Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6
The murther of the Croſſe: Chapter 6.
FOR aſmuch as the inſtrument it ſelfe of crueltie, is by the equitie of Moſes lawe to be aboliſhed, Exod. 21.28which deſtroyeth the beaſt it ſelfe, though not capable of any ſinne that hath been a meane of any mans death, the Croſſe and ceremonies muſt away, or els we muſt heare the Lord complaine, The inſtrument of crueltie is in mine habitation. Gen. 49.51This lawes equitie is acknowledged by aaConcil. vormatianſ. can. 64. Councill, yea too much acknowledged; the murther of the Croſſe and Ceremonies is knowne, yea too much knowne. For to begin with the blovd of the body firſt of all, what warres hauehave the crawling frogges of the Dragons mouth, rayſed at any time in the world, of which the Croſſe was not a guide, like Iudas? It guided firſt the warres of the holy lande, Act. 1.16.wherein the ſtrēgth of chriſtendome fell, as one doethbCarol. Sigon de reg. Ital. lib. 6. in H. 3. ann. 1095. witnes, The ſigne of that expedition, was a croſſe of purple cloth, which Vrban the 2. firſt gaue in indulgence for a ſigne of expiation to ſalvation, which he commaunded to be affixed to their garments vponupon their right ſhoulder: wherevpon, they that went into that warre, they were called Cruce ſignati, and the expedition it ſelfe Cruciata. Secondly, It hath ledd the warres that hauehave been rayſed againſt the Emperours, and States of Chriſtendome, for aſmuch as it hath been vſed from time to time, for an agent & a ſollicitor to arme the people of the earth, againſt their lawfull Lords. It iscThom. Morton. Apolog. p 2. in epiſt dedicat. acknowledged, that the head of all monſtrous attemptes againſt Kings and Princes, is the 3. Canon of the ſecond Council of Lateran, where a power is given vntounto the Pope, to abſolve ſubiectes from their fidelitie to their Princes, that neglect to purge their kingdomes of hereticques, that ſo Catholicques may poſſe them. Now it is not fit that the world ſhould be ignorant, that the verie next words of the Canon, ordayne the Croſſe, for the beſt vizard that can be deviſed, to call theſe warres, & for the fitteſt and wiſeſt Factor to manadge and to ſet them forwarde in theſe wordes, Catholici. &c. As for the Catholiques which ſhall aſſume the ſigne of the croſſe for the rooting out of theſe heretiques, they ſhall hauehave the ſame indulgence and priviledge, which is giuen vntounto them, that goe to warre for the holy lande. How the croſſe deſerveth to be vſed, for this moſt prodigious treaſon, it may appeare by that worthy fact ofdCarol. Sigon. de reg Ital pa. 2. lib. 18 in Frederic. 2. D. Bilſ. ag. Apolo. pa. 3. pa. 198. 2. Sam. 15.8 12 Frederick, who to recompence the Croſſes which were borne in the field by Gregoric the 9. againſt him, cut the heads of them that were dead in 4. partes, and laid them croſſe-wiſe on their ſhoulders, and with an hott iron burnt a croſſe in their foreheades, whoſe liues he ſpared: and cauſed the crownes of the cleargie to be cut ſquare to the verie skulles. Thirdly, the croſſe hath ſerved for an Abſolons ſacrifice, to grace the conſpiracies that hauehave been made, & the warres that hauehave been moued againſt the people of the high ſaincts. In the warre againſt the Albingenſes, eVincent. Belnac. ſpecul hiſtori. lib. 29. cap. 103 & lib. 30 cap. 9.many thouſandes were ſlaine: and at one timefBellarmin. de laic. ca. 22. 