Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 1 · Section 13
#Sect. 13. Wee commit Idolatry in receiuing the Croſſe, becauſe wee doe not Zealouſly baniſh it.
FIrſt, we are guiltie of participatiō in defect through omiſſion, becauſe we come ſhort of that zeale againſt this Idolothite of Rome, which is enioyned in this word [flie frō it.] For, 1. Cor. 10. ver. 14.this doth not coidly bid vsus to auoid it, but (as it were pulling vsus out of the flame) it cryeth feruently, vſe allaGloſſ. interlinear. diligence to ſeparate it from thee. Be zealous in heartbPet. Martyr Ibid. to deteſt it with honour, & ſhake thine hands from the leaſt communication with it,cGualt. in Archetyp. etiam minima ex parte. This partaking forbidden againe, Ephe. 5.11. HaueHave no fellowſhip, but reproue them rather, is committed*Tho. Aquin. commentar. in cum loc. three ſpeciall wayes: Imitando, coadiuuando, conſentiendo. By imitating, helping, and conſenting. Of all which three the Croſſe is guiltie. Forinpart we imitate the Papiſtes in making like them a Croſſe like theirs, in the very ſame Sacrament to many of the very ſame endes; which being more then [minima ex parte] it maketh vsus participants, like vntounto the Corinthian eating. We make no account of the Croſſe (we ſay) ſo they iudged the Idoll nothing. We vſe not the Croſſe for any liking to the popiſh croſſing, but for peace and for the winning of them: 1. Cor. 8.1.2, 3, &c.ſo the Corinthians did not eat for any honor to the Idol, but to cōtinuedGualt, in Archityp. in ver. 14. louelove & likening with old friends, & to draw them to the faith. In regard hereof they bring nothing, who ro cleare our croſſe frō imitation, ſay, we vſe it diuerſly, & to a good end, & lawul. Firſt, this ſtoppeth our mouthes before Papiſts: whom how ſhall we anſwere, alleadging the very ſame defence for their Images (aſwell they may) it being as lawfull for thē to erecteTurrian. pro. canon. Apoſtol. li. 1. cap. 25. Feuardent. in Iren. lic 1 cap. 24. Caeſ. Baro. Annal. an. Chriſtian Images againſt Pagan Images, in holier maner, as is to erect in holier ſort, a Proteſtants Croſſe, againſt their popiſh one. Secondly, the very vſing of that rite which heretiques vſe, hath alwayes bene held a following of them, and an vnlawfull imitation. The firſt Councell of Nice will not celebrate Eaſter on the ſame day, whereon the Iewes did keepe the Paſſeouer. Wherefore? they hold it to be an imitation of the Iewes, and the ſame vnlawfull to them, as theſe words ſhew:fTom. concil. 1. pag. 352 Indigna res eſt ſanctiſsimū eum diem, imitatione at que conſuetudine Iudaorum celebrare. Againe, the fourth Councell of Toledo will not vſe the rite of three-fold dipping which the heretiques vſed, becauſe they held it to be an imitation euill in the ſhew at leaſt, to them eſpecially who take no knowledgegAúgúſt ad publicol. epiſt. 154. animi noſtri of our diuerſe manner of vſing. Thus goe their words,hConcil. Tolet. 4. cap. 5. Propter vitandum (autem) ſchiſmatis ſcandalum, vel haeretici dogmatis vſum ſimplam teneamus Baptiſmi merſionem, ne videantur apud nos, qui tertiô mergunt, haereticoruns approbare aſſertionen, dum ſequuntur & morem. Thirdly, the pretence of winning Papiſts, cleareth vsus not from an vnlawfull imitation, but yoketh vsus with them vnlawfully. Here I thinke worthy to be remembred the words of Gelaſius, lGelaſ. 1. in epiſt…ad Euphemiam.Wee may condeſcend for peace, but not deſcend downe into any [praecipitium] hoc deſcenſu num ſaluare eſt aegrotantem, an cum languenti conſumi? He is prepoſterous that willeth the Phyſition to be ſicke, and not rather the ſicke to receiue health from him. Is this the beſt way to repayre peace, or rather that, which reiecting all contagion, and preuenting all infection, keepeth the vnitie & the communion pure, vnmixt, and vndefiled? The way to helpe one that is ſicke (ſaythmAuguſt. epiſt. 9. Auguſtine) is not febres mentiri, but in the ſtrength of his health cum patientis affectu, to miniſter the meanes that may rid his ſickneſſe. Hierome writing of Peters imitating the Iewes in their ceremonies: Noua clementia Apoſtoli (ſaythnHieron▪ ad Auguſtio. ibid. epiſt, 11. he) &c. a newe gentleneſſe of the Apoſtle, while he goeth about to make the Iewes to be Chriſtians, he himſelfe (a Chriſtian) is made a Iew. For he could not reduce the luxurious to frugalitie vnleſſe he proued luxurious himſelfe; nor mercifully ſuccour miſerable men, vnleſſe he felt himſelfe in miſerie. The effect is, we muſt not make our ſelues ſicke, for the healing of others: neither muſt Proteſtants participate with Papiſts, to reduce them from poperie, but in compaſſion heale them rather with medicine contrarie to their diſeaſe; that is with all puritie from their error, and from all ſhew of communicating with the ſame.