Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4
The impietie of the Croſſe. Chap. 4.
WHEREAS the dounge that polluteth the Sabbath muſt be caſt out by vsus, or be caſt in our faces, the ſigne of the Croſſe though it were guiltleſſe otherwiſe, Malach. 2.3yet becauſe it divers wayes polluteth this day, it muſt either paſſe thorough the dounge-port, or paſſe ouer our own backes for a deſerued croſſe vntounto vsus. The doctrine which heretiques broach is as the dounge ofaHieron. comment. in Abac. 2. Sauls caue. ThebIdem in lament. Iere. cap. 4. & Ezech. ca. 4 ceremonies of the Iewes retained, are by the Apoſtle eſteemed as dounge. The1Deu. 29.17 ſcripture calleth the Idoll dounge. In Malachie the worſhips themſelues of God are termed dounge, when in manner of worſhiping they are defiled. Is it poſſible for the croſſe (then) to paſſe through all theſe cenſures and not bee attainted for a Sabboth dounge vnlawfull? The doctrine of it in the papacie is it not hereticall? the retayning of it in churches reformed, is it not worſe then the retayning of the ceremonies of the Iewes? Is it not an Idoll in the papacie? Is not the religious vſe of it in churches reformed worſe then a worſhip of the Lordes which onelyonly is defiled in manner, and by the worſhippers miſbehauiour? Begin wee with it, as it committeth a Sabboth breach among the papiſtes. Doe we not feare (if not this expoſtulation, hauehave you brought a ſtraunger into my Sabboth day to mocke it?) yet ſurely this, what doeth 4 ſtraunger in myne houſe that mocketh my Sabboths through ſo many Antichriſtian churches as be in the worlde? Now firſt the Croſſe mocketh the Sabboth, by thecAnd. Willet contro. 9. q. 8 p 4 mock ſabbothes which it hath ſet vp to it ſelf. The firſt of theſe, the feaſt of the invention of it though it be wounded and ſtricken thorough as Apocriphal by adGelaſ. de Apocriph. decret p. 1 diſt. 15. c. 3 Canon of it owne lawe. The feaſt of the exaltation of it, though it be fabulous, as the miracleeIo. Beleth. rational. diuinor. officior▪ c 151 Ia, ob. de Vorag in legēd aur. Breuiar. Roman. in feſt exalt. crue. diverſly related, ſheweth. and the vncertaintie of the inſtitution of it: ſome referring it tofConcil. tom. 1. epiſt. Euſeb Euſebius; ſome to the tyme ofgNiceph. li. 8. cap. …9. Silveſter the firſt: ſome to the tyme ofhGenebrad Cronolog in An. 616 Heraclius the Emperor, yet muſt they both of them be eſteemedlRhemiſt. annotat. in Gal▪ 4. ſec. 5. Bellarmi. de enle. ſanctor. cap. 10. propoſit. 3. as holy and as neceſſarie as the holy Sabboth day which the Lord him ſelfe ordayned. There be but nine great Maſſes in the yeare that doe require ſpeciall ſolemnitie, & themConcil. tom 2 in Epiſt Pelag. 2 ad epiſco german & Galliae. eight of them is for the Croſſe. And where there is a difference made betwene the croſſes feaſts, theſe are in the firſt ranck who beare this title,nConcill. Tom. 3. in conſtitut. Oxonienſ. aedit. per Stephan. Statuimus quod festa ſubſcripta ſub omni veneratione ſerventur. The Sabboth of the croſſe then are holy in an high degree; now the keeping of them holy, what blaſphemie and what Idolatrie hath it? Conſider firſt the prayers made:oBreniar. Rom in ſect. inven. Cruc. Crux Aue ſpes vnica, in hoc paſchali tempore, Auge pus iuſtitiam reiſque dona veniam: and ſalva preſentem cateruam in tuis laudibus congregatam. Againe,pIbid. in exaltat. O Crucis victoria & admirabile ſignum in coeleſti curia, fac nos captare triumphum. And Salva nos Chriſte & ſervator per virtutem crucis Ab inimicis noſtris libera nos Domine. Againe,qMiſſ. ſecond. vſum Sarum in feſt. invent. Cruc. Protege Domine plebem tuam per ſignum ſanctae crucis, & ſacrificium noſtrum placatus intende, vt per vexillum ſanctae Crucis ad conterendas poteſtates aereas, noi in ſecuritate conſtituat. Againe,rPotifotiu. Sariſburie. ib…d. Adeſto nobis, & quo ſanctae Crucis laetari facis, honore eius quo que perpetuis defendas ſubſidijs. After theſe prayers, conſider theſe prayſes.sBreuiat. Roman. Tuam Crucem adoramus Domine; nos gloriari oportet in Cruce Domini: hoc ſignum erit in coelo cùm Dominus ad iudicandum venerit. Againe,tP…tif…. …ariſburie. in miſſ. de Ofux. horrificum tue… ſemper ſignum inimicis, Crux ſancta ſaeuis. quam mors pauet, infernuſ que timet; quae Chriſto ſuos reconſignas. Againe, u O Crux glorioſa; O Crux adoranda: O lignum praecioſum & admirabile ſignum: per quod & Diabolus victus eſt, & mundus Chriſti ſanguine redemptus. Crux alma fulget, per quam ſalus reddita est mundo. Crux vincit, Crux … Or… …pe…om…e c…i…en. Ecce Crucem Domini, fugite partes adverſae. As for the Hymnes; Crux pellit omne crimen: fugiunt Crucem vIbid. in feſt. ex altat.wPrudent. in hymn.tenebra: tali dicata ſigno mens fluctuare neſcit, with the like. and the homilies that are ſet forth vponupon theſe feaſtes for the honour of the Croſſe, although they containe much horrible blaſphemie and Idolatrie, yet muſt I omitt them, cōtenting my ſelf with this one Hymne, thexMiſſal. ſecond. vſu. Sarum. in feſt exalta. Cruc. pride (as it ſeemeth) of all the reſt.
