Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 9
#Sect. 9. The ſecond exception of elevating the ſcandall, confuted.
THe ſecond exceptiō ſtandeth not ſo much vponupon the deniall, as the elevating of the ſcādall: Sect. 9.which they think to be trifling, & a matter not to be ſtood on by diſcreet men. Firſt this iūpeth with the papiſts,aHoſtienſis Silveſt. Prier. in ſcandal. nō eſt curandū de ſcādalo, niſi ſit graue. & when it cauſethbThom. Aquin. 2.2.….41. art. 4 in pactionē ſine ruina, or riſeth only ex ſpecie mali, cū aliqua leui indiſcretione cōmiſſa, thē it is no mortal ſcādal, but venial only. & as for acIbid art 5 reſpon ad tertium. one of thē enwrappeth within the woe that Ch. denoūceth to ſcādalizers, etiā doctos & charitate plenos whē they offend through a defect of diſcretiō qua etiā optimos quādo que deſtituit per cuius carē tiam Petrus gentiles ſcandalizabat. Secondly, be the ſinne great or ſmall, it muſt be avoyded,fHieron, ad Demetriad epiſt. 1. contemptus cuiuſcunque praeepti, pracipientis iuiuria eſt. Nay the ſmaller a ſinne is, the ſooner through Sathans ſleight, doth it grow to be greater. Whence Auguſtine thus:gAuguſt …. 9 v…ter… & novi Teſtament. ca. 1 Quantae minora peccatae ſunt, tantum ſubtiliorae, & dum contemnuntur non vitantur, maiora enim longè apparent. What that this pretence hath euermore been inſiduous. It is pitie (ſaye ſome of our Oppoſites) that the Church ſhould be diſtracted, about two or three ceremonies: in which, the worde ſpeaketh neither off nor on. So thegTheodor. hiſtor. li. 2 cap. 18. Arrians of olde, ferendum non eſt, vt Eccleſiacorpus diſtrabatur, propter duas voculas; praeſertim qua inſcriptura nuſquam reperiantur. By the clamour whereof, how many of the ſimple ſort, were couched & lauguefied? It is alſo euer dangerous (ashAuguſt. tom. 10. homil. 42. August. relleth vsus, ſed ipſa leuia & minuta, ne contemnantur. de minutis guttis flumina implentur. non contemnantur velminora, per anguſtas rimulas inſudat aquae, impletur ſentina, & ſi contemnatur ſentina, mergitur navis. Thirdly, the bloud of ſoules is cheap with vsus,lHeming. in Rom. 14. if we thinke the leaſt ſcandall is not a great ſinn; ſith the ſcripture holdeth it murther, not only to offer foreign which cauſeth to fall. but alſo ſcandalon which maketh but to halt: yea, 1 Cor. 8.12.every knock that doeth weaken, which is leſſe then to cauſe to halt: yea, that doth but greeue the foote of the ſoule, which is the conſcience, which is leſſe then to weaken, Rom. 14.21if any thing can be leſſe. The equitie hereof appeareth, not onelyonly from the conſideration of the tender louelove which Chriſt beareth to our brethren, whom he1Iſa. 42. beareth in his boſome, and2Hoſ 11.3 leadeth in his hande, as a Nurſe leadeth: yea3Pſal. 91.11. beareth vp with the hands of Angells, that they incurre not the leaſt jutt againſt a ſtone, but alſo from the conſideration of the great hurt which by the leaſt offence is done. a ſtrawe being able to clogge a little4Mat. 18.10. childe. a dropp to quench a ſmoking5Iſa. 42.3. flaxe and the leaſt jutt that is, to put6Heb. 12.13. out of ioynt the foote that hanged looſe before. It ismPlini. natural. luſt. lib. 7. c. 53. ſtoried, that Q. Aemilius dyed incuſſo pollice limini cubiculi. C. Aufidius by iutting his foot, when he was entring into Senat. no marvayle then, if the jutt or rubb of a ſcandal, take away the life ſpirituall which is in a weaker degree poſſſeſſed, then the life of the body is. Fourthly, the ſcandall of the ceremonies muſt not be accounted ſmall. The firſt circumſtance (as I take it) that will make a ſcandall great, is the manner of ſcandalizing withnCornel. Ianſſenius vb. ſup. contempt which then offendeth in the higheſt degree, when a litle one is contemned, by thoſe that are n puffed vp with their knowledge and with their greatnes, and ſo are voyde of charitie. Now alitle1Mat. 18.10. one is cōtemned, when out own21 Theſ. 2.7. power, will and credit only is cared for. when we ſeeke only to3Rom. 15.1 & 1 Cor. 6 12. pleaſe our ſelves, that is, to hauehave our owne forth and pleaſure. to which the ſchoolemen themſelves agree: teaching that a veniall ſcandall then groweth mortall,oThom. Aquin. 