Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 3 · Section 12
#Sect. 12. Howe the Croſſe is vrged by our Oppoſites for ſiniſter ende and not in ſynceritie.
WE hauehave ſeene how the Croſſe defloureth the election of the Will, which is for the meanes. Now proceed we to examine how it defileth the intention of it, which is for the ende. Singlenes is the vertue here which this commaundement doeth enioyne, which aymeth at the right ende of all humane actions which is the glorie of the Lorde. This ſinglenes we pleade for our ſelues like to theaIoh. Dubrauius in hiſtor. Bohemic. li. 4. Thaborites, who when they were accuſed for purging their Churches, made this replye, they were wooden Images and Croſſes whiche they had throwen downe, and not ſiluer and golden ſtuffe, ſuch as Sigiſmond had taken away. O that the worlde would conſider but that of a Romane Iudge, cui bono, who ſtande for their gaine, who for their conſcience? who for wooden, who for ſiluer and golden ſtuffe? would not ſinglenes of hart be hereby foūd out on which ſide it ſtandeth? yes, or els Paule reaſoneth weakly, whē he proveth himſelfe ſingle-harted becauſe he1Gal. 5.11. ſuffered in his refuſall of Iewiſh ceremonies: whereas his aduerſaries conformed them ſelues to enioye their eaſe &2Gal. 6.12. their credit in the worlde. And Theodoret after him, ſufficit vel perpeſsionum testimonium ad ostendendam veritatem predicationis. Let no man (then) put vsus to buſines, they are the markes of Ieſus which we beare. God graunt our Oppoſites a godly care, they beare not the markes of hipocriſie wherewith a Ieſuit beyond the ſeas hath branded them. The Proteſtantes (ſayethbOdoard Weſton. de triplic. hominis officio. he) aboliſh ſome of our traditions, but they are leane ones, fatt traditions they keepe ſtill, and will not leaue them. To wipe away this imputation it were to be wiſhed: firſt of all that our Oppoſ…es would ſtand leſſe for the ſuperfluous Lordly pompe, which the Hierarchie of the papiſtes hath left behind in divers churches, againſt the poſition of Iohn Wickleffe, cConcil. Conſtant. ſeſs. 8. art. 32. & 39.ditare eccleſiam, eſt contra regulam Christi. Did not Moſes forbid that ſuperfluitie ſhould be brought in to the vſe of the Tabernacle? and ourdPerck in Epiſt. Iud. Divines doe they not conclude from hence, that where there is a ſuperfluitie in church goods, ther abatement ſhould be made to a meane, that ſo the wantes of the church elſwhere may bee ſupplied? For euen an heathen Traian him ſelfe thinkes it vnfit the milte ſhould bee ſuffered to ſwell, to the pyning of the reſt of the members, as now we ſee it cometh to paſſe, whiles ſome few doe ſuperabounde, the coūtrey pariſhes are in want.eConcil. Lateranen. …ub Innocent. 3 c. 32 Iudg. 17.8. Hence doth there ariſe the ignorant miniſterie, the verie bane of all things, as God him ſelf ſheweth when he bringeth in a Levite ſeeking where he may ſerue: for the origen of al corruption amiddeſt his people. Secondly, To wipe away this imputation, it were to be wiſhed our Oppoſites would leſſe ſtande on the fatt tradition of ſole ordayning, ſole excommunicating, of confirming yong men, which as Iohn Huſſe longe ſince hath detected, hauehave bene reſerved vntounto BiſhopsfConcil. Conſtant. ſeſs. 12. art. 19. ad ſui exaltationem propter gIbid. art. 28.cupiditatem lucri temporalis & honoris, & hIbid. pag. …34.vt epiſcoporumi ſolemnitas & neceſsitas plus credatur. Thirdly, to wipe away this imputatiō, it were to be wiſhed our Oppoſites would ſtande leſſe on the fatt tradition of Nonreſidencies and Pluralities, againſt which, how many Canons and Councills fight, as againſt moſt horrible marchandize,lDecret. pa. 2. cauſ. 21. qu…. ca. 1. Clericus ab inſtanti tempore (ſaieth one of them and which ſhall ſerue for all the reſt) non connumeretur in duabus ecclesijs: negotiationis enim hoc eſt & turpis lucri proprium, & ab Eccleſiaſtica conſuetudine pemtùs alienum. Fourthly, for the wiping away of this imputation, it were to be wiſhed our Oppoſites would ſtande leſſe on the fatt tradition of Subſtitutes and Curates, which auncient times would not endure, as who allowed not amDecret. p. 2 cauſ. 21. qu. 2. ca. 5. Conductitious Presbyter to be an out leate for the lazines of others. Fiftly, To wipe away this