Augsburg, Staats- und Stadtbibliothek — Th H 1475. Digital Reproduction: München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, 2015.
Molanus discusses another time the usefulness of ancient images to those who have fallen into sin or who run the risk of doing so. An important addition he makes here is the fact that images are not only important to the illiterature, but also to people of great culture or saint habits. He bases this on the Greek saying that paintings are living scripture, which he derived from Saint Bede’s Temple of Salomon.
“Indeed, paintings are a living scripture, as the Greeks call them, and they are the book not only of laymen and illiterates but also of men of great culture and holy morals, who confess that their vision is of great use to them, even that it has caused their tears. It is for this reason that, since ancient times, the Holy Church has usually ordered those who have fallen into certain sins, and those who are tempted to commit them, to take into consideration such images.”
“Sunt enim picturae vivae scripturae, quomodo Graeci nominant et non tantum laicorum et idiotarum libri, sed doctissimorum quoque et sanctissimorum virorum, qui earum inspectionem fatentur sibi magnam utilitatem, imo lachrimas perisse. Hac sane de causa sancta Ecclesia solet antiquitus santarum huiusmodi imaginum inspectionem eis conmendare, qui aut in peccata quaedam inciderant, aut ab eis impugnabantur.”
Molanus 1996, 170-171.
