the incredulyte and vnbelefe of them / whom he studyed to please in the meane season . Brefly he dyd nothynge els / than whyles he wente about vnwysly to auoyde one ieoperdy / he cast himselfe into twayne . Doutlesse after this maner to desyre to auoyde occasyons of offensyons / is the full cause of offensyons . And wold god it were nat of so great strength as it is / amonge very many men now in these days . For a man shall se very many men which bycause they wold ymagen some honest cloke and coloure of their vnbelefe / do fayne themselues bothe to do & also to eschewe very many thinges / lest they might gyue any man occasyon to be offended : whan in very dede , they do it rather forcause to kepe the crosse of Christ from theym selues . For with this fayned desyre to wynne certayne curable persons / they shifte wel for them selues / that they may neither haue the euyll wyll of desperate persones / neitheir any displeasure or hurte done vnto them by the same ▪ We do nat denye verily / that such maner of doctryne & lyuynge is most to be embraced & folowed / whiche is an obstacle or lettynge so no man / which doth purposely angre no man / whiche doth tourne no mannes mynde awaye from the truthe : yet neuerthelesse dilygence ought to be gyuen in the meane season lustely / that none of those thynges be lefte of / wherby the glorye of god and the helth of our neyghbours / may be furthered & encreased . Christ him selfe is the stone of offensyon / the sauyour of deth to deth / vnto them whiche are foreordeyned to lyfe .

After that we oure selues doe knowe the wyll & pleasure of the lorde : we must dilygently labour that other men also maye lyke and prayse the same / & that other men also maye haue luste and pleasure to confyrme theym selues vnto the same / yf we can nat obtayne thys / than oughte we rather to forsake father & mother / & al our goodes : ye / moreouer to renounce our owne selues / than to resyst or grudge against the wyll & pleasure of god But most communely we se it come to passe / that a great parte of men haue leuer both to get & to mayntayne and kepe the fauour of men with the minisshement of goddes honour : albeit yet it were better to wyn both the fauour of god / and also of men / with honest maners / and honest lyuyng / and with redy desyre & wyll to do good vnto all men / if we wolde begyn this maner of wynnynge the fauour of men and in other thinges wold lyue in this worlde fautelesse / as nere as we coulde / douteles there shulde be no man so parcyall in iugement / but he wolde by and by gather in mynde / that it was neither presumptuouslye nor without good cause done of vs that we haue banisshed pictures and ymages cleane oute of churches . But whereto shulde we make many wordes / syth it is euident inough now / that images do minissh the true honour of god and that it is nat possyble but that weke men be gretly offended / and do take moche hurte by them . For they I meane weke persones wolde passe lytell vppon the takynge awaye of ymages / if they were taught playnly / for what consyderation and skyll they were taken awaye . On the othersyde / if they be nat taken away / forthwith they conceyue an opinyon / as thoughe it were nat lawfull to put them away . Nowe as for obstynate and vncurable persones / nat onely we can nat with sauing images bring theym to goodnesse : but also with our sufferaunce and slacknesse we shall confyrme and establysshe them the more in ydolatrye .

Brefely / if thou haste so great desyre and loue to wynne manye men to thy lorde : ordre thy lyfe so that other men may in very dede se experyence & proufe / that Christ is alyue in the / and that all thy dedes and sayengis do breth and sauoure of him . Withoute doubte / if thou wylte ordre thy selfe in this wyse / thou shalt cause euen wicked men also / that they can nat chuse / but at the lest wyse closely in their hertes confesse ( their conscyence dryuynge theym thervnto ) that thou wast nat only moued / but also compelled by the zele of god to put awaye images . And though in the meane season / manye thynges be wantynge in vs : yet that natwithstandynge we oughte to be neuerthelesse dilygent / to prouyde that all suche maner thinges be putte awaye / whiche soeuer are repugnaunte to the worde of god .