1080. burnt together in one fire. all which was coūtenanced by the croſſe. ForgAntonin. hiſtor. p. 3. tit. 19. ca. 1 tect. 3.4. Crux in Gallia predicabatur, ex Innocentij tertij mandato, contra Albingenſes. & Sze Dominic (the ringleader of the whole voyage) made the ſigne of the croſſe his broker,hTheodor. Appold. lib. 1. de vit. ſanct. Dominic. ca. 7. ap. Surium de probat. ſanct. hiſtor tom. 4. ad quem congregabatur caetus fortis viribus cruce ſignatorum. And the warre which was after levyed againſt the Huſsites in Bohemia, was an expedition calledlIoh. Dubrau. hiſtor Bohemic. lib. 24. cruciata. themGuil. Lindwood prouintial. voyage it ſelfe being not excepted, which was furniſhed out of England againſt them. Such was the warre whichnIo. Sleydā. comment. lib. 26. Paule the third, moued againſt the Proteſtantes, vnderunder the conduct of Farneſius, who when he tooke his leaue of him, promiſed to ſpill ſo much Lutheran bloud, as that his horſe ſhould ſwimme therein. This warre was, before intended byoAct. Paul. 3. Willet. controuerſ. 7. in praeſa. Marcellus ſecundus, holding it a better deed, to make warre vponupon Lutherans, then againſt Turkes: whoſe confidence was ſuch in the croſſe, that he purpoſed to diſcharge his gaurde vponupon this reaſon,pOnuphri. in Marce. 2 The croſſe is a better weapon and defence, then any ſword or ſhield. This confidence is not of late ſprong vp, which I will make plaine, that all may ſee, what a deepe hand a croſſe hath had in the murther of all the warrs forenamed, A greatqEpiſt. ad Leonem. Imperator. concil tom 2. pa. 254. number of Biſhops, writing in the defence of the Coūcill of Chalcedon. commend their Emperour, becauſe he did pro purpura, virtutibus fulgere, & armis vti adverſus hoſtes venerabili Cruce. whē Attila maketh warre on Rome, Leo goeth forth vntounto him, praelata rGenebr. Cronolog. lib. 3. in an. 463.argentea cruce, that which Lupus Trecenſis alſo did at an other time, & ſo appeaſed him: whence grewe the ieſt, that Attila feared nothing, praeter Leonem & Lupum. when Alexander the firſt, proclaymed the croſſe againſt Iſilinus, for the recouerie of Padna, Philippus Fontaena his Legat in the voyage, whē now the whole troupes were ſetting forward, vnderunder their enſignes, cōmandeth an hymne to be ſunge in honorem ſanctae crucis. vexilla regis prodeunt, sCarol. Sigon. de Reg. Ital. lib. 19. in aun. 1257crucis fulget myſteriū, which while it was ſinging, 2000. men both on horſe and foote were ſeene to weepe for ioye. AttIbid. in ann. 713. Ravenna, no way to ſtay the ſlaughter of a conflict, but to ſend in prieſts amongſt the weapons with a croſſe & the booke of the goſpell: at the ſight whereof all preſently was huſhed. On the other ſide,uPius. 2. in Europ. pag. 190. Iacobus Benevenſis at Orleance, cōmeth with a crucifixe in his hande to appeaſe a tumult, & the ſeditious take him vp, and carrie him about, being encouraged, as if nowe Chriſt him ſelf were come amongſt them to be their captaine. Hereby it appeareth, what an abettor, comforter, counſellour, yea commaunder, the ſigne of the Croſſe hath been, Act. 7.58.in bloudy warres at all times. Fourthly, the Croſſe like a Saule, keepeth the clothes of the executioners of the Martyres, for as much as at eueryevery executiō, in Spaine and other where, there be two Ieſuites at the leaſt appointed to ſtande by with holy croſſes in their handes, to grace the murther: And many of the ſaints of God, hath the croſſe him ſelf condemned. The deniall of the croſſes worſhip was onewAct. & monum. pag. 518. of the Articles, for which the old L. Cobhā died, Fiue men were put to death at once, about thexIbid. pag. 940. Crucifixe and Roode of Doner Court. Tho. yIbid. pag. 746.Man was cōdemned, for that he would not beleeue in the crucifixe.zIbid. pag. 848. Franciſcus Romanus was martyred at Burges in Spaine, An. 1540. amongſt other things, for refuſing to worſhip the croſſe.aIbid. pag. 952. Robert Couper was much troubled, for denying the vertue of the ſigne of the croſſe in bleſſing. Tho. bIbid. pag. 1589.Hawkes was in parte brought to the fire about the croſſe, as ſheweth his diſpute with D. Chedſey. cIbid. pag. 1735.Tho. Spicer, and Iohn Dennye, died for refuſing to followe the Croſſe in a proceſſion.dIbid. pag. 1829. Ralfe Allerton for that he would not beare the croſſe in proceſſion. Spicer, Mandrell, and Coverdale, the three Martyrs of