2.2. q. 43. art 4. quando contemnitur ſalus proximi, vt, pro ea conſervanda, non praetermittit quis aliquid facere quod ſibi libuerit. Cā there be any greater ſcandall thē that which is thus deſcribed? Quis eſt proximus mens interrogant, & pEnimund. Bonefid. de iure Oriental. fol. 202.ſtātium decem millia deijcimus, vt nostram impleamus volūtatem. What whē with this arrogancie, there goeth a ſeeking of owne things, the Helena of the Coūcil of Piſa, which one in theſe words deſcribeth,qNichol. de Clemang. diſput 2. ſup. materiam concil general. Quae alia res in Piſana congregatione eccleſiam Dei, populum que decepit, & clamare fecit, pax, pax, cum nulla eſſet pax, niſi quia carnales & cupidi homines, beneficiorū ardore ſuccenſi, prorſuſ que excaecati eccleſiaſticā reformationē (quā boni & fideles plaeri que ante omnia fieri volebant impedierunt) & promotionibus quas concupierant adeptis pacem eſſe clamarunt ſoluto que cōventu cū illa quā quaeſierant pace hoc eſt promotione reverſi ſunt. The author (though a papiſt) cannot think, that the H. Ghoſt would ever aſſiſt ſuch a Synod & ſuch a cōvocation as this what, when with this arrogancie & ſeeking of owne things, there goeth a pertinacie which will not reforme any thing, becauſe it will not yeelde. When the Cardinalls ſelected in the time of Paul the 3. were about the buſines of reformation, Nicholaus rIoh Sleidā commenta. lib. 12.Archiepiſcopus Capuanus. omnis emendationis impatiens erat; magna itaque contentione reclamabat, ne quid omnino reformaretur: ac inter alia dicebat fore alioquin, vt Lutherani iactent quaſcab ipſis propemodum adacti illud fecerint. What when with this arrogancie, this ſeeking of owne things, this pertinacie not to yeelde, there goeth an obſtinacie moſt vayne-glorious,sThomas Morton. Apolog p. 1. l. 1. c. 1… quae (malum) haec religio eſt, errores ſuos quamvis minimos retinere malle, quam erraſſe videri (ſayeth one of our Writers againſt Bellarmine, refuſing to leaue out the 8. verſes which are added to the 13. Pſalme, quia longè iā tempore ibi fuerunt. The reſt of the Papiſtes are cenſuredtIoh. Reynold conf. cap. 8. diuiſ. 4. Tho. Mo… ton. vb. ſu. cap. 31. by vsus, for that though the Latin tongue doeth not edifie, yet it muſt not bee reformed to keepe their credite: leaſt there ſhould be founde an errour in them in any one thing. In ſteed of applying theſe things, I onelyonly pray, it be not layde to the charge of ſome of our Oppoſites at that day, that they hauehave hurt our church and hindered the reformation of it, by anſwering our petitions by their authoritie to cōmaund in ceremonies, as if in them liceret quicquid libet, by ſeeking no other peace to the church in their aſſemblies, then that which ſerveth to their owne promotiō, and ſetteth their owne neaſt on high, by contending that nothing at all be reformed: leaſt they ſhould ſeeme to be driven by vsus, or to hauehave yeelded in any thing to vsus, by keeping in corruptions ſtill becauſe they hauehave been a longe time rooted, and beggerly ceremonies that edifie not, leaſt they ſhould ſeeme to hauehave erred in anie thing, in their former governement ouer vsus. If this be layde to the charge of anie, & it be true which them ſelvesuAnſwer to the petit. by the Vice. chaunc. and Doct. of Oxon. teach, the leſſe the thing the greater the contempt, then muſt a great contemptuous ſcandall be anſwered for, when the Lord at that day ſhall aske: what? could ye not hauehave forborne your brethren in a trifle? not ſo much as in a trifle to hauehave regarded ſo many glorious churches reformed beyond the ſeas? ſo many worthy Gentlemen at home, repreſenting the body of the realme? ſo many ſighes and groanes of Preachers? ſo many teares of the reſt of the brethren? The ſecond circumſtance that doth aggravate a ſcandall, regardeth the place where it is done. and it is thewThom. Aquin. 