Let vs take no thoughte for anye maner thynge / which may cast vs out any maner way of the fauoure of men : & let vs go streyght forth / and take the nexte waye to fulfyll the rule of a Christen mans lyfe . for a true Christen man / although he doth in many thinges acknowlege him selfe to be a synner ( as he is in very dede ) yet doth he neither alowe nor excuse any maner thing which doth minysshe or deface the honour of his lord & maister christ

Of the abuse of ymages we haue spoken somewhat here to fore . But if any man do somwhat dilygently consyder & way the mater / he shall perceyue vndoutedly / that ymages ar fallen into a farre gretter abuse amonge Christen men / than euer was amonge any heathen men . Images haue gyuen answeres with vs / they haue wepte / one of them hath ben thoughte more holy and of more power than another . One more louely & more gratious than another / a man shall fynde some / whiche in a certayne place haue shewed forth their power in workyng of miracles / whan they haue been translated & remoued into another place / they haue cessed to do the same . Of the ymage at Lauretum / and dyuerse other / syth the mater is knowen wyll inoughe : we nede nat to saye any thynge at all . And I praye you / howe moche rychesse in the meane season hath this superstition of ymages gathered togyther / nat with out plentuouse occasyon of offensyons : which sayd ryches the glotony & pompe of a sort of vnthrifty idle belyes hath destroyed & wastfully consumed . In as moch therfore / as trewe / full / & parfyte faith can nat suffre so great abhominatyon / & syth it can nat be plucked vp by the rootes with the worde alone ( For with the goodly & gloriouse apperaunce of holynesse / and also by the reason of long custome and contynuance / it hath gotten so great auctoryte & estymation to it selfe ) it is to be put awaye by the dede selfe . And wherto nedeth it to suffre those thingꝭ amonge christen men / whiche as they can nat but engendre euylles out of nombre / so can they cause no hope nor lokynge of anye maner profyte to come by them vnto any man . It dyd become vs christen men most of al to be moued & styred with the worde of god / which doth so playnly and so expressely forbyd all maner of ymages . Whatsoeuer is redde concernynge ymages in the lawe / in the Prophettes / in the Psalmes dothe moche more rightefully appertayne vnto vs / whiche are taughte by Christe / that god is to be worshipped in spyrite and truthe / and that Christe also is natte to be honoured in Images of woode / of stone / or of syluer : but that he is to be worshypped raither syttynge on the right hande of his father / and that all the membres of the sayde Christ / that is to wytte / oure neyghbours are to be focoured with dedes of charytie .

And these fewe thinges amonge manye / it hathe lyked vs to borowe of the scryptures against pyctures and images / which scriptures alone / a christen man hathe regarde vnto / as vnto the shote ankre / in all thynges / both whiche ar to be desyred / and also whiche are to be eschewed . But yet bycause it can nat be but pleasure and conforte to the same Christen man / whatsoeuer either doctryne or examples he shal fynde in the saintes of god / which is consonant and agreyng to the scriptures : we haue thought it expedient to brynge forth a fewe thynges of the wrytyngis of the fathers / by which the godly reder shall easely perceyue / that the apostles / martyrs / and all the best lerned & most auncyent fathers taught the same thinge / whiche is ordeyned & commaunded by the word of god / vntyll such tyme as by the Gothyans & the Vandalyanes / the christen faythe and the more pure knowlege of the truthe began to be gretly minisshed and brought in decay . For in the tyme of saynte Hieronymie / & certayne yeres after him / we doo nat rede / that any bysshop beynge of wyse iugemente / dyd suffre pyctures or images in the churches of christen men . Of whiche thynge Epiphanius / the moste holy bysshoppe of Salamine / in the yle of Cyprus sheweth an euydent example in his epystel to Iohan the bysshoppe of Hierusalem / which epystel saynte Hieronyme translated into latyn . For thus he writeth : Epiphanius . whan we wente togyther to the holye place which is called Bethell / to make a collectyon there for poore people with the / accordinge to the custome and maner of the churche : and I was come vnto the vyllage which is called Anablatha / & as I passed by / dyd se a burnynge lampe / & I had asked what place it was / and had lerned that it was a churche / and had entred into it to praye : I dyd fynde there a vayle hangynge in the churche dores / coloured and paynted / & hauynge as it were the ymage of Christ / or of some saynt ( For I do nat wel remember whose ymage it was ) I say whan I had sene that in the churche of Christ / ther dyd hange the ymage of a man agaynst the auctoritie of the scriptures : I dyd cut it / & gaue counsel rather to the kepers of that place / that they shulde wynde some pore man that were deed / & bury him in it . And they agayne grudgynge / sayd by me : If he had mynded to cutte it / it was reason & right that he shuld gyue another vayle and chaunge this / which thinge whan I had herde / I promysed that I wolde gyue one / and sende it forth with . Howbeit I deferred the sending of it somwhat the longer / by the reason that I entended for to sende a very good vaile in the sted of it / & I thought that I shulde haue had one sent vnto me out of Ciprus . Nowe I haue sent suche one as I coulde get / & I pray you / that you wyll byd the preestes of that same place / to receyue this vayle of the bringer / which we haue sent / and afterwardis to commaunde / that no mo suche maner vayles / which ar contrary to our relygyon / be hangen vp in the churche of Christ .

