Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 3 · Section 6
#Sect. 6. The ſecond excuſe, that the croſſe is impoſed by Chriſtian Magiſtrates, is taken away, in diverſe reſpectes, eſpecially becauſe it is taken as a conſenting in a part to the ceremonies of the Church of Rome.
THe ſecond excuſe fumbleth thus. If the Croſſe were impoſed by papiſtes, for a marke of their profeſſion it were ſomwhat: but being impoſed by Chriſtian gouernours to an other ende, now the vſe of him no way crazeth our confeſſion againſt them. Firſt, the papiſt drawed the very commaund of the Magiſtrate it ſelf to a certaine kinde of confeſſion and approbation of his rites, and in them of his Religion which maketh his rites vnlawfull. This is that which a whole Church ſaith, Cum Adi…phora rapiuntur (marke rapiuntur)aNarmon. confeſs. ſect …7. in Hel…i. poſte. ad confeſſionem libera eſſe de ſinunt ſicuti Paulus oſtendit: licitum eſſe veſci carnibus ſi quis non ſubmon…as Idolis eſſe litatas, alioquin fore illicitas; quod qui his veſcituriam veſcendo Idololatriam approbare videatur. Now it is eaſie to ſhew the papiſtes doe drawe the ceremonies controverſed to an approbation and confeſſion of their religion.bMart of the Croſſe. in praefat. Martiall iuſtifieth the popiſh croſſe by the croſſe which ſtandeth in the Queenes Chappell.cNic. Saund de imag. cap. 13. Saunders iuſtifieth popiſh images by the croſſes which we vſe.dHarding. ag. Apolo. in praefat. Harding iuſtifieth his church ſervice by our Croſſe and Surplice and other rites which we retaine from them. NoeParſons of the 3 converſ. of England p. 2. little advantage doe they ſucke out of our cōmunion booke, which they terme an Engliſh tranſlation out of the Maſſe-booke, and out of the difficultie whereby it came in, manie Proteſtantes them ſelues adiudging that the ſtable of popiſhe ſuperſtition was not throughly purged out of it. Doeth no Briſtowe fBriſt moe. 34.drawe the likenes of our ſeruice booke to a countenancing of their Maſſe-booke?gWil Reynold. in praefat. Raynoldes drawe our private Baptiſme to a proofe of that neceſſitie that they put in the Sacrament? ThehRhem. in Ioh 20. ſect. 5. Rhemiſtes drawe the abſolution of the ſicke preſcribed in the communion booke, to an approbation of their abſolution, auricular confeſſion, and Sacrament of penaunce? Our homelHumble mot for tolerat. Pſeudo-catholiques, drawe they not the ſigne of the Croſſe to a motiue for their religion as which they holde a ſpeciall cognizance of their faith? Seeing theſe things bee thus drawne to confeſſion, it skilleth not whether we intende to confeſſe their faith or no. Secondly, our governours profeſſe an intent to giuegive contentement to the papiſtes by the retention of the Croſſe and Surplice which the zeale of Engliſh Preachers if they cannot endure, it is to bee pardoned, asmConrad: Schluſſelburg. li. 13 pa. 566.571. hauing the Divines of Germanie before them, who ſtoode out with a greater edge againſt the ceremonies enforced vpō them in the dayes of Charles the fift, becauſe they ſawe their Princes ſought no other thing in them, but to pleaſe the popiſh faction. And vntill theſe ceremonies be aboliſhed, they will be abuſed to the gracing of poperie it ſelfe, to the diſparagement of the Goſpell, and to the gagging of the mouthes of many a painfull and profitable a Preacher. ſo that wee are in Paules caſe then refuſing to circumcize when his libertie was ſpied into and ſpited at, & when the Goſpells diſgrace was ſought by his conformitie. In this reſpect we are alſo often in the caſe of Iulians ſouldiers, then diſclayming all incenſe burning, when by the relation of their hoſte they ſawe it was a decipula to grace Idolatrie by a ſhewe of their conformitie & approbation. The third excuſe of the Croſſe now followeth, which inferreth that though lightnes of ceremonies ſtayne profeſſion, and that then when they be drawne to countenance poperie, yet that in the Croſſe there is no ſuch hurte, it being a trifle and a thing of nothing, than which there is nothing that can be more raſhly ſpoken. Firſt, what though the ceremonies controverſed were ſmall and little, we are to followe that conſtant Marcus Arethuſius, who when his adverſaries were contented with any thing from him ſo he would giuegive ſomewhat towardes the repayring of a paganiſh Temple which before he had pulled downe, made this replie,nTripart. hiſtor. li. 6. cap. 12. Ne obulum quidem. Moſes yeelded not in an houſe. Daniel forbeareth not ſo much as the ceremonie of opening his windowe towardes Ieruſalem. The name of Paſsion Sunday is leſſe then the making of the Croſſe, and it was neuer ſo much abuſed, and yet on the other ſide putteth vsus in minde of the paſſion of Chriſt, aſwell as the ſigne of the croſſe doeth, yetoIewell. repl to Hard. arti. 1. diviſ. 