Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 1
The Croſſe in baptiſme, Idolatry againſt GodThe Idolatrie of the Croſſe. CHAP. I.
WHat 12. Cor. 1.26.agreement hath the temple of God with Idoles? 2Hoſe. 14.9.What hauehave I to doe with Idoles?31. Ioh. 5.21. Babes keepe your ſelues from Idoles. Theſe Scriptures and the like, not onelyonly controule, but alſo caſhire the ſigne of the Croſſe; it being an Idoll that is many wayes polluted. The firſt way reſpecteth God, whoſe heauenly Maieſtie while it transformeth by carnall thoughts, there is thataAuguſt. in Io. tract. 19 Idoll of the heart begotten, which muſt asbIdem de verb. Dom, ſee. Mat. ſerm. 6 carefully be expelled out of the minde, as any Idoll that is externall out of the Temple. Is not eueryevery lye of God acTertul. de praeſcript? kind of Idolatrie? But the Croſſe turneth his glorious eſſence into a vile and ſhamefull lye, when it putteth on him a certaine eſſe dSuarez. Tom. 1. in Thom. diſput. 54. ſect. 4.veſtitum imagine, an eſſence clothed with an Image. And eueryeveryeHierom. in Ierem. cap. 32. hereſie transforming God is an idolatry in like maner, whereas there is none that doth more chaunge him then the haereſie of this ſigne; teaching that he may be vnited with a Croſſe (with a Croſſe I ſay, a deteſtable Idoll) and ſo vnited, that the Croſſe may befCaiet. in Tho. part. 3. Q. 25. art. 3. vt citatur A. ſaid to be Chriſt, Chriſt and the Croſſe to be one and the ſame ingSuarez. vt. ſupra. apprehenſion: which is more then to ſet a Dagon by him, it is to marrie a Dagon to him; yea to turne him into a Dagon, partly fleſh, and partly fiſh: which is it not monſtrous? To this belongeth that fantaſticall Chriſt of Papiſts which is concluſus, hVazquez. de adorat. li. 2. diſpur. 5. cap. 6. & 14.4.in imagine, Chriſt incloſed in a Croſſe, a worſe tranſmutation of him then4Act. 17.24. God incloſed in a Temple. For what incloſing priſon is there more lothſome to him, then an Idoll which is as5Deut. 29.17 The doct. of the Croſſe … teaches G…od to be de…ighted wi…th wil-worſhip dongue; and more abominable in his preſence then may be ſpoken? Another metamorphoſis there is behinde, little better then theſe. The Croſſe ſetteth God before vsus, as delighting in Wil-worſhip, which is euer carnall worſhip; by name in ſuch a carnall Wil-worſhip as doth worſhip him in a Croſſe, yea in a CroſſelTh…o. Aqui. p. 3. Q. 25. coworſhipped with him in the verie ſame worſhip, at the ſight and ſenſe whereof if our hearts riſe not, if our ſpirits burne not (like Paule… Athens) it is becauſe we want his zeale. But be his zeale ſound with in vsus, it …ll not ſuffer the ſound ſo much as of ſuch an Idoll to be amongſt vsus. For, know wee not that all wil-worſhip is flat Idolatrie, bymAug de. confenſ. euang. lib. … cap. 18. fathers,nVarq, de adotat. lib. 2. diſpur. 1. cap. 3. aduerſaries, owneoDoct. Bilſ. ag. Apolog. p. 4. pa. 344. writers, and all? The Papiſts themſelues confeſſe, it is Idolatrie to worſhip God as preſent there, where he is notpCatharin, cont. Dog…at. Ca…. preſent, that which this ſigne doth cauſe at this houre, the papiſts praying to a croſſe, as to Chriſt IeſusqThou Aqu. p. 3. Q 15. art 4. Suaz. in coment. ibid. preſent in it, and teaching wittingly in their writingsrAndrad. Orthodox explicat. 9. Deus eſt vbicun que (crux) eius ſignum eſt, that God is there, where this ſigne of his is. Laſt of all, It is an Idolatrous conceit of God to thinke he will ſuffer anysDoct. fulk. reioynd. to Mart. art. 1. pag. 145. Guil. perk. li. de Idolo. lat. grace to drop towards any, without himſelfe diſtille it downe, by his owne meanes; amongſt the which, although it neuer came into his heart to ordaine this ſigne, yet is it beleeuedtTripart. hiſtor. lib. 2. cap. 1…. Ion. Aurelianenſ. de cult. imag. lib. 2. tMartial. de cruc. art. 4. fol. 48.that there hath beene no grace beſtowed by the miniſtery of man or Angel without the ſame, ſince his comming in the fleſh: which alſo is held to be an neceſſarieuRhem. annotat. in 2. Theſ. 2. ſect. 17. meane and inſtrument of mans ſaluation. Yea, ſo neceſſarie for his part herein▪ as that it is matched withwMartial de cruc. fol. 21. faith, withxIbid. fol. 20. charitie, with theyIbid. fo. 16 Sacraments: Yea the incarnation of ourzDoct. Fulk. reioynd. art. 1. pag. 143. Lord Chriſt Ieſus. And theſe many wayes is the Croſſe an Idoll in regard of God, ſith theſe many waies it doth conceaue him qualis non eſt, ſuch as he is not, a groſſe idolatrie by all theaAuguſt. quaeſt. ſup. Ioh. lib. 6. cap. 29. fathers, yea, by ſomebSuar. tom. 1. in. Tho. diſput. 34. ſect. 7. Papiſts owne confeſſion.