Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 7
#Sect. 7. The Croſſe ſinneth againſt this maine principle of the word, he that addeth or taketh from it, &c. Popiſh Ceremonies worſe then Iewiſh.
AS the ſigne of the Croſſe ſinneth againſt the letter of this Commaundement, Sect. 7.and the rule of Gods worſhip which it intendeth (which is the word,) ſo is tranſgreſſeth againſt a maine authorament of it which is this,1Deut. 4 2. & 12.32. Thou ſhalt not adde to it, nor take away from it. 2Exod. 20.25.He that of old lifted an axe ouer an Altar to hew and frame it to his owne liking, did pollute it: and can it be then without the polluting of the Sacrament, that the Croſſe is lift vp ouer it, not onelyonly an axe that ſerueth to poliſh according to policie, but alſo ſuch as hath bene whet at the Philiſtins forge, nay bought or borrowed from them? It this to obey the cōmaundement,3Deut. 12.31. Thou ſhalt not doe ſo to the Lord thy God, as they doe to theirs? Is this to feare the reproofe,4Ezech. 43.8. They ſet their threſholdes by my threſholdes, and their poſtes by my poſtes, and defile mine holy name? Laſtly, Is this to reuerence the inhibition,5Hoſi. 2.16. Thou ſhalt not call me Baali (that is) ſerue me in like manner as Baal is ſerued withall? Heere the patrones of the ceremonies controuerſed diuide the houſe, ſome taking no ſhame to borrow from Papiſts; others (for ſhame) ſtanding on a deniall that theſe ceremonies are borrowed from them. The former of theſe, how doe they weaken their brethrens hands, and blunt their weapons againſt the Papiſts? For againſt the antiquitie of their lights and incenſe with the like, the beſtaMagdeburgenſ. centur. 4. cap. 6. plea that we hauehave is this, that they are borrowed by a foreign, From the Pagans and the Iewes. The whole bodie of popiſh ceremonies, which Durand hath anatomized, we vſe to thruſt through with this ſpit,bHoſpinian de re tēplar. lib. 4. ca. 1. Hee profeſſeth that they are taken from the Iewes. Whole Treatiſes andcBulling. de orig. error. ca 33.34. Tho. Moteſcin. de orig. & depraunt. relig. per tot. bookes hauehave we written againſt their apiſh imitation of Iewes, and Pagans in their feaſtes, in their Images, and other complements of their ſeruice. By name we renew the auncient cenſure againſt their holy water condemned of old, becauſe it is [ritus dSozom. lib. 6. cap. 6.gentilium] againſt their Images, becauſe they areeEuſeb. lib. 7. ca. 17. gentilis confuetudo, againſt their ſhauing, becauſe the PrieſtsfHieron. in Ezech. lib. 23. cap. 42. of Iſis vſed it againſt their lights,gSenec. lib. 14 epi. 15 becauſe at firſt they were ſet vp to heathen Gods, and not to wander from home, we cenſure the Chriſtians that borrowed a Croſſe from thehD. Fulk again. Sand. of Images cap. 11. pag 663. Ca…th. ag. Mart. art. 5 T. of Serapis. And this we doe being thereto bounde not onelyonly by the word of God, but alſo by the general practiſe of the Church throughout all ages. Indeed, I know not whether the Church hath not exceeded in her zeale, ſith it hath made it no leſſe then hereſie from time to time to vſe any rite of aliens as we may ſee in thelAuguſt. haeteſ. 2….50. Quartadecimani, for this only eſteemed heretiques, becauſe they kept their feaſt of Eaſter vponupon the ſame day on which the Iewes obſerued their Paſſeover. And thus Hierome, mHieron. Auguſtin. epiſt. 11.Cerinthus & Ebion, propter hoc ſolum à Patribus ana. thematizati ſunt, quod legis Ceremonias & Chriſti Evangelium miſcuerunt, & ſic noua confeſsi ſunt vt vetera non amitterent. But it will be ſaid, this was becauſe of the merit and of the neceſſitie which they put in the rites which they retayned, & the ceremonies now controuerſed, are not ſo vrged. Of this ſhift we may be aſhamed. AnConrad. Lutzenb. Catalog. haeretic. lib. 4. parti. 