Sarum, had a combat euen at the ſtake with Fryar Billinge (then Parſon of Wilton)eIbid. pag. 1940. about the Croſſe. he prooved the ſigne of the Croſſe by the 9. chap. of Ezech. which in Hebrue and Greeke was Tau he ſaide, in latin Tee. which when a Marchant of Poole heard, he ſet ſpurres to his horſe; after that, with handes lift vp to heauen, he had cryed out, O lamentable thing, Pſal. 116.15. Iob. 16.18.that poore men ſhould looſe their liues, for Tee Taw! Pretious bloud (then) hath the Croſſe ſpilt: which the earth will not couer. Theſe Martyrs dying againſt the ſecond beaſte of Rome, the Pope, being as bleſſed, as thoſe of the Primitiue church, that dyed againſt the firſt thereof, to wit, the Romane Emperour, Renel. 14.13.the more deteſtable ſhould the name, not only the ſigne of the croſſe be to vsus: Mal. 23.32.who (God forbid) we ſhould bring vponupon our ſelues, the bloud of theſe Sainctes by continuing their perſecution againſt our brethren, about Tee Taw againe. Fiftlie, The Croſſe doeth murther as manie Miniſters, as hee doeth vndoe. Exod. 2. 11.For howe could Moſes puniſhe the ſtriking of an Hebrue, with the puniſhment of murther, if violence were not a kinde thereof? Or David the rapine of a lambe, 2. Sam. 12.5if wrong outragious, draweth not neare vntounto the boundes of it? Indeed as the fire is quenched, by taking of the wood away, that doth maintaine it, as well as by powring on of water, ſo mans life is deſtroyed, by taking away the maintenance and comfort of it. which the ſigne of the croſſe hath done, vntounto as manie, as now ſit weeping with their wiues and with their children, who for the wracke which the croſſe hath put them too, are conſtrained eftſoones, to ingeminate that of Rebecca: what avayleth it [vsus] to liue? This meaſure, Gen 27.46.when Caſſander thatfHermon. Hao…elmā. de tradit. pag …. li 4. Column. 377. Adiaphoriſt, meaſured once to a Preacher of Geiſtengem called Antonius, becauſe he refuſed with the ſigne of the croſſe, to conſecrate the Font of Baptiſme, he is cenſured thus: Illi ſatius fuiſſet amittere vitam, quam it a miſerè incertis ſedibus oberrare, in miſeria & calamitatibus: & meo iudicio ſatius eſſet, vt illi potentes qui in exillum pies viros eijciunt, potius talibus vitam adimerent. When Dioſcorus cōſtrayned certaine Orthodoxe Miniſters, errare de loco in locum, and to fugere à creditoribus, and would not admit thē to dwell in any Monaſterie, where they might be relieved; nor him ſelfe ſhew anie mercy on them, nor commaunde that almes, according vntounto Chriſtes commaundement ſhould be extended to them: he is complained on, to hauehave made men,gLibel. Athanaſ. Presbyter. ad Concil. Chalcedo. tom. 2. pa. 114. omni miſeria miſerabiliores, and to hauehave ſhewed ſuch wrongs, qualia nec Barbari aliquando adverſus ſubiectes ſibi commiſerunt. Now wee leaue it to the conſideration of all thoſe, who hauehave not ſhut vp their eyes againſt the ſight of our miſerie, whether the croſſe hath not attempted to bring vponupon vsus, euen as much as this, ſeeing he doeth not permit vntounto vsus, any trade whereby to liue, driveth vsus from place to place, to ſeeke our bread, and not only not cōmaundeth, or provideth we ſhould be relieved, vsus? And ſeeing all this is purpoſed againſt vsus by the croſſe, we pray to the Lord, to giuegive better bowells of mercy to our Reverend Fathers, then to contemne his admonitiō, who ſpeaking of the elevation, retayned to the hurt of the godly, hath theſe words: Qui haec ad exagitandum arripiunt, ipſi reddituri ſuntrationem tudici, vivorum & mortuorum, inclementiae erga alios, non certè malos & impios ſuae: & tumultus in Eccleſia Chriſti commoti, & audaciae decernē di, iudicandi, condemnandi, vel innocentes, vel eos ſaltem, quibus parcere, vel quos revereri etiam criminatores illos, & capitalium ſententiarum pronunciatores, aequum fuerat, And this for the croſſes bodily murther.