Lo / here the sentence of the moost vertuouse bysshop / in whiche he gyueth iugemente by expresse and playne wordes / that it is agaynst scrypture & our relygion / that ymages of christ ar had in the churches of christen men / wherof we may gather euidently that in this mater / bothe Ierome & also other bisshops were of the same mynde that Epiphanius was of . Herfore Eusebius Eusebius also reherseth / as a strange & an vnwont thyng / that in Cesarea Philippi ( in which cyte the woman was borne / whom Christ healed from the fluxe of blode ) He dyd se two ymages of brasse / the one of the woman / thother of christ our sauyour / whiche ymages yet were set vp at churche dores / nat in the churche selfe / as the same Eusebius recordeth . And at the last / he sayth thus : It is no merueyle if those persones of the gentyles which dyd beleue / were sene for suche benefytes as they had receyued of the sauyour / to offre as you wolde saye / suche a maner rewarde or recompense / syth it is so that we do see ymages & tables of the apostles Peter & Paule / & also of Christ our sauyour to be caruē and paynted / euen these daies also we haue sene moreouer olde ymages of them kepte of certayne persones / which thinge me thinke is obserued / according to the custom of the gentyles / without any dyfference / bycause they ar wont in suche wise to honour them / whom they thought worthye of honoure . For that the armes or ymages of olde men are reserued & kepte for a remembrance to them that shal come after : it is a sygne & token both of their honoure / & also of these mennes loue towardis them . Li. vii . ca. 14. Thus saith Eusebius in the eccliastical histori .