13. fol. 85. papiſt him ſelfe averring etiam lege Iudaica non cogente, it is hereſie to vſe their rites in caſe of louelove or in caſe of charitie, becauſe vmbra legis is totally vaniſhed; and the rites of the Iewes are now [mortiferae] to him that vſeth them, let him vſe them which way he will. And the Eaſterne Churches obſerued not the fourtenth day, as the Quartadecimiani: they obſerued it as an ancient cuſtome, but we do now obſerue the Croſſe: whom yet the Councill of Nice condemned, becauſe it became Chriſtians to hauehave nothing common with the Iewes in their rites & obſeruations. Now, where is a reaſon to make it more lawful to borrow from papiſtes, then from the Iewes? Is there not apparent reaſon we may leſſe? For the Iewes ceremonies were ordayned of God, the Papiſts by the man of ſinne the Antichriſt, and Iewiſh ceremonies renewed are but Chriſti ſepulchra, When they be at worſt, the Ceremonies of Papiſts euen foetida ſtercora in the opiniō of ouroIoh Caluin. in Act. 16.3. beſt Diuines. Secondly, as this tenent weakneth our owne handes, ſo doeth it ſtrengthen the handes of papiſtes, who ſo reverence the grace and trueth of the Goſpell, as that withall they will retainepAdrian. in Epiſt. in Conc. Nicen. 2. act. 2 p. 72. veteres typos, figuras, & vmbras, for notes and for ſignes of the ſame. So Innocentius will hauehave the Lawes of Deutronomie ſtill obſerued, adding a reaſon foreign is ſecunda lex. While ourqMatt. Sutclif. de miſs. lib. 3. cap. 6. writers proteſt againſt this vayling and ſhadowing of the Goſpells brightnes, we in retaining of the Surplice do make good,rDurand. rational. lib. 3. cap. …. confeſſed on all ſides to be borrowed from the Iewes.iDej conſecrat. diſtin. 1. cap. 2. Gratian profeſſeth we are to take paterne from the Iewes. The gloſſe thervpon inferreth, poſſumus argumentari ab exemplis infidelium. This whiletHoſpin. vt ſupra. our Writers do with al their power deſtroye, our imitation of the Papiſtes worſe then the Iewes buildeth vp againe. TheuRhem. annotat. in 1. Tim. 4. ſect. 18. Rhemiſtes directly hold, we may take ceremonies frō the Iewes. OurwD. Fulk in anſwer ibid. D. Willet. cō troverſ. 2. q. 4. p. 2. Writers ſet foote againſt them; theſe we by retaining popiſh ceremonies, feare not to ſupplant. Caſar Baronius readeth vsus this leſſon,xCaeſ. Barō. Annal. an. 200. Conſulto introductam videtur vt quae eſſent Gentilitiae ſuperſtitionis officia, eadē verbi Dei cultū ſanctificata, in verae religionis cultū impenderentur. Again,yIdem in Martyrolo. Roman. F… bru 2. In multis gentiliū inſtitutis contigit vt ſuper ſtitionis corum vſus ſacris ritibus expiatus, ac ſacro ſanctus reditus in Dei Eccleſiā laudabiliter introductus ſit. Which while ourzIoh. Reynold. de Idolat li 2. c 3. ſect. 13 beſt writers refute with reaſoning, our doeing the ſame in Croſſe and Surplice, approue with practize.aPolydor. Virgil de inven. rer. Polydore Virgil deriueth the moſt of popiſh ceremonies from Iewes and Pagans. Blondus taketh pride to blende the rites of new Rome popiſh, and old Rome Paganiſh. Which while ourbTho. Moreſein. de orig. depra. religion. Writers with their pennes make odious, our retaining of popiſh ceremonies make to bee lawfull. Thirdly, this conformitie of ours with Papiſtes in their rites, deſtroyeth that difference and ſeparation which ought to be betweene the Church of God and aliens. Well,cMelciad. in epiſt. Decret. ad Hiſpan. Epiſe. Melciades. No man muſt faſt the Thurſday or Sunday, vt inter iciunia Chriſtianorum & Gentilium, & bareticorum vera & nō falſa diſcretio habeatur. For we may if we will learne from him, that to retaine an alien rite in diuerſe vſe, is falſa