Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 1 · Section 15
#Sect. 15. Three obiections fully anſwered, whereby the oppoſite endeuoreth to proue that to communicate with our Croſſe, is no Idolatrie.
IT being thus proued we participate becauſe we [flye] not from Idolothiſme ſo farre as the Corinthian ſhould, what matter though we come not ſo [neare] it as once the Corinthian did? Howbeit how much are wee ſhort of him. The Corinthian proteſted not againſt the Idoll, wee profeſſe and publiquely teach againſt the popiſh Croſſe (ſay ſome.) Firſt, the Corinthian did profeſſe, 1. Cor. 8.1.hee held the Idoll to be nothing, and did make knowne he did not eate for any honour to the Idoll, but for louelove, and for theaGualt. in Archity p. in 1. cor. 10.14. & in cap. 8. company of his neighbours. Secondly, the thing being knowen to be Idolothious, a proteſtation that we honor not the Idol, ſerueth not the turne: we muſt alſo forbeare, as by the plaine text of the 28. verſe, ſo by plaine reaſon, (to wit) becauſe without forbearance, our proteſtation will ſeemebPet. Martyr in ver. 29.30. ridiculous, neither will it be beleeued; if it might, yet is it no little ſinne towards God,cIoh. Caluin. in ver. 20. Obire eas actiones, quae Idolorum cultum prae ſe ferunt. The ſecond difference which our Oppoſites doe alleadge is, that the Corinthian went in to the Temple of the Idoll to eate, while the Idolater was eating there. But we goe not into any popiſh Church to vſe the Croſſe together with them. Firſt, the foreign here is not the Temple by any likelihood, but thedEraſm in 1. cor. 8. Pet. Martyr ibid. ver. 20. feaſting chamber rather, as doth appeare by this, that the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 10.21. doth not charge them for preſenting themſelues before the Altar of the Idoll, but for being preſent rather in a roome where is a [table] for eating onelyonly, and not an Altar for ſacrificing. Secondly,eAuguſt. in … Pſal. 99. Hoc eſt preſentem vel abſentem eſſe, ſenſu abeſſe vel preſentem eſſe. Was not Paul preſent at Corinth, when he was in ſpirit there? So long (then) as by the vſe of Croſſe and Surplice, we ſeeme preſent in good [liking] wee giuegive as great honour (well neare) to poperie, as the Corinthian bodily preſence gaue to the Idoll. Thirdly, the Corinthian participated when hee did eate the Idolothite21. Cor. 10.28. euen out of the foreign it being once made knowen to be ſuch, euen as it was out of the Temple in priuate and ciuill vſe, that31. Reg. 13.22. Bethels water, and4Dau. 1. ver. 8. Bels meate were vnlawfull. The Papiſts (indeed) ſay that the feaſtes the which Paul writeth againſt were onelyonly at the Altar, but our writers affirme the contrary, prouing out of the Scriptures, that the manner was to feaſt at51. Sam. ….8.9. pro. 7 14. home, after the ſacrifice was once ended: and out of the heathen writers likewiſe; for the manner of the Gentiles was the ſame, as appeareth byfVirgil … …e ad. …. Evander, who when he had ſacrificed to Hercules, invited Aeneas to a feaſt at home. They prooue out of the Fathers (alſo) that the knowen eating of the Idolothite out of the TemplegClement. exam. p. 2. de miſſa. col. 175. Math. Sutcliff. de miſſa. li. 3. cap. 13. whereſoeuer, doth in Pauls doctrine make a man guiltie of participating with the Idoll. Whereby it appeareth that our vſing of Croſſe and Surplice (ſo it be reuerent) makes vsus participant whereſoeuer wee vſe them, and not onelyonly when we are preſent in the act of their Idolatrie. Fouthly, our tranſporting of Croſſe and Surplice from their Temples into our Churches, is as great a participation as if we had gone to ſome Church of theirs in the eyes of ourkLudouic. Lauat. in Heſt. homil. 