Herof we doo easely perceyue / that the images whiche Eusebius dyd se / were set vp / nat within the churches / but at the churche dores . Agayne / nat to th entente that they shuld be honoured / but rather that they shuld be a testymony & record how great honour they were to be iudged worthy of / whose images were reserued & kepte : all whiche thynges neuerthelesse / Eusebius doth nat hyde / to haue taken their begynnynge of the Gentyles and hethen people . But what thinke you that he wolde haue sayd / if he had sene ymages set vp in churches and no lesse worshipped of christen men / than euer they were of anye gentyls / which thyng ( a lacke for petye ) it is vndouted both to haue be done : ye / & to be done euen now at these dayes also . Of these thynges therfore we may gather what is the cause / why the olde fathers dyd write nothynge agaynst such maner of ymages . For there was no man at that tyme / which dyd so moche as ones dreme / that euer so gret a multytude of images shuld crepe into churches / as hath cropen in / for as moche as they knewe it to be forbydden with so open & euydent oracles & testymonyes of the scrypture . But agaynste the images of the Gentyles / a man shall fynde many thinges written by the fathers very connyngly & eloquently / bycause the superstityon of them dyd raygne euery where euen at the same tyme / in which those holy men were lyuynge . yea / & was defended of the gentyles with the same weapens / with which both in our tyme / & also in the tyme of our fathers / certayne christen men haue gone about to defende and mayntayne their ymages . Whatsoeuer thynge Lactantyus wrote agaynst the ydoles of the gentyles / we may by very good right apply the same agaynst our ymages : all be it in his tyme ( as we haue sayd ) they wer nat yet vsed among crysten men . Lactantius Amonge manye places it lyketh me at this tyme to allege one . Lib. ij , cap , ij . For thus he demaundeth of the gentyles : If you do therfore fere your goddes / bicause you do iuge them to be in heuen : why doo you nat than lyfte vp youre 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 superstityouse christen men : If they do beleue that god & sayntes ar in heuen : why doo they nat rather lyfte vp theire eyes to that place / than to the deed ymages ? But let vs here also Athanase / writyng in this wyse agaynst the gentyls . Athanasius , Let them 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 : or els is it by the shape and facion brought in to the stuffe ? If it be for the stuffe of the images that he is knowen / than what nedeth any shape or facion to be brought in by the workeman ? & why dyd nat god appere as well by all maner of stuffe / before that any ymages were made : syth all thingꝭ do wytnesse his glorie . But if the shape and facyon brought into the stuffe / be the cause of the knowlege of god : what nedeth than any payntynge / or any other stuffe at all ? and why is nat god knowen rather by the very lyue creatures / whose shapes or ymages ? for doutles the glori of god shuld be more clerely & euydently knowen / if it wer shewed by the lyue creatures both resonable & vnresonable / than by deed & vnmoueable creatures . Therefore whan you do graue or paynte ymages / for the entente to haue vnderstandynge & knowlege of god : forsoth you do an vnworthy & an vnmete thinge . &c. Now Athanasius wold neuer haue purposed in his mynde / to write any suche maner thynge agaynste the gentyles / if he had sene the christen men of his tyme / entangled and wrapped in suche superstityon of ymages / as we do se a great parte of the worlde to be pytuously snarled now in our tyme : but he wold rather haue exercysed his penne agaynst christenmen / if they had ben lyke our crysten men now adayes . But nothynge letteth / but that we may very accordingly apply the same thingꝭ agaynst our superstityous christen men : for they pretende the same cause of hauyng images / with 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 consider the stuffe or the shape & facyon of them ) may do moch more strongly ( as Athanasius iugeth full wel ) there is no nede that we shuld ronne vnto the workes of men / which do represent but onely I wot nat what false ymage vnto vs . For whom soeuer trees / stones / syluer / golde / & other stuffe / wherof ymages are made / fynally whom the syght of man / to whom god hath gyuen lyfe & reason / can nat 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 agaynst Selsus ) doo rather plucke awaye the memorie of man from god / & do tourne the eyes of the mynde bacwardes / to behold & consyder erthly thinges . For euery man knoweth / that the more nere that one thynge resembleth another in nature and proprietie / so moche the more strongly it doth renewe 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 consydered 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 Caruer or Paynter / whose workmanship thou dost marueyle at / than the remembrance of god / the creatour & maker of all thingꝭ . It is therfore nothynge els but a pure disceyte of the deuyll / which calleth vs from the praisynge and charytable louynge of the lyue ymages of god / vnto deed ymages of wood or stone / which some man a folysshe counterfaiter of god / hath folysshlye carnen or paynted . We coulde also allege manye other testymonyes oute of the writynges of the fathers : but it shulde be all in vayne / to recyte any mo to him whiche is nat moued with these / which we haue all redy rehersed .

Here we haue thoughte it very expedyent & necessary to declare & make playne / according to the truth of hystories / whan / & by what begynners ymages begane to come vp amonge Christen men : & who agayne on the other syde did their endeuour to put them downe / and with how moche busynesse / & how great ieoperdy / good & well disposed men haue attempted this thing vntyll the church was brought in to this present condityon & state of thinges fallyng styl apece to worse and worse . Vndoutedly the lawes as well of the christen emperours / as of the christen counsels / made against ymagis / came than fyrst forth whan through the slouthfulnesse & neglygence of bysshoppes & their vayne curyouse desyre to wyn the fauour of god / nat only images & pyctures crepte into the churches / but also ( which is wont comunely to chaunce ) they began to be worshipped of the peple . We rede that Serenus / the bysshoppe of Massilia Serenus Bysshop of Massilia , / a very holy man / was so displeased & toke it so greuously ( as mete was ) that ymages were set vp in churches : that he dyd caste down all the ymages at ones whiche were in his churche / dyd breke them / & at the laste dyd also burne them . We do nat deny / but that this dede of Serenus was sore rebuked of Gregorie / which was called Gregorius magnus Gregorius magnus , / & that the seyde Serenus was admonished & counselled of the seid Gregori / that he shulde nat forbyd or let images to be had : but that he shuld teche the honouring of them in any wise to be auoyded . But what other thynge shuld the stādredberer of relygion and vertue fallyng in decay / do in this mater / as well as in many other ? For about that tyme the churche of Rome beganne to thretten / and gyue lykelyhod of gret ruyne of the fayth afterwardis to folowe .

