Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 1 · Section 4 – Section 5
#Sect. 4. In grace giuen and receiued by men, as alſo in formes of Oathes, the Croſſe is not onlie ioyned and matched with Chriſt, but ſometime ouermatcheth him as being more effectuall then bee.
THe Croſſe is become an Idoll in that it is ioyned with Chriſt, there being nothing more commonly heard then theſe copulatiues among the Papiſtes, theaMartial. art. 1. fol. 21. name of Chriſt and the ſigne of the paſsion, the, bMartial. in reply. art. ….faith of Chriſt and the banner of the Croſſe, the cMiſſ. de. inuent, cruc.paſsion of Chriſt, & the Croſſe. When mention is made of grace to be giuen or to be receiued by men. And if the Agnus which the Croſſe doth conſecrate, purgethdLib. ceremo. 1. tit. 7. ſinne, ſicat Chriſt ſanguis as the blood of Chriſt it ſelf which ſhould it ſeeme incredible to vsus, that the Croſſe the efficient of ſuch power in the Agnus ſhould be able himſelfe to doe as much in their opinion? Sure when Tecelius the pardoner taught that the Croſſe was able to clenſe our ſinne aſwell as the Croſſe of Chriſt,eAmand. Polan. in orat de, ſcient cruc. our writers interpret him to meane aſwell as the paſſion of Chriſt it ſelfe: why ſhould they not? Pray not Papiſts at the conſecrating of a CroſſefPontifical. Roman. p. 2. tit. de benedict. nouae crucis. ſicut per crucem Chriſti, &c. As by the Croſſe of Chriſt the world is expiated from all guilt, ſo by the merit of this Croſſe let them that offer it be cleare from all committed offences. He that will cleare the Croſſe aereall from this attainder, hee muſt conſider the ſpeeches are genenerall there is a hMarti. de cruc. art. 6.water flowed into the Croſſe which is knowne to be the ſaluation of faithfull ſoules and againe,lIopas Aurelian de cult. imag. lib 2. Torrenſ. in. confeſſ. Auguſtin. lib. 4. cap. 9 tit. 4. Durant. de rit. lib. 2. cap. 45. ſect. 3. Martial de cruc. art. 6. fol. 92.93. The Croſſe doth as much as the preſence of Chriſt on earth, and proceedeth with like efficacie, as hee himſelfe the ſamplar. Howbeit, there is wherein the ſigne of the Croſſe ouergoeth Chriſtes fleſh, as it was preſent here on earth, for aſmuch as it had no effectiue vertue in it by the ſight of it ſelfe and by bare touching to driue away Satan, or to make holy or to worke miracles: but it was the mightie power of the Godhead, whereby theſe things were wrought. And before we leaue this point, ſee we how hee was matched with Chriſt in the worſhip of an oath when the old Chriſtians were willed to ſweare by God, Chriſt, the Holy Ghoſt, per mVeget. de. re milit. lib. 2.Maieſtatem Imperatoris, by the Maieſtie of the Emperour Tertullian ſeemeth to miſlike the forme,nTertul. de coron milit. cap. 11. Credimus humanum ſacramentum diuine ſuper induci licere & in alium dominum reſpondere poſt Chriſtum? Thinke we it lawfull to adde an humane oath to the diuine, and to ſweare after Chriſt by an other Lord? Sure it is inoPamel in Tertul. apolog cap. 31. nota. 5. France forbidden after this manner to ſweare by God and by the King or by the Kings children. Now this forme of ſwearing is performed to the honour of the Croſſe, as appeareth by the oath which Otho tooke vntounto the Pope, pCarol. Sigon. de reg. Ital. lib. 6. anno 960.Iuro per Patrem, & filium, & ſpiritum ſanctum, & per ſignum hoc vivifica crucis. I ſweare by the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt, and by the ſigne of this life-bringing Croſſe. WhenqLib. Pontifical. in Pelag. 1. Pope Pelagius cleared himſelfe, he went vp to to deske hauing the booke of the Goſpels and a croſſe vponupon his head.rConcil. tom. 3. pag. 917. Martine the fift when hee adiureth the followers of Wiclife, and of Iohn Huſſe, he commandeth them to touch the booke of the Goſpell and the Image of the crucifixe. The Croſſe then was honoured in an oath aſwell as the Goſpels booke, which thar it was matcht with Chriſt, it doth appeare by the abiuration ofsConcil. tom. 3. pag. 600. Beringarius who ſwore by the Holy Trinite, & per haec ſacro ſancta Chriſti Euangelia, by the holy Goſpel alſo. Now leaſt any ſhould replie, that Chriſt had the honour which the Croſſe ſignified as once intCarol. Sigon. ibid. lib. 3 anno 742. Anaſtatius oath, who holding a Croſſe in his hand ſaid, per eum qui huic ligno affixus eſt inro: I ſweare by him who was faſtned to this Croſſe, it muſt bee conſidered that the very Croſſe itſelfe had a part in this honour as appeareth by thatnDecret. p. 2. ca. 22. q. 5. cap. 2. Canon which enioyneth three yeeres penance to him that hath forſworne himſelfe vponupon a Croſſe conſecrate, The ſigne of the croſſe pertaketh both of the inward and outward worſhip of God.but in caſe the croſſe were not conſecrate (by which hee forſwore himſelfe) then the penance of one yeere onelyonly.