4. Biſhop Iewell refuſeth to call it ſo, as vnwilling to yeeld euen ſo much to the fancies of the papiſtes. The Surplice is a leſſer matter then the Croſſe, yet Peter pPet. Martyr. in epiſt amic. cind. in Angl.Martyr would neuer weare it, no though his Canons place in Ch. Church required it of him. The ſquare cappe is leſſe then either yetqPilking. in epiſt ad Comit. Leyceſt. an. 1570. Martine Bucer would neuer weare it. and being demaunded a reaſon why, he ſaid becauſe his head was round. Secondly, ſince the time that the Croſſe ſawe the ſunne, he hath bene as king in the middeſt of ceremonies: eſpecially in the caſe of profeſſion. Conſider we it but as papiſtes vſe in for an Image, euen ſo ſerueth it for [ſpeciall rBellar. de imag. c. 10confeſsion]. For hereby (ſay they) we eſpecially teſtifie againſt the novelties of the Lutherans and Calviniſtes, whiles we religiouſly worſhip that, which they ſacrilegiouſlie do deſtroy. Conſider we it, as they vſe it apart by it felfe. Heere the Sacraments (ſayesBellarm. de effect. Sacra. c. 31. they) doe not ſo well diſtinguiſh from heretiques: where the ceremoninies (notwithſtanding) make an excellent difference: as now a dayes the ſigne of the croſſe, is a notable ſigne (ſaith one) whereby to know a Catholique Howe can we hold vp our foreheades for ſhame of the beaſtes marke, whiles our eares heare this? or with what forehead can we ſay the Croſſe is no great badge of poperie, when the papiſtes cal it the greattEpiſt. apoſoget. ſect. 7. pa. 54. Character of their glorie.uHippoli. in li. de cō ſum. mund. Hippolitus foreſhewed, that as the Croſſe is Chriſtes ſigne, ſo Antichriſtes ſigne on the other ſide ſhould be [non vti ſigno Crucis] ſed illud potius execrari & abolere. As counterfait as this Hippolitus is, yetwBilaem. de Roman. Pontif. lib. 3. cap. 11. Bellarmine with the reſt of the papiſtes accepteth his iudgement, making the Croſſe to be the very ſigne of Chriſt and Chriſtian Religion: and counting the Calviniſtes the forerunners of Antichriſt, becauſe they doe not vſe this ſigne. This ſaw our Fathers that ſawe our deliuerance out of AEgypt & were more ſincere: They accounted in the matter of profeſſion, that the Croſſe is as daungerous nowe as a falſexCalfh cō tia Mart. art. 1. enſigne is in warre, which moſt deceyueth and breedeth moſt confuſion. And this confuſion bred by the Croſſe, is ſo much the more horrible, if it be true which ſome doeyIo Napier. in Apoc. propoſit. 31 Apoc 13.17 teach, that the ſigne of the Croſſe is that ſpeciall marke of the beaſt, and that Antichriſtes ſigne (by name) which the Apocal. doeth foreſhewe. Amongſt theſe one writeth thus:zAnd. Willet. in Synop. de character. Anti. pag. 199. The ſuperſtitious markes of the Croſſe ariſe out of the beastes name, to wit, from the number of it, thus expreſſed in the greeke original Ξξs for the letter Χ is a Saint Andrewes croſſe. the letter ξ is in latin X which is alſo a ſliding croſſe. the laſt letter s containeth … and r, the latter whereof is an headleſſe croſſe: & thus it appeareth that the markes wherby they ſay they honour Chriſt, are a diſhonour to him, and the [cognizance] of Antichriſt. But if the Croſſe be not in ſpeciall ſort the beaſtes marke, whether made ſimply as theſe coniecture, or with oyle whichaBulling. in Apoc. 13. others iudge, yet all ourbIoh. Foxe. Iohan de Vado. Ibid D. Abbot. Antich. demonſtrat. ca. 11. ſect. 25. writers doe conſent that the ceremonies of the Romane church are a parte of this marke, amongſt which the croſſe is chiefe. Sinne they not grievouſly who with certaine inſtrumentescPet. Martyr. in 1. Cor 7.18. gathered their vncircumcizion againe, to be like to the Gentills? Alas then, what is our ſinne, who not onelyonly receyue the croſſe our ſelues (one of Antichriſtes markes) but alſo with it as it weredSixt. Senenſ. bibliothec. li. 4. pa. 305. ſpatiſteri quadam, and as it were with a payre of pinſers doe drawe on others the vncircumcizion popiſh, or at the leaſt a likenes with the papiſt? Let it be conſidered with what probabilitie the Divines ofeConrad. Schluſſ…lburg. li. 13 pa. 593.594.572. Germanie helde that the Adiaphoriſme of rites popiſh retayned, is the very Image of the beaſt, Cuius notae & characteres, & nomen ſunt haec ipſa adiaphora: and that the thirde Angell who preacheth againſt the Image of the beaſt and the receyuing of his marke, repreſenteth the Preachers that withſtand the tayle of Antichriſt, left behinde in the Church of God. But whether this be ſo or no, there is ſome certaintie in this that followeth, which is that the retention of popiſh ceremonies vnderunder pretence they befTheſ. de adiaphoriſm. Theolgot. Saxonr. p. 593 Adiaphora, is a countermaund to that precept exite ab ea populus meus, ſeeing heereby men doe euengConrad. Sceluffelburg. li. 13 pa. 515. redire, yea introire ad Antichriſtum, not onelyonly not [exire] from him.