If It Is True What The Prophets Write Poem by William Blake

If It Is True What The Prophets Write

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If it is true, what the Prophets write,
That the heathen gods are all stocks and stones,
Shall we, for the sake of being polite,
Feed them with the juice of our marrow-bones?

And if Bezaleel and Aholiab drew
What the finger of God pointed to their view,
Shall we suffer the Roman and Grecian rods
To compel us to worship them as gods?

They stole them from the temple of the Lord
And worshipp'd them that they might make inspirèd art abhorr'd;

The wood and stone were call'd the holy things,
And their sublime intent given to their kings.
All the atonements of Jehovah spurn'd,
And criminals to sacrifices turn'd.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Michael Walker 04 August 2019

A clear distinction is drawn between the pagan gods and the Christian God. I think that Blake implies that the two religions have different methods of gaining believers, followers. Brilliant.

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