imputation, it were to bee wiſhed our Oppoſites would ſtande leſſe on the fatt tradition of rigour in ceremonies: as in which a Papiſt or a Browniſt would drawe ſuſpitiō of many hipocriſies. Firſt, they wil ſuſpect a ſpirit of Demetrius pretending the publique, but intending owne private ſtate in them, who Cry out, No Ceremony, No Biſhop, and therevpon proceed in ſuch rigour againſt the Preachers of the worde as giuegive ſhewe they vſe the ceremonies for a meane to thruſt out of Sibaris eueryevery clamorous cocke that interrupteth their quiet ſleepe, and for an Oſtrachiſme to expell out of Athens, qui excellunt in paynfulnes, in faithfulnes, in ſobrietie of life, leaſt they ſhould foyle the lazines, the man pleaſing, and the flaunt of others. Secondly, a Browniſt will ſuſpect that they are frogges of Euphrates, and not ſingle before the Lord that take on againſt good men, Apoc. 16.12.13.becauſe they like not the corruptions of of Church whereby they gaine & liue, for as much as it is a propertie of thoſe froggs to crooke moſte when their waters are neareſt to drying vp. Thirdly, a Browniſt will ſuſpect he is a Demas who was with the reformation till the taſte of the preſent worlde chaunged his vnderſtanding againſt it, and he will reſemble him to Iſlebius the Maſter in Germanie, of whom the common proverbe rann, that he defended the Chriſme and the Oyle,nIoh. Sleydan. comment. li. 21. vt ipſe vnctior diſcederes. And to Georgius Maior the ſcholler, who when he turned Adiaphoriſt, had theſe verſes made vponupon him:
oConrad. Schulſſelburg. li 13 pa. 696.Maior eras quondam, cum nondum bella tenebant.
Dum ſaeuit bellum factus es ipſe minor.
Maximus eſſe potes tibi cum quingenta dabuntur,
Sic Minor & Maior quilibet eſſe potest.
Fourthly, A Browniſt will ſuſpect a Phariſaicall ſpirit in them, laying burthens vponupon others, Matth. 23.4which they will not touch them ſelues with their leaſt finger: who charge good men with authoritie in things indifferent, wherin they keepe not the Law themſelues. This is to be ſeene in their apparel againſt the ſtatute: in their eating fleſh on fiſhe dayes againſt the lawe: in their neglect of more profitable Canons; yea by their omiſſion of the like ceremonies, as the Alba, the Cappa, the Caſula, the Baculus Paſtoralis, all which are enioyned by law as well as the Croſſe and Surplice, becauſepAnglic. leiturg. in regul. de ceremon. ap. Bucer. pag. 455. ſtatut. named in K. Edw communion booke, to which ourqEliz. 1. c. 2 rubric. in init. leiturg Law and Rubric ſendeth vsus. Is it a ſmall thing that we are able to obiect as2Gal. 6.13 Paule did once, they them ſelues keepe not the Lawe wherewith they preſſe vsus? Fiftly, A Browniſt will ſuſpect, the heart is not ſingle in them who vſe extremities in theſe trifles, both becauſe of the auncient rulerDecret. p. 1 diſtinc. 4…. Qui aſperitatibus ſtudent ſuas illi magis quam Dei cauſas probantur attendere and alſo of our moderne tenent againſt the papiſt, which is this,sTho. Morton. Apol. p. 1. lib. 2. cap. 18. their crueltie by fire and faggot ſheweth they ſeeke not the glorie of God, but their owne willes and pleaſures. Sixtly, A Browniſt will ſuſpect their heart is double, that make Decrees for the ſtrengthening of their owne ſtate rather then for the reformation of Gods houſe, where that Auguſtine hath place,tAuguſt. de civit dei. li. 19. cap. 21 Ludouic. Viues. Ibid Non iura dicenda ſunt vel putanda iniqua hominum Conſtituta, faiſum que eſt quod à quibuſdam non recte ſentientibus dici ſolet, id eſſe ius quod ei qui plus poteſt vtile eſt. For as much then as our Lord when he ſawe gaine was intended by the Oxen of the out-court, howſoeuer the furtherance of Gods ſervice was the thing that was pretended, tooke a whipp and droue them out, leaſt the houſe of his Father ſhould become a ſhopp of Marchandize: and whereas our forefathers alſo hauehave herevpon thruſt out of theuDurant. de rit. li. 1. ca. 26. ſect. 7. Churchyard all things whatſoeuer expoſed for gaine; theſe ceremonies (to whom gaine is godlines) muſt be ſcourged out, rather then be permitted to bee a ſcourge vntounto good Preachers, that ſowAndre. Hipper. de ſacr. ſtud. non deſerend. p. 112 Oxen and Aſſes may keepe in not only in the out-court, but in the holy place and all.