2.2. queſt. 43. Silueſt. Prier. in verb. ſcandal. doeing of it in publique. wheras the ceremonies we ſee are vſed, not only in a publique place, but alſo in a place religious, to wit, in a church: the croſſe in particular is vſed in a Sacrament alſo; then which, the verie church it ſelfe hath not a place more honorable. The Apocrypha cānot be read in the church where ſcriptures only vſe to be read, but they muſt preſently bexConcil. Carthagin. 3. Can. 47. accounted ſcriptures. There cannot ayEpiphan. in haereſ. Aerii. commemoratiō of the names of the dead, be vſed in the middeſt of ſervice, wher prayers only are wont to be vſed, but it muſt preſently growe to be a prayer for them: ſo now the ceremonies cannot be vſed in Gods worſhip and in his ſervice, but they muſt needes growe to be worſhips in eſtimation, & partes of his ſervice. The croſſe hath been more idolized, then any of the popiſh Images: of which one of our writers thus,“Ioſias Simler. in exod c. 20. fol. 85 Locireligio admirationem illis conciliat, & ita occaſio fiunt idololatriae. homines procliues ſunt ad idololatriam: quod ſi illis proponantur Idola, error corum alitur. What is holy-water to the ſigne of the croſſe that halloweth it? yet for the holynes that was put in it, we hauehave baniſhed it out of the church-portch. our brethen (alſo) call the ſticke which doeth vſually ſprincle it, evenzStephan. Durant. de rit. li. 1. c. 21 clavem infernalem, the keye of hell. And what are the Bells to the ſigne of the Croſſe, or to the Surplice that hallow them? (for cos aConcil. Colonienſ. pag. 3. c. 31qui campanas pulſant congruit ſuperpelliceis indui) to which our brethren that are inbDurant. de rit. li. 1. c. 22 France do bellum indicere for that power which was imagined to be in them to driue away Devills. A ſtrange thing, we would be accoū ted as zealous as they, when yet we ſet vp in the middeſt of the church, a grand idoll of poperie, the very handmaydes whereof, they cannot ſuffer, ſo much as in the church-portch or bellfraye. The third circumſtance that doth make a ſcandall great, is the authoritie of the ſcandalizer: who, the more credit he hath, the more he multiplyeth tranſgreſſion amongſt men, and cauſeth Iſraell to ſinne. Thus one of old,cSoxomen. hiſtor. lib. 7 cap. 19. poſſunt multi ritus per civitates & pagos inveniri quos propter reverentiam velauthorum vel corum qui eos primum receperunt, ij qui illis ſunt innutriti ſine piaculo intollerabili praevaricari non poſſe putant. The croſſe and a Lutheran image ſet vp ad decorum, are of the ſame ranke of which our writers,dIoſias Simler. in mandat. 2. Qui rebus praeſunt, eas in templis ferre non debent, alioqui ſimplices qui ipſas tollerari animadvertunt, eo nomine plus ipſis tribuunt, quod Principes & Epiſcopos & Paſtores eas vident non abijcere. Another thus,eP. Martyr loc. com…n elaſſ. 