diſcretio, that the ſeparatiō is neuer true, till hereticall ceremonies be caſhiered. Heere it is pleaded that Gedeon ſacrificed Baals Oxe to God. That Ioſua ſanctified the goods of Iericho to the Lord, and Moſes turned the Cenſors of Corah to plates for the Altar. To omit that the laſt were no goods of Idolaters at all, the former no goods of Idolaters in ſtate Idolatrous, which maketh a maine difference betweene them and the ceremonies controuerſed, with many moe pleas which we might alleadge; we reſt on that which one of ourdPet. Martyrin Iudie. writers bringeth, There was a ſpeciall warrant for theſe, and A ſpeciall commaundement, but none for Croſſe and Surplice. It is alſoeThe examiner of the declarat. of the Miniſters of London. obiected, that God borrowed linnen veſtures from Aegyptian Prieſtes: that he ordained Tythes notwithſtanding Hercules had his Tythes before, and appointed bread for his Sacrament, though Mythra had bread offered to him. That the Chriſtians had their Agapae at communions, notwithſtanding the foreign of the heathen in the Temples of their Idols. That the primitiue church had many things from the Iewes. that we our ſelues retaine at this day the Ring in mariage from the heathen, and Tythes from the Iewes, and keepe ſett faſtes, though Montanus were the firſt that did ſett downe ſett dayes for faſting. Wee anſwer: The ordayner of the moſt of theſe was God; of whom if any ſay hee borrowed, he blaſphemeth. as alſo he preſumeth in his pride, that thinketh he hath the ſame power that God hath, to ordaine the ceremonies of his ſeruice. Howbeit to particulars. The Prieſtes of Egypt borrowed their linnen from the Iewes, as it is likely euen as they did their circūciſion.fIoh. Bohem. Auhan. de morib. gentiū. li. 1. ca. 45. Mythra gTertul. de praeſcript.borrowed his bread frō God. To ſay the Agapae of the Chriſtians were not an imitatiō of the Iewes feaſtes after their ſacrifices rather then of the Gentiles, and that they were not aboliſhed when time of abolition came; or that Hercules (which is Ioſua) was before Moſes, to hauehave his Tythes imitated by him, is ignorāce or falſhood. To iuſtifie popiſh rites in vſe religious by cuſtomes of the primitiue Church, by tythes & faſting dayes of our owne at home, either tollerated for a time only, or cōtinued by a foreign and perverſe imitation, or vſed only in civill matters and not religious, is inconſequent & abſurde.hAuguſt. de vnico. bapt. contra. Petilian. ca. 9. Auguſtine (alſo) is wont to be cited, but he only alloweth to take from heretiques, the things that be good. in ſuch as Croſſe and Surplice are, he is with vsus, as ſhall be ſhewed. Now, mention we only, that grand poſition which euer the Church of God allowed,lTertul. de coron. milit. Nihil dandum Idolo, nec ſumendum ab Idolo. a rule ſo ſtrictly and ſeriouſlie kept in the primitiue Church, as that they abhorred the very wordes and names them ſeiues, which did ſymbolize with aliens. This the Papiſtes them ſelues confeſſe: the word Prieſt and Sacrifice was not wont to bee vſed (ſaymDurant. de rit. li. 1. ca. 1. ſect. 7 they) till the dayes of Irenaeus, For feare of Co-incidence with the Iewes. And wherefore feared they this Co-incidence? leaſt they ſhould ſeeme (ſaiethnBellar. de miſſ ca. 17. Bellarmine) to renew their rites, or to confirme them. For the very ſame cauſe another pronounceth,oGarol. Bonius ſchol. in Clement li. 7. ca. 39. Haereticorum etiam vocabula timenda ſunt. And ourpRhemiſt. Annotat. in 1. Tim. 6. ſect. 4. Rhemiſtes, We ſhall keepe the faith of our Fathers, if we keepe their verie wordes themſelues. But avoid we the wordes of heretiques although they ſeeme to hauehave no harme in them. Is there a ſinfull ſeeming in the vſe of the