But amonge the Grekes / Leo th emperour / the .iii. Leo Emperoure of the Grekes . of that name / a man both well learned / and also vertuouse and godly ( he raygned in the yere of our lorde .vii. C. lxxxiiii ) distroied al images vniuersally / & commaunded Gregori the .iii of that name by his letters / that he shuld do the same thinge lykewyse at Rome . Gregory the third But this Gregorie nat onely refused to be obedyent to the emperours commaundement / but also at Rauenna was the authour & begynner of sedition / to which cytie he called a certayne menye of bysshoppes & made a counsel / in whiche he decreed agaynste th emperours commaundement / that images ought to be had in moche more honoure / than euer they were before .

And to the entente that he might the moore boldely instytute thys thynge agaynst th emperour withoute any punysshmente : nat very longe before / he had gone aboute traytorously to forsake th emperour / and to fall vnto the parte of the frenche kynge . After the deth of Leo / Constantyne his sonne / the fyfth of that name / wyllyng to confyrme his fathers commaundement & decre / called togyther all the lerned men and bysshoppes / oute of all Grece lande / beyng in nombre . Constantin the. v CCC.xxx . which comparyng the scryptures to the reasons of the counsell / which we spake of before / called by Gregorie : determyned with one consent That it is nat lauful to them which by christ do beleue in god / to haue any images / either of the creator / or the creatures to honour theym : but rather of the ieoperdyes of offensyons / that they were all to be taken away at ones . So to the begynnynge of Leo / Constantyne his sonne / and all his successoures dyd cleue & abyde by it : vntyll suche tyme / that the cruell woman Hirene Hiren . went about that horryble and excedynge wicked tragedye / whereof we shall speke / nat longe hereafter . But the decrees of that wycked woman / were vertuously abrogated by Constantynes sonne / the syxte of that name . There cometh nowe happely to my mynde / the decre of Theodosius & Valens whiche Petrus Crinitus / a man that had red many thynges / doth recyte in the .ix. boke / De honesta disciplina . His own very wordes I shall faythfully & truly reherse .

Valens & Theodosius the noble emperours wrot to the officer called Prefectus pretorius : The decree of Theodosius and Valens . Forasmoch as our dilygent study & care is / in all thingꝭ to maynteyne & vphold the faith & honour of god : we forbid any maner man to graue or make the image of christ our sauyour of stone / of wood / or of any other stuffe / orels to paynte the same with colours . yea / and whersoeuer any such ymage be founde / we commaunde that it be taken awaye / and they sore punysshed / who so euer shall attempte any thynge contrarye to our decrees and commaundement / in whiche thynge if anye man do requyre an authoure : let him rede the decrees and commandementes of Emperoures / whiche haue ben collected and gathered by a satyre of the righte connynge men Trybunianus / Basylydes / Theophilus / Dioscorus / and other at the commaundement of the moost noble Emperoure Iustiniane .

Thus farre saythe Crinitus :