2 ca. 5. ſect. 25. No ſmall ſpurre to idolatrie is the authoritie of the Dedicator. ſo that, the ſcandall of the croſſe, cannot be ſmall, backed with the antiquitie of the Fathers, ſtrenthened with the authoritie of the governours: and credited with the vſe and practize of the Paſtors of the church. The fourth circumſtance, that doth increaſe a ſcandalls guilt, is drawne from the matter of it. and what more apte to work out a ſcandall then the croſſe? For as a monument of idolatrie, God hath accurſed it to be a ſnare: and ſo hath it proved accordingly. Deut. 7.25.Whence one of ourfD. Fulke ag. Saund. de imag. ca. 13. pa. 659 Writers, Even from the beginning, the ſuperſtition of the ſigne of the croſſe did creape like a ringworme: at the firſt as a tollerable indifferent matter: then as an holy thing: next as an neceſſarie thing: laſt of all into open and groſſe idolatrie. Indeed, the popiſh idolatrie began out of the adoratiō of the croſſe, which preſently (in a manner) began vponupon the beginning of the vſe of this ſigne. ThusgPropert. in Apothe. Propertius, iam purpura ſupplex ſternitur Aeneadae rectoris ad atria Christi: vexillum que crucis ſummus dominator, adorat. Another,hPaulin. Nolan. epiſt. 11. Crucem Epiſcopus Hieroſolymitanus cum paſcha Domini agitur adorandum populo, princeps ipſe adorantium promit. A third,lHieron. in. in Epitaph. Paulae Proſtrata Paula ante crucem, quaſi pendentem Dominum cerneret, adoravit. Againe,mIdem epiſt. 17. ad. Marcellam. deſideravit Euſtochium crucis lambere lignum. More witneſſesnDurant. de rit. lib. 1 cap. 6. & lib. 2. ca. 45 may bee had, if they may be credited, that in the ſpace of one hundred yeeres the ſigne of the croſſe begat adoration, being it ſelfe for publike vſe, at theoD. Fulke quo. ſup. pag. 659. higheſt begotten but about Tertullians age, after the 200. yeare after Chriſt. Come wee downe a litle lower, to the yeere 540. or thereabout, & then the croſſes adoratiō is growne exceedingly, as appeareth by thepEuagriu. lib. 4. c. 25. Apameenſes, of whom it is ſaide productam in medium crucem adorant & amplexantur. Whereas therfore, ſome matters are moreqThom. Aqui. vb. ſub. apta nata, to breed ſcandall, then others are, nothing at all cometh neare to the croſſe in the fruitfulnes of idolatrie: no not the brazē ſerpent it ſelf which had far longer time to bring forth abuſe, & yet was removed before it had been ſo long time abuſed. The firſt circumſtance which doth make a ſcandall great, is drawne from the perſons ſcandalized. Where the ſigne of the croſſe is, and hath been frō time to time an offence to all ſortes of men both litle & great, touching the common and vulgar ſort:rCalſh. ag. Mart. art. 4 fol. 88. whereas we ſee the people ſo prone, to repoſe their affiance in this earthly ſigne, we are enforced to leaue the ſame. And touching the learned thus, not only the ſimple did in this caſe abuſe them ſelues, but ſuch as had more learning then the reſt, and ought to hauehave been good ſchoolemaiſters to others. The ſixt circumſtance, that vſeth in a ceremonie to make a ſcandal great, is the vnſeaſonablenes of the time. The ſoule of the croſſe, which is the profeſſion of the croſſe againſt the the aliens being departed, what maketh his dead carcas aboue ground amongſt vsus? For assAuguſt. ad Marcellin. epiſt. 5. Auguſtine ſaith, Non eſt verum quod dicitur ſemel rectè factum, nullatenus eſſe mutandum: mutata namque temporis cauſa, quod rectè ante factum fuerat, ita mutari vera ratio plerumque flagitat, vt cum ipſidicant non fierirectè ſi mutetur, contra veritas clamet non rectè fieri niſi mutetur: quia vtrūque hoc erit rectum, ſi erit pro tem porum varietate diverſum. And the continuance of the croſſes time is ſcandalous likewiſe. Claudius Taurinenſis pulleth downe Images, whē the people out of an il cuſtome, did abuſe them. WhotD. Fulke reioynd. ag. Marvr. art. 10. pa. 213. doth not iuſtifie him? Ionas Aurelianenſis vIonas. Aurelianen. lib. 1. de cult. imag.confeſſeth ſome of his partes were ſicke of the ſame diſeaſe, who yet doeth vphold them. which of our writers condemneth him not? And ſuch is our apologie againſt this ſecond exception of them, which ſee ſome hurt doe come of the ceremonies, Their ſcandall is in a manner nothing, they are peeviſh that ſtande vponupon it.