Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 25 [i.e. 24]
#Sect. 25. A third fault wherein th'Oppoſite vſurpeth vponupon Sacramentall offices.
THus hauehave we ſeene how guilty this Sacramentale is in a Sacramentall power, and in a neceſſitie Sacramentall. Come we now to a third fault wherin he vſurpeth vponupon Sacramentall offices which he beareth in this Sacrament or vntounto it. Touching the former; we reioyce (I knowe) to follow the Fathers, and ſo to vſe the Croſſe in Baptiſme as they did vſe it; but there and in the other Sacrament of the Supper which wasaAuguſt. in Iohan tractat. 118. ſignare Chriſti bona; which how can it be iuſtified? For firſt as none can ſigne a leaſe but he that hath power to lett and demiſe it: ſo none deuiſe a ſigne of the couenant, or of any grace therof, but God alone that promiſeth. This the ſchoole men ſaw & taught,bTho. Aquin. p. 3. qu. 60. art. 5. ad. 1. determinare quo ſigno, &c. It pertaineth only to the ſignifier to determine what ſigne muſt be vſed to ſignifie. But it is God who is the ſignifier vntounto vsus of things ſpirituall by things ſenſible in the Sacrament, and by words ſimilitudinarie in the ſcriptures; therefore as it is determined by the Iudgement of the holy ſpirit, by what ſimilitudes things ſpirituall ſhould be ſignified in certaine places of the Scripture, ſo it ought to be determined alſo by divine inſtitution what things ſhould bee choſen to ſignifie in this, or in that Sacrament. I adde to this the cōmentary added by a Cardinall.cCaietan. Ibid. Aduerte quam, &c. Conſider from hence how preſumptuous, and iniurious their wittines is, which write or preach, or interpret the ſimilitudes of poetes or ſome of their owne, therby to repreſent things ſpirituall. For they vſurpe the office of the Holy Ghoſt, by whoſe iudgement ſome things are ordained to be figures of other things; and they vilifie the ſacred Sripture, while by ſuch fiction they giuegive occaſion to beleeue that the things which are in the Scripture, are figurs by humane ſpirit, euen as theſe which they hauehave framed by the dexteritie of humane wit, ſo much authoritie is detracted frō the figures of the holy Scripture. I preſſe here that God only is ſignificans: that it commeth from carnal wiſdom to deuiſe any ſignifications; that he vſurpeth the office of the holy Ghoſt that added new ſignes: and laſtly that new ſignes deuiſed are ſo farre from adorning the water of Baptiſme, as that they vilifie it and detract much authoritie from it. One maine ground of this doctrine is mainly refuſed (I knowe) by thedBellar. de ſacram. in gen. ca. 21. propoſit. 2 papiſtes, which is that no man may deuiſe any worſhip of God: and another ground is brought in place (to wit) the Sacraments of the new Teſtament do giuegive grace and none can giuegive grace but God only: And therfore none ordaine a ſigne but God alone. How neare our Oppoſites come to this Ieſuit, all men may knowe who heare them diſtinguiſhe, though a man may not deuiſe an exhibitiue ſigne, yet hee may deuiſe a ſignificatiue, one ſuch as is the ſigne of the Croſſe. Alas to what poore ſhiftes are theſe men driuen! For we hauehave heard out of the ſchoole men already that God is the only ſignifier both in things and in words: therfore a ſigne euen quatenus it ſignifieth muſt be from him. Nay, this cannot ſtand before Bellarmine himſelfe, euen he therfore ſhall be their iudge. For though the ſignes of the old Teſtament be not in his iudgment, exhibitiue of any grace, but ſignificatiue only, yet he ſaith, they were all ordained of God & ſo ought to be. VponUpon this reaſon (which now taketh hold on the ſigne of the croſſe, ſeeing we vſe him to receaue into the Church)eBellar. ibid etiamſi Sacramenta vetera non efficiebant gratiā iuſtificantē, camen introducebant in populū dei, at nemo poteſt determinare aliquid ad introducendū incertā rempublicā niſi qui author eſt illius legis & reipublicae. Secondly euen in the time of the old law whē ſignes reigned, none were lawful which were not ſhewed in the patterne of the mount: the letter of which cōmandement then the equity now keepeth out all ſignes deuiſed by man which are not found in the pattern of the word. The ſignes which now mā deviſeth, it keepeth out the more ſtrōgly becauſe they obſcure the Goſpel: for nothing ought to be adūbrated now in the cleer light therof, ſayfIoh. Brent. in confeſſ. Witenberg cap. vlt. Ioh. Caluin inſtit. li. 4. ca. 10. ſect. 14. our writers. So that we thus plead againſt the oyle (& the oyle & the croſſe are twins of one birth)gAthanaſ. oratio. 