It is therfore euydente and manyfest / that th emperours also whiche were before the tyme of Leo / dydde dilygentlye prouyde / that the superstityon of Images shulde natte by anye manner meanes pollute and defyle the churches of Christen men . Pontius paulinus Bysshop of Nola the fyrst causer that images wer paynted . The fyrste of all other ( as far as we can gather of histories ) which did cause images to be paynted in churches : was Pontius Paulinus bysshoppe of Nola / about the yere of our lorde ecccl . For he solemnysing yerely the byrthe daye of Saynt Felix / was wonte to make a great and a costly fest vnto the churche / and to th entent that they whiche sate at the seyd fest / shulde be the sooner and more easely prouoked to temperaunce / & to the consyderatyon of godlye thinges : he paynted on the churche walles / ymages of the histores of the old testament / that they shulde haue somwhat also where with they mighte fede / and delyte their eyes frutefully . Afore this Paulinus / you shall nat lyghtly fynde / that any suche thynge was attempted by any man / at the lest wyse / beyng of any famous memorye . For in suche wyse by lytell & lytell / this superstityon 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 se / that Paulynus dyd two maner waies offende . for fyrst agaynste the commaundement of saynte Paule / he was bolde / & toke vpon him selfe to make open festes in the churche . And ( which agayne was as great an offence / and suche as can nat be excused ) he began with ymages to exhorte men vnto the loue & exercisynge of temperaunce : whan he beynge a christen man / ought rather to haue gone about to do the same with holesome doctryne and good example . Wherfore it doth euidently appere that this bysshoppe dyd in no wise begyn that thynge of a pure godly spiryte : but if a man do well consydre & way euery thinge / he shall fynde / that with the same spyrite / that is to wytte most retchelesse / & dispisyng of godly thinges / other men also haue taken vpon them to defende imagis . For the popes & bisshops ( I wot nat whether throgh euyll wyll or els through a certayn pride ) began with toth & nayle to defende the vse / or rather the abuse of ymages against the greke emperours : vntyll suche tyme as by the labour & helpe of Hyrenes Herene empresse ( which after the decesse of Leo her husband had the rule & gouernance of th empyre many yeres ) a counsel was assembled at Nice / in whiche counsell she caused to be abrogated & dysanulled / whatsoeuer was before decreed by Constantyne / concernyng the puttynge away of ymages . Neither coulde this wyckednesse suffyse & content her mynde : but she did cause the bodye of Constantyne to be digged vp agayne out of the grounde to be brente to asshes / & laste of all to be throwen into the see .

This very same Hyrene / after that she was by her sonne deposed from her tyrannous empire / lefte nothinge vnassaid nor neuer rested vntyll by abhominable & traytorous craftes / she wan agayn th empire vnto her selfe : which thing whan she had brought to passe / accordinge to her owne mynde / she dyd caste her sonne in to prison / plucked out his eyes / & in conclusion slewe him also . But whan she feared that her tiranny shulde nat contynue nor last long she made labours ( the pope of Rome beyng broker & spokesman ) to be maried vnto Charles the great / otherwise called Charlemayn / kinge of France : & for this cause she gaue lycence to the bysshop of Rome to translate the crown of th empire of Rome vnto Charles / hopyng verily that her owne tiranny shuld be safe / if by translatyng th empire of the Grekes traytourously vnto the frenchemen / she dyd bynde / nat onely Charles / but also the bisshoppe of Rome / & make theym her frendes with this great benefyte .

But whan Nicephorus , Nicephorus . which than was capitayne of the army of the Grekes perceyued these traitorouse disceytes / forthwith in all hast he did cast Hirene into prison / as she had deserued / in which she made a wretched ende / & changed this lyfe with deth / worthy & mete for suche goodly actis as she had done . O cruell woman , This same Hirene which digged vp the deed body of her father in lawe / & brent it . Which put out her owne sonnes eyes / & slewe him in prison : which betraied th emperour of the Grekes : & this same bisshoppe / the counseller & helper of the most wicked & vngratiouse womans purposes & enforcementes : which bisshop toke awaye from the right & lawfull emperour his empier / & did put in another into th empier whom it pleased himselfe : but yet vpon this condition / that he himselfe shuld haue Rome / & Italye for his parte : This worshipful couple ( Isai ) auaunced ymages vnto this estymation & hononour . For whatsoeuer ymages or pictures are in estimation : they may nat without good cause thanke these .ii. for it / as fyrst begynners . Howbeit / the successoures also of Charles / dyd afterwardis their dilygent endeuour to maynteyne & vphold these abhominations : lest the foundation & ground worke of ydolatrye / which Charles had layde / shuld haue lacked building to garnisshe it full of all impyetie & wickednes . Howbeit those men in tymes past / dyd neuer than pollute & defyle temples & churches with so many images / & shewing so manyfest apperance of ydolatry ( which thinge we may perceyue & se euen yet by those which they bylded ) as haue ben set vp eueriwher in these laste . C. yeres / to the occasyon of most vaine honour : which honour to th entent to make it the more accepted with false & lieng wonders he styred vp & moued suꝑstitiouse persones in euery place / to begyn pylgrymages to suche ymages / to their gret hynderance / both of godes / & of faythe & godlynesse , For ( I praye you ) tell me what other thynge shall a man fynde in suche maner churches of the blessed vyrgin : than certayne fylthy & smoky ymages ? For god ( such is his excedyng goodnesse ) leste any occasyon of ydolatry shuld be left vnto men : he wolde that the body of the blessed virgin shuld nat be knowen Likewise as he did by the body of Moses . We wyl say nothing here of the ymages of saynte Anne / of sayntes / nor of the images of Angels : which men with lyke superstityon / haue begon to set vp wel-nere in euery corner / & to worshyp them . And ( which is as gret a folysshnes as may be ) whan there ar so many images oftentymes 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 the vanyte of images that though in very dede thei could put vs in remembrance of god : yet neuerthelesse for dyuerse occasyons of offensyons & ydolatrye / it were expedient & necessari to haue them taken awaye in all the hast / accordyng to the example of Esechias the most holy kyng / whiche did cast down & breke the brasen serpent / which was set vp by the commaundement of god : whan he had parceyued that it was worshypped contrary to the commaundement of god .

