A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

755the conclusion and summing up of the results of all the greatcontroversies that had distracted that part of the Church. Hisgreatest work, De Fide Orthodoxa, may be found translatedin PNF. In the following chapter John sums up briefly thearguments which he uses in his three orations In Defence ofImages (to be found in MSG, 94:1227 ff.; for translation seehead of section). By images one should understand picturesrather than statues. The latter were never common and fellentirely out of use and were forbidden. They seemed tooclosely akin to idols. In the translation, the phrase “to showreverence” is the equivalent of the Greek προσκυνέω.Since some find fault with us for showing reverence and honoringthe image of our Saviour and that of our Lady, and also of therest of the saints and servants of Christ, let them hear that fromthe beginning God made man after His own image. On whatother grounds, then, do we show reverence to each other than thatwe are made after God's image? For as Basil, that most learnedexpounder of divine things, says: “The honor given to the imagepasses over to the prototype.” 328 Now a prototype is that whichis imaged, from which the form is derived. Why was it thatthe Mosaic people showed reverence round about the tabernaclewhich bore an image and type of heavenly things, or rather thewhole creation? God, indeed, said to Moses: “Look that thoumake all things after the pattern which was shewed thee in themount” [Ex. 33:10]. The Cherubim, also, which overshadowedthe mercy-seat, are they not the work of men's hands? What isthe renowned temple at Jerusalem? Is it not made by hands andfashioned by the skill of men? The divine Scriptures, however,blame those who show reverence to graven images, but also thosewho sacrifice to demons. The Greeks sacrificed and the Jews alsosacrificed; but the Greeks to demons; the Jews, however, to God.And the sacrifice of the Greeks was rejected and condemned, [692]328 See next selection.