Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 1 · Section 17
#Sect. 17. An enlargement and continuance of the matter contained in the former Section.
THirdly, what if the Croſſe might be chaunged, as the things forenamed may? It appeareth in ſight it hath with vsus no chaunge ſufficient. The naturall Sympathy,aIulias Scaliger. Nulla intercapedine impeditur, No more can the ſpirituall bee let or ſtopped, which is betweene our and the Popiſh Croſſe, as long as the Croſſe hath a being in Baptiſme, it will offer towards the Popiſh no leſſe then the needle towards the Pole; in ſo ſmall a diſtance (alſo) as now is betweene them, they will cloſe like the Adamant & the Iron together, neither can any wiſedome of man keepe them aſunder; Euen in our Oppoſites graunt, the chaunge is not totall, but in part onelyonly, to wit, in the manner of vſing, which if it be ſo, Mat. 9.16.there is a new patch put to the olde which will (ſay I) nay which alreadie hath made, the breach the worſe. And to ſay it is not the ſame Croſſe, becauſe a patch or a peece is diuerſe, it is as if the old diſputers aboutbPlutarch. in ſympoſiac. Argo, ſhould hauehave ſaid, it was not the ſame ſhip, becauſe it is new peeced, or as if Elias might hauehave repayred one of Baals Altars vponupon mount Carmell,1Reg. 18.30. and hauehavecPet. Martyr in hunc loc. Ioſ…. 6.26. ſacrificed on it, vponupon a pretence that now it was not the ſame, becauſe he had patched it, or as if Hiel ſhould hauehave pleaded, Iericho (indeede) is iuſtly accurſed, howbeit I (the repayrer of it) deſerue no blame, for why it is not now the ſame, I hauehave made a newe one of it. Howbeit, that this enterchaunge of patching and peecing may the better appeare to be inſufficient, it ſhall be ſhewed. Firſt, that the olde peece is too great; then that the newe peece is too little. Firſt our Croſſe hath too great a peece of the old, in regard of his honourable vſe. For beeing a veſſell of Moab he ſhould hauehave bene made a waſhpot, Pſal. 108.9.whereas nowe being ſet in Baptiſme, as on the cubbard where the reſt of the plate ſtandeth, he hath the place of a veſſell of honour. The Idolothite is neuer lawfull (ſaithdAuguſt. epiſt. 154. Auguſtine) till the honor of the Idoll be moſt openly ſubuerted, that is neuer done till his benediction be cleane wiped off, this cannot be done, but by ſomeeSylueſt. Prier. in ſum verb. benedict. iniurious vſe: this vſe iniurious who dareth offer to the Croſſe? When afBaeat. Rhenan. i… Tertul de coron. milit. Chriſtian ſouldier came with a garland in his hand which he ſhould hauehave worne vponupon his head, he was put to death vnderunder the raigne of Seuerus the Emperour, in the dayes of Tertullian, who defendeth this fact of his.gBaron. Annal. in anno 201. Baronius condemneth it, but vponupon this ground, that it was a ciuill and a neceſſary ornament for his head, and elſwhere he is contented to paralell this Acte of his, with the caution of holy Chriſtians, which in other Pagan rites, auoyded and ſhunned all ſhew of Symbolizing with them. The Croſſe (then) being a Symboll and badge of poperie, it ought by the pattern of this example to hauehave bin turned in vſe frō the head to the hand at leaſt; whereas now we ſee it is ſet ſtill, euen on the head of baptiſme, for a garland to adorne it, and we will not turne it ſo much as from religious vſe to ciuill handling, whether the Chriſtians wiſhed the waſhing of the feet, when it ſeemed inlAuguſt. epiſt. 119. cap. 18. Auguſtines dayes, pertinere ad baptiſsimum, but to pertaine to baptiſme. Secondly; our Croſſe is not ſufficiently chaunged from the popiſh, becauſe too great a peece of his old bonorable names remaine. For the verytExod. 23.13. Ioſu. 23.7. Zach. 13.2 name it ſelfe of an Idoll ought to be left, and eueryevery regardfull remembrance of him, and that in ciuill vſe and all, where euen a cuſtome to ſay meherculè ismTertul. de Idololat. Idolatrous to Hercules, and eueryevery other mention els of any Idoll is vnlawfull,mIbid. niſi adijciatur aliquid, quo appareat, that he is not named with honour. As for a contract, though it be ciuill, I muſt be ſo farre from naming in it annTertul. lib. cod. heatheniſh Idoll as that I ſinne if I keepe ſilence when an other doth name him. What watch keepe I ouer the doore of my lippes (then) in caſe I name in the heauenly contract betweene God and man (for ſuch is Baptiſme) this abhominable Idoll of the Croſſe? Yea, name him there, that hee may conſecrate my ſeede to God, as a ſigne of the Sonne of man, as an holy ſigne of Chriſt, for ſo wee are taught to ſpeake by theoRic. Hook li. 5. ca, 65. doctrine of our Church, in whoſe practiſe vulgar abroad, theſe honourable titles doe ſound oftner in mens mouthes, a blaſt to the Croſſes houour, then a due and lawfull prayſe to baptiſme it ſelfe. Marc. Bibulus once complained of Caeſar his collegue, that he drowned his name as Caſtor the name of his brother Pollux. For though the Church was erected to them both, yet was it not called Pollux Temple, but the Temle of Caſtor onelyonly. A greater ſuit may the water of Baptiſme commence againſt the ſigne of the Croſſe, which neuer being ordained a ſigne of Chriſt at all, yet ruffleth vnderunder the honorable name, whereof it robbeth Baptiſme. this is a thing vnworthy of vsus, who vſe topIoh. Criſpin. in cronolog▪ controule the Papiſts becauſe in their common ſpeech, they call Corpus Chriſti day by the name of [Gods Feaſt] more often, then the holy Sabboth day which was the holy Feaſt indeed, which God himſelfe ordained.