These thynges / which we haue hytherto recyted / if he that fauoureth the glori of Christ / wyll dilygently way & consyder in his mynd he shall vndoubtedly perceyue / that whatsoeuer ymages ar honoured in churches / or anye maner waye maye be honoured : neither ought / neither may be suffred amonge crysten men / vnlesse we wyl do against the manifest precepte of god / & despyse & set at nought both the faith and also the examples of the apostels martyrs / and also of holy fathers . Fynally except we can fynde in our herte in the stede of the lawes / whiche haue been made both by christen emperours / & also counsels to receyue the traditions of the bisshop of Rome / & of the most wycked woman / whose delyte & plesure both of them / was in traison / robbries / & contynuall study to deuide & distroy the

Fynally as concerning ( empire , the takyng down & putting away of altres / the which haue knowen the wicked abusyons of the masse / may & wyll be sone satisfied & contented without any gret busynes / they which do nat know / can nat be pacifyed with moch busynes : vnlesse thei be taught first / how gret abhomination the masse is in the sight of god . Therfore this one thinge we desyre to be consydered of them that fere & drede god / in what maner & forwhat ende & entent / christ our sauyour did institute his holy souper Truly to th entent / that this discyples ( that is to say / they which wil lyue accordinglye to his doctryne and commaundement ) assemblynge togyther / shuld take that misticall breed & misticall drinke in comen / & eueryone put other in remembrance of that incomparable charytie of christ / by which he suffred doth for their saluation : & by the reason therof / their fayth & trust in god beinge encreased / shuld be enflamed both with the hatred of sines / & also with loue of all vertues / professyng them selues to be one body & one breed in Christ . By this meanes onely / holy men ar nourysshed with christ the meate of lyfe . Now compare vnto these thingꝭ / that which is done commenly in masses . Masses most specyally ar done for the belyes sake : or els at the lestwise to purchase some merite afore god / which thing euen it selfe alone / although al this busynes were commaunded by god / shuld yet make it abhomynable to god . Besydes this / there ar sayd & done so many thinges / whiche do turne away our myndes from christ which raigneth in heuen / vnto the worke of the prest . The congregation hereth no doctryne or exhortatyon in their mother tongue / that they might be edifyed therby . Ther is no communion had / although the wordes whiche the prest reherseth do make mentyon of it . And whyles the preest alone dothe receyue the breed & the cuppe of the lorde : there is natte / as Paule sayth / the souper of the lorde represented . There ar sayd also many thinges which ar playne repugnant to the scripture : for they do teche to trust vnto the merytes & intercessyon of saintes . And ( which thing is most highly to be abhorred ) where as the oblation of Christ ( by whiche only beyng made vpon the crosse / we ar assoiled & sanctified for euer more ) ought to be preached : The prest bosteth / that as oftentymes as he doth his masse / so oftentimes he doth offre Christ to his father / and therfore doth by it obtayne the puttyng away of all euyls / & a hope of al good thinges to them only / which by gyuyng any thinge to the prest do make them selues partakers of the masse / by the / reason wherof it is come to passe / that so many men / al care of innocencye layde aparte / do hope that heuen shal be opened vnto them / euen by masses alone . Whosoeuer acknowlegeth the lorde Iesus as our only sauyour & sanctyfyer / if he do consyder these thinges dilygently / & with the same do compare those thingꝭ / which our lorde both sayd & dyd : and besydes that / dyd betake to vs for to be reiterated / & oftentimes put in vse : he shal esely perceyue & se / that there was neuer anye superstityon in tymes past / which had in it selfe so great impyetie & wickednesse / so gret contempte of god / so gret distruction of all vertues / as hathe the masse / so as it hath ben vsed to be had nowe these certayne yeres . And hereof whan he knoweth / that nothing is so moch to be hated & abhorred of cristen men : he shall perceyue that all remembrance of it is vtterly to be taken away : & therfore that the alters / which were the forgers of such ydolatry / & in dede the rich wyues of prestis but very hurtfull to all crysten people wer in no wyse to be suffred of that gouernour & ruler / which princypally entended to execute his offyce to the honour & pleasure of christ . Let cristen men know the truth of the mater / & than afterwardis let them

