Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 19 [i.e. 18]
#Sect. 19. The preſsing of the Croſſe confirmes popiſh principles. The vrging of the Croſſe, eſtabliſh a popiſh neceſsitie, ex conſequenti.
FIftly, though our gouernours be not popiſh, yet by their preſſing of the Croſſe, they confirme the popiſh principle,aBellar. de effect. Sacram. ca. 29 ritus Sacramentorum debent eſſe perpetui: againſt which our writers vſe to build vp a contrary doctrine in Ritibus, bZach. vrſin. de Adiaphor. Gal. 2.12.13.14.ne accedat perpetua obſeruatio. Sixtly, though the vrging of the Croſſe and the reſt of the ceremonies doe not eſtabliſh a popiſh neceſſitie [ex profeſſo] yet ex conſequenti it confirmeth it, both with the Papiſt abroad, and the ſimple at home. Paul doth reprooue Peter, wherefore? becauſe by his conforming to the Iewes ceremonies he confirmed by his enſample that neceſſity which was held of them. The trin-immerſion is a rite more auncient then the Croſſe, yet when it grew neceſſary in the opinion of heretiques, euencGregor. epiſt. ad I. …andrum. indict. 9. cap. 41. Gregorie himſelfe doth aboliſh it, a man deuoted otherwiſe to much to ceremonies: whom, how manydPet. Martyr. de Imag. ſect. 25. Hieron. Zanch. de imag. theſ. 3. fol. 369. of our writers cite to proue it a duty to aboliſh all rites which are held neceſſary by the Papiſts? And a wholeeHarmon. confeſ. ſect 17. Auguſt. confeſſ. p. 223 Church hath ſayd, when there is a neceſſitie placed in a ceremonie, wee are by enſample to ſhew the contrary. Yea ourfZepper. de polit. Eccleſ. lib. 1. cap. 11. Diuines conſent, that when ceremonies are ſo ſtrictly and preciſely vrged, that trouble doth ariſe about them, that then a man is bound to forbeare, to giuegive notice by his enſample againſt the neceſſity which might be conceiued in thē. Say not here, no neceſſity can be conceiued in the ceremonies controuerſed, becauſe the authoritie that doth vrge them, doth openly profeſſe the contrary. One of the Croſſes proctors telleth vsus:gRic. Hook lib. 5. ca. 65 p. 165. in actions of this kinde wee are more to reſpect what the greateſt part of men is commonly proue to conceiue, then what ſome fewe mens wits may deuiſe in conſtruction of their particular meaning. Now what the people are prone to conceiue is euident,hChemnit. exam. p. 1. tit. de rit. Sacrament. p. 38. Vulgi perſuaſio. &c. The perſwaſion of the vulgar people maketh the rites deuiſed by men, to be as neceſſary to the integritie and efficacy of the Sacraments, as thoſe which God himſelfe hath ordained. What two is put to this perſwaſion by the practize of authoritie, is (indeed) more euident then can be expreſſed. For when they ſhall ſee them ſo neceſſarily preſſed, as that the moſt reſpected preachers ſhall be vtterly caſt away before their eyes (themſelues and theirs) for not reliſhing this neceſſity: how can it be but they muſt cōceiue that the men who bringe this wracke doe hold them neceſſarie in their iudgements? Looke not for large diſcourſes about this point, neuer were men able in the abuſe of Images to alleadge more then knowne experience, which hath bene alwayes held ſufficient,lBellar. de imag. c 1…. adducit Caluinus experientiam qua docet in cultu Imaginum ſuperſtitionem & errorem irrepſiſſe. mAgrip. de vanit. ſcient. ca. 57.Dici non poteſt quanta Idololatria apud rudem populum alatur per Imagines. nGregor. Caſſand. conſultat. art. 21.Manifeſtius hoc eſt quam vt verbis explicari poſsit. Who euer denied the o ſufficiencie of this euidence? In the abuſes (therefore) of theſe ceremonies, our experience doeth ſuffice; neither will any reaſonable man expect more of vsus in that which dici non poteſt, which cannot verbis explicari: Neither can teaching to the contrary helpe. If in part it could yet is not that ſufficient, as hath bene ſhewed elſewhere alreadie, to which theſe teſtimonies for a ſurcharge may bee added. Thus one of an whole Church,pChemnit. vt ſupra. p. 39. Vtile eſt in huiuſmodi Adiaphoris etiam exemplo libertatem oſlendere. Th… an whole Church of a priuate man,qHarmon. confeſſ. ſect. 17. ex confeſſ. Auguſt. p. 223. Cùm hanc de cultibus opinionem, &c. When the aduerſaries take vp an opinion of worſhip then all men muſt knowe it is a good deed to cry out againſt the ſame; and by the breaking of ſuch ceremonies to ſhew example whereby the godly may learne what they are to thinke of them. So Euſebius writeth of Attalus commaunded from heauen to commaund Alcibiades vſing onelyonly bread and ſalt, that hee ſhould feede on common meates, Ne alijs errorem offunderet. Laſt of all, thus one of therIllyrie. in lib. de Adiaphor. Miniſters who is to teach the contrary. Nec eſt, &c. It is nothing that the Adiaphoriſtes ſay, that they hauehave taken order that the people ſhould be taught the right vſe of the ceremonies; for ſuch ceremonies ought to bee appointed which by their goodnes may helpe the preaching of the word; & not ſuch as the word muſt daily hauehave neede to correct and chaſten. The Apoſtle commaundeth that all things be done to edification, and not the Sermons onelyonly. But if in other Churches example bee needfull, then in ours much more where the people can tell what our Churches tenent is, but by the Preachers. Of which, ſome beat continually vppon a neceſſitie to keepe and obſerue them: and ſome roundly and boldly affirme, that they are worſhips. For proofe heereof, what need I goe further then to an Vniuerſitie Acte, where before a confluence and concourſe of people out of all parts of the kingdome,sD. Foen. in comitiis Oxonienſ. ann. 1605. A Doctor incipient in Diuinitie publiſheth theſe verſes.
In Domini cultu ſi quid medium eſſe videtur,
quod populi dubio, ſtat, cadit, arbitrio:
Hoc ſacroſancta parens Eccleſia ſi modo ſanxit,
In que ſacris cultum hunc ſi velit eſſe ratum:
Non erit hic cultus medius, cogitur ad illum
quiſque: neceſſarius hic quo que cultus erit.