Laudes Crucis attollamus,
Nos qui crucis exultamus
Speliali gloria.
Dulce melos pulſat coelos
Dulce lignum, dulci dignum
Credimus melodia.
Voci vita non diſcordet
Cum vox vitam non remordet
Dulcis est ſymphonia.
Serui crucis crucem laudent,
Qui per crucem ſibi gaudent,
Vitae dari munera.
Dicant omnes, & dicant ſinguli,
Aue Salus communis populi
Arbor Salutifera.
O quam faelix quam preclara
Fuit haec ſalutis ara
Rubens Agni ſanguine?
Agniſine macula.
Qui mundauit ſaecula
Ab antiquo crimine.
Haec eſt ſcala peccatorum
Per quam Chriſtus Rex coelorum
Adſe traxit omnia.
Forma cuius hoc ostendit
Quae terrarum comprehendit
Quatuor confusia.
Non ſunt noua ſacramenta
Nec recenter eſt inventa
Crucis haec religio.
Ipſa dulcis aquas fecit
Per quam ſilex aquas iecit
Moyſi officio.
Nulla ſalus est in domo
Niſt Cruce munit homo
Super liminaria
Neque ſenſit gladium
Nec amiſit filium
Quiſquis egit talia.
Ligna legens in Sarepta
Spem ſalutis est adepta
Pauper mulier cula.
Sino lignis fidei
Nec lecythus olei
Valet nec farinula.
In ſcripturis ſub figuris
Iſta latent, ſediam patent
Crucis beneficia.
Reges credunt hostes cedunt
Sola Cruce Chriſto duce
Hoſtis fugat millia.
Iſta ſuos fortiores
Semper facit & victores
Morbos ſanat & languores
Reprimit daemonia.
Dat captiuis libertatem
Vitae confert nouitatem
Ad antiquam dignitatem
Crux reducit omnia.
O Crux ſignum trium phale
Mundi vera ſalus vale
Inter ligna nullum tale
Fronde, flore, germine.
Medicina Chriſtiana
Salua ſanos, aegres ſana
Quod non valet vis humana
Fit in tuo nomine.
Inſiſtences crucis laudi
Conſecrater Crucis audi
Atque ſeruos tuae Crucis
Poſt hanc vitam verae lucis.
Transfer ad palatia
Quos tormento vis ſeruire
Fac tormenta non ſentire
Sed cùm dies erit …re
Nobis confer & largire
Sempiterna gaudia.
What is here leſſe then Iſraells Idolatrie? Qui dicit ligno pater mens es, Et lapidi tu peperiſti me? Ier. 2.27.For that this is ſaid to the croſſe and not to Chriſt crucified onelyonly, yea to the aereall ſigne of the croſſe, and not alone to the materiall, there are many manifeſt reaſons. VponUpon theſe wordes of Prudentius his hymne [tali dicata ſigno mens fluctuare neſcit] yLib. expo. hymnor ſecund. vſum Sarum. fol. 25.this is the commentarie, mens confirmata ſigno ſanctae Crucis neſsit dubitare de fide & errare à conſcientia intentionis virtuoſa▪ vponupon theſe wordes formerly mentioned [Quae Chriſto ſuos reconſignas] zIbid in expoſit. ſequentiar. fol. 34.this is the expoſition, Crux reconſignat, id eſt marketh again, cui, ſci. Cruci laus, id eſt honor, ſit in auum, id eſt eternaliter. The Fathers and the papiſtes, do they not apply the figure of the bloud ſprinkled on the poſtes, the wood that made the water ſweet: the two ſtickes of the widow of Sarepta, even to the aerial ſigne of the croſſe? One of ouraLambert, Danaeus cont. Bellarmin. controuer. 7. l. 2. c. 29 writers, ſpeaking of the aereall croſſe: etiam iſti Cruci (ſaith he) Innocentius Sextus anno Dom. 1460. feſtum ſolemne inſtituit. And the homilies of theſe feaſtes intitle euen the croſſe aereall to the honor of theſe ſolēnities as onebFrederic. Nauſea. centur. 2. homil. 92. in feriis. exalta. 5. cru. may ſhew in ſteed of al: In whō this very ſigne is praiſed as ſignū vivificum cut in noſtram ſalutem Chriſtus mirabiles contulit virtutes & vtilitates, and of which his will is that it ſhould be tanto honoratius & glorioſius quanto crebrius efformaretur. One of ourcSam. Harſ. in Declara. of weſton. impoſture. Cap. 20. Oppoſites referreth alſo a peece of the laſt hymne, morbos ſanat & languores, deprimit damonia euen to the aerial Croſſe. Conſider all theſe premiſſes and then thinke with thyſelfe whether the ſtommakes of the people will euer be eaſed of theſe ſurfietes of the Croſſes idolatrous Sabbothes vntill there be a vomit giuen them to caſt the ſigne of the Croſſe it ſelfe out of our Church?