Last of all / this thing also ( iuge . is to be obserued in this matter / though neuer so gret offensyons & occasyons of euyls come through pyctures & images / that yet for all that / it is nat laufull for any man but the hed offycer & ruler to caste them out / namely out of open & comen places . For in asmoche as they are outward thingꝭ / no man ought to take vpon him more power ouer them than the condition & state of euery man shall requyre / that it is to wit / that euery man priuatly banysh them out of his owne mynde / reiecting the folyshe estimation of them . Now to an housholder it belongeth / accordynge to the example of Iames the patriarch Iames the Patriarche . / to clense & rid his house of them . But to cast them out of churches & comen places / is the duty of the hedofficer & gouernour / which duty ( thanke be to Christ ) our gouernour hath knowen / & hath executed with crysten grauyte . And one thyng is to be eschewed in this busynes / lykewise as in al other / whiche it belongeth to cristen mennes charge for to do ( & it is the counsell of . S. Paule ) that we do nat betraye & set forth our good to the euyll wordis of men : & that the thing which was instytuted to the helth and saluation of many men / be nat an occasyon of hurte to any man . Wherfore if any man in distroyeng of ymages / shulde do any thynge presumputously / outragyously / & past the mesure of charite / he shuld bynde himselfe by so moch to the more greuouse sine / by howe moche the thynge is more holy / in whiche he foloweth his owne sensuall lust / & the offycer ought ( nat without good cause ) to punysshe him for brekinge of loue & charite . Also it ought nat to be ascribed to any outragiousnesse / though vnsensyble ymages be nat so softely & so tenderly handled / as certayn men ( through a folish ymagination / as though with the fygure & symilytude of man / they had also mannes wyttes & reason ) are wont to haue compassyon / and to sorowe somwhat whan they ar broken . For if we were dysposed to take awaye images / after suche maner and facyon as scripture techeth and commaundeth / whiche facyon doutlesse must nedes be best : we ought to breke them / yea / and that all to pouder / that they might neuer be made whole agayne / nor be restored into so wycked an vse in whiche we ought nat to haue so gretly regarded the labour & craft of man / syth it is our duty to offre euen oure owne selues also to the crosse / and to all maner afflyction / rather than to be wyllynge to gyue occasyon of fallynge to any man that walketh in the waye of vertue and godlynesse . And wolde god there were in all men as moch care and dilygence to make moche of / and to beware of offendynge or hurtynge the verye lyue ymages / whiche god him selfe hathe made to his owne lykenesse : as we doo see to be in very manye men / that those deed & dombe ymages shuld nat be hardlye / nor vnreuerently entreated . To conlude shortlye to plucke downe ymages and pictures / and to ryd them quyte oute of churches / is an holy thynge / and ought to be begon accordyng to the commaundemente of god , It is conuenyente therefore and mete / that it be performed and fulfylled in suche wyse / that it maye be accepted and alowed of all mightye god . That is to wytte / that they be so taken away / that there be no whytte of them remaynynge / namely to lyke vse / and also that yet neuertheles / nothinge be done p̄sumptuousely / nor outragyousely / nothynge that maye gyue anye man good cause to be troubled : but that all thynges be done charytably / of pure and perfyte loue / and desyre to do profyte to all men . And after this facyon god graunte that his people maye be delyuered from ydoles and ymages / throughout the whole world / from the tone ende to the tother .

AMEN .

Printed for W. Marshall . With the Kynges moost gratiouse priuylege .