English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485 -- Sources
+Archbishop.+ Then the Archbishop said to me, "Lewd losell! In the Old
Law, before that CHRIST took mankind [_human nature_], was no likeness
of any person of the Trinity neither shewed to man nor known of man; but
now since CHRIST became man, it is lawful to have images to shew His
manhood. Yea, though many men which are right great Clerks, and others
also, hold it an error to paint the Trinity; I say, it is well done to
make and to paint the Trinity in images. For it is a great moving of
devotion to men, to have and to behold the Trinity and other images of
Saints carved, cast, and painted. For beyond the sea, are the best
painters that ever I saw. And, sirs! I tell you, this is their manner;
and it is a good manner! When that an image-maker shall carve, cast in
mould, or paint any images; he shall go to a priest, and shrive him as
clean as if he should die, and take penance, and make some certain vow
of fasting, or of praying, or of pilgrimages doing: praying the priest
specially to pray for him, that he may have grace to make a fair and a
devout image."
=GREAT BOLDNESS OF THE LOLLARD APOSTLE.=
+William.+ And I said, "Sir, I doubt not, if these painters that ye
speak of, or any other painters understood truly the text of MOSES, of
DAVID, of the Wise Man [_i.e._, _SOLOMON_], of BARUCH, and of other
Saints and Doctors, these painters should be moved to shrive them to
GOD, with full inward sorrow of heart; taking upon them to do right
sharp penance for the sinful and vain craft of painting, carving, or
casting that they had used; promising GOD faithfully never to do so
after, [ac]knowledging openly before all men, their reprovable earning.
And also, sir, these priests, that shrive, as ye do say, painters, and
enjoin them to do penance, and pray for their speed, promising to them
help of their prayers for to be curious [_cunning_] in their sinful
crafts, sin herein more grievously than the painters. For these priests
do comfort and give them counsel to do that thing, which of great pain
(yea, under the pain of GOD's curse!) they should utterly forbid them.
For, certes, Sir, if the wonderful working of GOD, and the holy living
and teaching of CHRIST and of his Apostles and Prophets were made known
to the people by holy living and true and busy teaching of priests;
these things, Sir, were sufficient books and kalendars to know GOD by,
and His Saints: without any images made with man's hand: but, certes,
the vicious living of priests and their covetousness are [the] chief
cause of this error and all other viciousness that reigneth among the
people."
+Archbishop.+ Then the Archbishop said to me, "I hold thee a vicious
priest, and a curst! and all them that are of thy sect! for all priests
of Holy Church and all images that move men to devotion; thou and such
others go about to destroy! Losell! were it a fair thing to come into a
church, and see therein none image?"
=THERE IS NO MIRACLE IN AN IMAGE.=
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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