Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 1 · Section 18
#Sect. 18. Our Croſſe not chaunged from the Papiſticall Croſſe, whilſt ours as alſo theirs reſemble Chriſts death: and whileſt the old peece of his figure and forme remaineth.
THirdly, the Croſſe is not chaunged ſufficiently, all while the peece of his olde offices ſtill remaine. For I aſke, wherefore doe Papiſtes adore their Croſſes, becauſe theyaTho. Aquin. p. 3. q. 2…. art. 4 reſemble Chriſt. If ſo, then all while wee vſe the Croſſe to be a ſigne of him and of his death, we cannot denie that he retayneth, and that entirely his old Idols office with vsus. Fourthly, the change of the Croſſe is inſuſſicient, all while the old peece of his figure, & forme remayneth. We obſerue thebCant. miſſ. cantell of the Maſſe booke it ſelfe, drawing his lines atwhart not a ſloape, which ought not to be ſo, becauſe in an Idoll it is thecAuguſt. epiſt. 49. qu. 3. forme which doth maximè afficere infirmos animos. and as for the Croſſe it is thedAlphonſ. de Caſtr. in verb. adorat. Damaſc de fid. lib. 4. cap. 11. forme, for which the Papiſts do adore it. The ſenſers of Corah 1Num. 17.….& Abiram themſelues, though neuer conſecrat to an Idoll; though far from being Idols ſuch as the ſigne of the croſſe is, were not admitted into the Tabernacle, till diſpoyld of former forme. The woman2Deut. 21.12. Idolatrous taken captiue, may not bee married till by the chaunge of her outward hab it (euen to haire and nayles themſelues) ſhe giuegive aſſurance ſhee hath as bewayld, ſo alſo renounced her former countrey. Now by what outward formall chaunge doth our Croſſe giuegive ſecuritie, that he hath either bewayld duly her former Idolatry, or renounced truly her Idolatrous country Rome, which hath not ſo much as a faire new garment dight her, which this woman was to hauehave: vnleſſe it be in ſome peeces and patches only as hath bene ſayd. Sure to diſſolue the two Croſſe lines waseAthanaſ. fict. Antioch. qu. 16 thought of old to be the only chaunge ſufficient to preuent the ſuſpicion of that abuſe, wherwith Papiſts in the higheſt degree, hauehave ſince defiled it. This chaunge corrumpent of the forme, being not in our Church performd; our Croſſe remayneth the ſame in ſpecie, that it was among the Papiſts for figura fThom. Aquin. in epiſt. ad coloſ. cap. 2. lect. 4.is ſignum alwayes ſpetici. Fiftly, (therefore) our Croſſe is not ſufficiently chaunged becauſe the peece of his olde [kind] is ſtill the ſame. Are not the excuſes of them that were bidden to the marriage ſaide to bee [3Luk. 14.18. one] for that [Communitie] of deniall which was betweene them, though otherwiſe diuerſe in themſelues? The duties of maiſters and of ſeruants are they not ſaid to be the [4Ephe. 6.9 ſame] although different in themſelues, becauſe of that [Common] proportion that was incident to them both? Doe we not hold againſt the Papiſts their oyle, their lights and their Frankencenſe aregIoh. Reynold. confer. with Hart. cap. 8. diuiſ. 4. pag. 49…. Iewiſh, becauſe in [kinde] they bee ſhadowes of Chriſt like them? What (then) though there bee ſome pettie differences, to bee giuen betweene the Popiſh Croſſe and ours, as long as our Croſſe partaketh of [Common] properties, of [Common] proportion; and doth [like] him ſhadow forth the death of Chriſt, he may well be termed popiſh, yea in ſome ſort the ſame. For when we accuſe them of Iewiſh rites, we doe not require they be the ſamehIdem. pa. 494. abſolutely if theylIbid. pag. 495. reſemble the Iewiſh rites, and in their [kinde] be ſhadowes of Chriſt, we thinke it ſufficient. Patere legem quam ipſe tuleris, and our Engliſh Croſſe is popiſh, though abſolutely he bee not the ſame with Roomes, but in ſome common and generall properties doth reſemble him. And ſurueye we the Scripture herein, which flatly condemneth euen all [likenes] and all proportion, and all ſimilitude with aliene rites: as an Altar like in faſhion to the Altar of52. Kin. 16 11. Damaſcus, is vnlawfull, and a carte prouided for the Arke like that which the61. Sam. 6.8. Philiſtines prouided for it, is no71. Cor. 15.13. due ſeeking of the Lord. Suruey we the practiſe of the Primatiue Church. A lawrell bough and a light ſet at the doores [like] that of Idolaters, was Iodolatrous, euen inmCaeſar. Baro…. Annal. an. 201. Papiſts owne confeſſion. Suruey we late writers, theynBulling de orig. error. lib. 1. cap. 33. affirme the ſame Idolatrie is amongſt Papiſtes which was amongſt Pagans. They meane a ſameneſſe for ſome proportion that is betweene them. TheyoWhitak. de not. eccleſ. not. 6. affirme the ſame hereſies are taught by them, as the auncient heretiques broached, but meane a ſameneſſe for ſome likeneſſe that is betweene them. TheypMath. Sutclif. in Turco-papiſm. brand diuerſe of their ſuperſtitions, with the infamous marke of Turciſme, becauſe they come too neere to Turkiſh ſuperſtion. And there be ſome Papiſts that in ſome things ſee no difference betweeneqLudonic. Viues in Auguſt. de ciuit. dei li. 8. ca. 27. their owne Idolatry, and therPolydor. Virgil. de inuentor. rerum. li. 5. cap. 1. ſuperſtion of the heathens, who yet in diuerſe petty differences, could not but find diuerſitie.