Thirdly, the ſigne of the Croſſe is an Idoll in that it partaketh of Gods worſhip both inward and outward. Of the inward he partaketh when men arexBreuiar. Roman. in hebdomad. 4. in quadrageſimo. Tho. Aqui. par. 3. q. 25. art 4. Andrad. Orthodox. explicat. …. taught to put their truſt in him. a morall Idolatry (ſayth one of theiryRodolph. Ardenſ. homil. 9. poſt. Trinitat. owne.) Sure an Idolatry by many of their ownezConcil. Trident. ſeſſ. 25. Bellar. de imag. confeſſions, that which alſo is great, both becauſe it is anaEpiphan. haereſi. 79. adultry of the ſpirit which God, a ſpirit, much reſpecteth, and alſo becauſe it ſetteth vp abAuguſt. cont. Ma…imin. lib. 1. cap. 11. ſpirituall temple to an Idoll, which is farre worſe then when ſome materiall temple is erected. And the Croſſe is to be worſhipped outwardly with latria it ſelfe which is Gods worſhip, for ſo the Church of Rome dothcTho. Aqu. pa. 3. q. 25. art. 3.4. Anton. Poſſeuin. bibliothec. lib. 1. cap. 10. Bellar. de imag. cap. 23. teach not onelyonly for a Croſſe materiall, but euen for an aereall alſo. For who is ignorant of this diſtinction, the true nayles and ſpeare and ſepulchre wee adore, but not their Images. The true Croſſe we adore for his ſake and his dAlexand. Aleſ. p. 3. q. 30. memb 3. art 3. Durant. de rit, lib. 1. cap. 6.images alſo, him for touching and repreſenting, theſe for repreſenting onelyonly? And it is indeedeNic. Saund. de imag cap. 13. Bellar. de imag. cap. 24.26. directly taught that the ſigne of the Croſſe is to be worſhipped among the reſt of theſe repreſentations, and their practiſe is anſwerable. For they inuocate this ſigne,fCatechiſ. Regin. Maria. Anglic. per crucis ſignum fugiat hinc omne malignum; per idem ſignum ſaluetur quodque benignum. Yea in invocation they ioyne it with Chriſt. Per miſericor diā Ieſu Chriſti? gOffic. Miſſ. in praeparat.Per auxilium & ſignum ſanctae crucis, Per interceſsionen beatae Mariae, &c. And they adore it in their ſolemnities.hPortifor. Sarisbur. in feſt. exaltat. crue. Adoramus crucis ſignaculum per quod ſumpſimus ſalutis ſacramentum: but more of this in place conuenient.
#Sect. 5. The ſigne of the Croſſe, a part of the deuils worſhip: A Character to effect things ſupernaturall and deuiliſh miracles. An inſtrument of witchcraft: an inchaunting rod, a magicall ſigne.