2. cont. Arrian. Chriſtus tranſſadit in nos vnctionem ſpiritus abſ que tali Ceremonia. Again.hEuſeb hiſt li. 1. ca. 4. Chriſtianinon vnguntur amplius per typos & imagines, fed per ipſas nudas virtutes. lAuguſt. aduerſ. Iudeos. ca. 4.Chriſtus mutanit vnctionē carnalē in ſpiritualē. No ceremonie in Baptiſme like to the oyle, it goeth beyond all the reſt, in this that the ſmell of it affecting the ſenſe,mBriſſon. de ſpectacul. pag. 189. 192. it ſtriketh adeeper force & impreſſiō into the mind. If therfore it muſt vaniſh away, and the oile ſpirituall be only left, much more the ſign of the croſſe muſt be taken away, & the croſſe ſpiritual be left only behind, wch is faith in Ch. Ieſus crucified, & patiēce to beare his croſſe. Wheras it was an ancient cuſtom (nDucant de rit. li. 2. ca. 55. ſect. 14 ſaith a papiſt) to waſh the feet before Bapt. the Church is now contented with the thing ſignified only, which is internal preparatiō: why ſhould not we be then contented with the thing ſignified of the Croſſe, in conſideration that God hath not aboliſhed his own ſigns in this time of the Goſpel, to giuegiveoD. Fulke ag. Saund. of imag. Ioh. Dearing. in Heb. lect. 2 mā leaue to ſet vp others in their roomes. Thus Auguſt. pAuguſt. de doctrin. Chriſtian. lib. 3 ca. 8.Chriſtiana libertas cos quos invenit ſub ſignis vtilibus, interpretatis ſignis quibus ſubditi erant ad cas res quarūilla ſigna ſunt eleuauit. Is it not a ſingular benefit to be taught clearly without ſignes: which to vnderſtand ſome Oros Apollo had need ſtil be preſent with vsus to expoūd thē: what ſhal the people of Egipt doe with the Hierogliphicall letters of their prieſts which are ſignificatiue? plain lettersqIoh. Bohem Auban. lib. 1. cap. 5. are beſt for thē wherby to write. So was it a benefit for the people of the Eaſt, that the EmperorrAnton. Gubert. Coſtan. Polyhiſtor. cap. 9. aboliſht the ſignificatiue writing of the law by Notae, which ſerued for Compendiū, bringing ina plain maner of writing, with out any ſuch ſignes. So was it asGenebrard li. 2. ann. mundi. 1791. benefit for Philoſophers that Ariſtot. aboliſht the figures & numbers of the Platonickes & Pythagorians reducing lodgike into ſuch an Art, as proued an inſtrument of plaines in teaching. So was it a benefit (laſt of all) thattSocrat. hiſt lib. 6 ca. 3. Sozom. li. 8. ca. 2. Diodorus Tarſenſis (Chryſoſt. ſchoolm.) brought in a ſimple & literal meaning of the Scripturs, aboliſhing myſtical ſignificatiōs. What then? very bad ſeruice do our Oppoſites to the Church, to make way to a new ſeruitude of ſignes to be by man deviſed againſt our ownuHomil. for Whitſōtyd pag. 2. law, which proueth at large againſt all ſignes which the papiſts hauehave brought into Bapt. that no ſignes now ſhould burthē the church, ſaue thoſe which the L. hath left which are not burthenſom. I end with one of our writers.wIoh Keynold. confer. cap. 8. diuiſ. 4. p. 521. To deuiſe new ſignes, is to ſet the Church to ſchoole againe after the Iewiſh maner. This Iewiſh faſhion how intollerable now it is, an other tellethxChemit. exam. p. 2. rit. de rit. Quod vero praetendunt, &c. wheras they pretend that many things may be godly & profitably ſignified, admoniſhed & taught by thoſe rites which are added be mē, to that it may be anſwerd, that figurs are proper to the old Teſta. Look what things Chriſt will hauehave taught & admoniſhed in the new, thoſe things he wil hauehave propoſed and deliuerd not in ſhadows, but in the light of his word, & we hauehave a promiſe frō him for the efficacy of the word but none for the efficacy of figurs deuiſed by men. But ſuch rites as he would hauehave added to his word, thoſe he hath ordained himſelfe.