46. pag. 89. Pet. Martyr loc. comm…. claſ. 2. ca. 5. ſect. 24. writers, who hold it a Corinthian ſinne in an high degree, to bring into holy vſe, any rite of the heretiques. The auncients agree to this.mConcil. Aphrican. tempore Bonifac. Pap. 1. can. 27. Feaſtes which were vſed by imitation of the Gentiles are abhominable; if they be vſed [in ipſis locis ſacris] in the very Churches themſelues of the Chriſtians. So in like manner, as it was held deteſtable to enter into an hereticall Temple, ſo was it counted an execrable matter,nConcil. Epaunenſ. can. 33. baſilicas haereticorum, ſanctis vſibus applicare, to applie the Churches of the heretiques to Gods ſeruice, vnleſſe they were ſuch, as they had taken from the Catholiques themſelues before. But whether it be as great a participation or no, as if we went into an Idols Temple after the ſuppoſed Corinthian manner. Sure I am, it is greater then that of the Corinthian was, when he did eate the Idolothite at home at a priuate table. For wherefore muſt he not be eaten, but becauſe it returneth a certaineoPet. Martyr 1. cor. 10. honour to the Idoll, to which it belongeth? AndpTertul. li. de Idololat. Omnis honor Idoli, Idololatria. And it skilleth not whether it be verus honor, or,qThom. A. quin. in …. cor. 10. lect. 4. putatiuus, it being Idolothiſme when the Idoll is honoured by vsus in the eſtimation of other men. Nowe this is done when by our vſe of Idolatrous rites, we make their Idolatry to berPet. Martyr 1. cor. 8.10. thought the better of; and whensAmbroſ. 1. cor. 10. ver. 28. alius qui Idolis ſeruit, gloriatur. Which cannot bee auoyded in our religious vſe of the Croſſe; becauſe he that ſeeth thee eate the Idols meate, (ſaithtChryſoſt. 1. cor. 10. Chryſoſtom) Exiſtimabit te non nihil Idolorum cultui deferre. AnduAmbr. ibid. in ver. 29. Ambroſe, Iudicatur non diſtare ab eo, qui colit Idol…, quando non horret quod oblatum eſt ſimulachro. What that the Croſſe is worſe then Corinthes Idolothite, euen in priuate vſe and all like vntounto the Iewiſh meate? Becauſe the very common croſſing of the Papiſt, being knowen to be euill, we pertake with their Idolatry if we vſe their Croſſe in priuate, euen as theywDecret. p. 2. cauſ. 28. qu. …. cap. 14. partaked with the Iewiſh ſuperſtition, that ſate with the Iewe at a priuate table, for that euen here his meate was knowen to be ſuperſtitious; whereas Corinthes meate, againſt which Paul writeth, was often vnknowen to be Idolothious. The third difference which our oppoſites make, is this: The Croſſe and Surplice are ſanctified by the comment of our Church, which the Corinthian Idolothite lacked and wanted. Firſt, the Idolothite at Corinth muſt be forborne when he is knowen to be ſuch, 2. Cor. 10.30.although ſanctified by giuing of thankes. This deceiued the young Prophet at Bethell, he thought hee might eate the bread and the water there, ſo it were not in the fellowſhip of Idolaters; in the ſocietie of an old Prophet, who commaundeth him in the name of the Lord, and ſanctified them before they were eaten; he thought it to be lawfull ynough, 1 King. …3.18.19.which is vp and downe our error.xAuguſt. de temp. ſerm. 241. Auguſtine handleth the very caſe, we are to flie (ſaith he) from the Idolothite, as if we ſaw the Deuill himſelfe, and that in our owne houſes, not onelyonly in Idolatrous places, where ſome ſay, ego ſigno & ſic manduc…, I croſſe my ſelfe and ſanctifie the meate before I eate: take heede of this. This were for a man to croſſe his mouth, and to ſtabbe his heart. What God hath ſanctified, polute thou not: ſo what God hath polluted, ſanctifie thou not. No Church, no holy ſocietie, can make holy a Croſſe or Surplice, or any other Idolothite, becauſe the word of God defileth them and pronounceth them vncleane. Secondly, the Temple cannot ſanctifie what is vncleane, but what is vncleane can pollute the Temple. Agge. 2. vlt. 2. Cor. 6.16What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idoles, ſaith Paul? either here he reaſoneth ayGloſſa. or. dinat. ibid. genere, No Idoll muſt dwell in any Temple, therfore not in any ſpirituall one or à zGuak. Arehitip. in hunc. loc.Comparatis. The materiall Temple muſt hauehave no Idoll in it, ergo not the ſpirituall neither. The Croſſe (then) being prooued a notorious Idoll, what maketh he in any Chriſtian Church, or holy ſocietie, to the pollution of the ſame? I conclude with*Auguſt. epiſt. 11. Hierome: The Iewiſh ceremonies vſed in our Churches (ſaith he) cannot make the Iewes to be Chriſtians, but they will make vsus Chriſtians to be Iewes: euen ſo, our holy vſe of popiſh rites, will not make Papiſts to be Proteſtants; but they will make vsus Proteſtants to be Papiſts (to wit) through participation with them.