THe fourth Idoll of the ſigne of the Croſſe is the deuill himſelfe the aduerſarie of God, who here obeyed and not God, is worſhipped here in ſtead of God as he was once in the hill2Leuit. 17.4.7. altar, though ſet vp for the worſhip of God as well as this ſigne is now. Thinke we the ſpirit without cauſe calleth him a deuill, as it is3Apoc. 9.20. euident that he doth it being one of the popiſh Idols againſt which the Turke is looſed? ſure being a character vſed to effect things ſupernaturall without promiſe from the Lord, it cannot be leſſe then aaMagdeburgenſ. apud Bellar. de imag. cap. 30. Doct Fulk. con. Saund. de imag. c. 12. p. 652. rite of the deuill, an inſtrument ofbGoulart. in Cyprian epiſt. 56. not. 31. witchcraft, yea a very inchauntingcCalfhil. cont. Mat. art. 8. & paſſim. rod as our writers vſe to terme it, why not? Seeing the peeces of the Croſſe weredHierom. in Mart. c. 23. charmes and inchauntments, by a certaine womā borne in the booſome in Hieroms dayes, it no way helping whicheRhem. in 1. Tim. 4. ſect. 15. ſome alleage there is no couenant made with the deuill, for euen anfZanch. de oper. redemp. c. 17 theſ. 5. implicit couenant maketh vp witchcraft, ſuch as was betweene Eue and him in Paradiſe though not expreſſed. And whereas the heathen hangdgMacrob. ſaturnal. li. 1. cap. 7. Imagines Maniae before their doores to keepe out hurtfull ſpirits, thehSebaſt. Munſter. lib. de Imperat & prohibit. Iudaeor. Iewes at this houre ſet vp a circle about their houſes to keepe out the deuill, the Croſſe among Chriſtians taketh vp the reuerſion of this office euen as we ſee him ouer many a countrey doore for the very ſame purpoſe.lHierom. in Iſa. li. 16. ca. 57. Hierom could not brooke the Deus Tutelaris which ſtood in the entrie with a candell before it, to preſerue the houſe from euill: for that it did hurt euen to Chriſtians and all conuerted, becauſe as they went into ſuch houſes and went out of them, they were euer put in mind inoliti erroris of their old and wonted error. The Croſſe in baptiſme is more powerfull to remember a wonted error, then a Croſſe in an entrie or ouer a doore, which alſo will neuer goe from the poſſeſſion of priuate houſes vntill the publique houſe of God doe ſpue it out. Neither is it nothing that the Papiſts giuegive it the name euen of anmTholoſſan. Syntax. Tom. 2. li. 28. ca. 24. Amulete againſt the deuill, and feare not to ſay they coniure (euen nLindan. panopl. li. ca.coniure) the deuill by it. Somewhat alſo it is, that the deuill hath wrought manyoZanch. in operib. redemp. ca. 15. theſ. 3. Whitak. controner. 1. qu. 6. ca. 12. Fulk reioind. Art. 1. pa. 145. miracles by it, and at this houre colludeth in it as in a cricle faining he is chained or chaſed away, when (indeed) hepHoſpin. de orig. imag. Calih. cont. Mart. paſſi. giueth backe to get the more ground, and flieth from the ſight to ſurprize the ſoule with greater aduantage. As for the croſſes of the MaſſeqMicrolog. de eccleſia. obſetuat. cap. 14. I …an. Reynold. conferenc. ca. 8. diui. 4. Gregorie the ſeuenth tooke them immediatly from the circle, which is the cauſe they runne in odd numbers to keepe the olde rule, Numero deus impari gaudet. The croſſes ofrDanae. contro. 7. li. 3. ca. 7. And. Willet con. conſecration, and of thesHerman. Hamelman. de tradit. p. 1. lib. 4. col. 373.369. Fulk. anſwer, to Rhem, 1. Tim. 4. ſect. 15. exorciſme, are coniuring maces in like maner. What that the figure of the Croſſe is euen bytto 9. q. 7. p. 5. nature magicall, and a ceremonie vſed in magique throughout all ages. So that the Papiſts may ſeeme to prouide two ſtrings for their bow when they choſe him againſt the deuill, no leſſe then when for the matter of their Beades they chooſe a ſtone that hath awDurand. de rit. lib. naturall force againſt him not onelyonly a ſpirituall.tCael. Rhogiin. Antiquit. lib. 10. cap. 8. Plin. lib. 28. cap. 4.