names of hereticall rites, and doeth the verie vſe of their names renew & confirme them; And will Papiſtes forbeare the very words themſelues of heretiques, though they doe not ſo much as ſeeme to hauehave hurt: and is there no ſinne for vsus to renew and confirme the rites of papiſtes, when we not only vſe their names honorably, but alſo vſe their rites themſelues, yea commaunde them; yea revenge them, and that not only when they hauehave a ſeeming of hurt, but alſo doe effect much harme? Oh take we heed, it is an heauy thing to expect euen papiſtes themſelues, to riſe vp in iudgement againſt vsus. Howbeit, what ſay wee to the names of Idolls,1Act. 18.24. Apollo, 2Act. 17.34.Dionyſius, 3Rom. 16.14.Mercurius, 4Rom. 16.Phebe, with the like, which the Chriſtians retayned euen in their baptiſme (as ſome of our Oppoſites would perſwade vsus) againſt the letter of the old law? Thou ſhalt not take vp their names within thy lippes. In deed ſome thinke they hauehave found out herein a great peece of matter againſt vsus, if yet it be againſt vsus, and not rather againſt the Lord, & againſt his ſeruant Moſes. The chriſtians were called by their old names which were taken from Idols. True, as the ſtreet in Athens is called Mors ſtreet out of a neceſſitie, for who had power to chaunge and alter them? And marke not our Oppoſites this inſtance is wholy ciuill? No ſay they, for euen in baptiſme theſe names of Idols were impoſed on them. A Papiſt himſelfe will not ſay ſo, who thinketh there were Godfathers in the Primatiue Church; and that mens names were giuen vntounto them in the adminiſtration of Baptiſme. For hee thinketh their old Idolatrous names wereqCaeſar Baron. Anal. anno 258. & an▪ 259. chaunged when they were made Chriſtians. As for vsus, who know there were no Godfathers at the firſt, as now there be, nor no newrIohn Reynold. de Idololat. li. 1. cap. 5. ſect. 28. names giuen in Baptiſme, this obiection might very well hauehave bene omitted. The truth is, when an Infant was baptiſed, the order was very ſtrictlysDurant. de rit. li. 1. ca. 19. ſect. 20. kept, which is fathered vponupon the Councill of Nice,tConcil Nicen. can. 30 Nefidelis nomina gentilium filijs ſuis imponant. And we may euen hence perceiue, that the parents ſet the name at home: as alſo by an other enſample.uCaeſar. Baron. Anal. in an. 290. Parentes mei vocarunt me Tharacum. And alſo by the common orderwDioniſ. Eccleſiaſt. Hitrarch. regiſtred thus, The Miniſter was wont at the Church doore (not in Baptiſme) to aske the name of him that was to be Baptiſed (marke, aske and enquire) and not to giuegive the name himſelfe. As for the aged, there was ordinarily no medling of their names at Baptiſme: but the order was to come before hand, at what time they were called [competentes] and giuegive their names, to wit, their old ones which were written downe in a Regiſter; which order continued long after Chriſt, as many vndoubtedxCyril Hieroſol. Catechiſ. 1. Concil. Carthag. 4. cap. 85. Auguſt. epiſt. 155. Baron. an… in an. 284. witneſſes ſhew. And that theſe names were totally ciuill, it appeareth by this, that men did chaunge their names when they would. As one called Tharacus at the firſt, when he entreth into warre, he giueth himſelfe the new nameyCaeſar Baron. ana. an. 290. Cod. lib. 9. Tit. 25. ca. 1. of Victor. And the ciuill z Law it ſelfe permitted this chaunge. In which often the Chriſtians of Africa chaunged their olde Idolatrous names into ſuch as preſent occaſion did require:aCaeſar Baron annal. an. 303. As theſe names ſhewe [habet Deum] hee hath God, [ſpes in Deo] hope in God, [benè ſeruatus] graciouſly ſaued: which, are they not the very ſame which our Oppoſites thinke fantaſticall, when now they are imitated?