Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 1 · Section 33
#Sect. 33. It auailes nothing to remooue the materiall Croſſe, retayning the myſticall.
FOurthly, what though the materiall Croſſes done away by our Church, were eueryevery way worſe? To remoue the materiall Croſſe, and to leaue the myſticall behinde in Gods ſeruice, is to breake the11. Sam. 5.4. hand of Dagon, not the head, if the head, yet to leaue the ſtompe behind; to remoue the adultery of the breaſtes (if of the breaſtes wholly) but to leaue the adultery of the2Hoſ. 2.2 apud Tremel. forehead behinde, and the whoriſh painting (as it were) of the3Ezech. 23 40.41 face: at a word it is, to remoue the fleſh of the adultery (if the fleſh throughly) but to leaue the4Iud. 23 garment behinde, which it hath touched and ſpotted. This, how can it ſtand before that God, that vſeth to cenſure a reformation (though neuer ſo vpright in doctrine) if there be but an51. Reg. 15.4. & 12 23. 2. reg. 12.3.14 4. high place ſtanding? which perchaunce was neuer abuſed to Idolatry (as the ſigne of the Croſſe hath bene) and who neuer contenteth himſelfe with a reformation of his Church in part, but requireth aaBucer. in Math. 18 Pet. Martyr in 1. Sam. 14 Marc. 11.15. totall clenſing of his houſe, and that from the 6 abuſed inſtruments of his owne ſeruice: how much more (then) from Croſſe and Surplice, which hauehave bene inſtrument of the ſeruice, how much more then from Croſſe and Surplice, which hauehave bene inſtruments of the ſeruice of Deuils? Indeed the reformation publique ſhould be ſuch, as may further the priuate puritie of eueryevery man, whoſe throte and belly if they muſt be pure from the meat of the Idoll: then much more hisbTertul. in lib. de ſpectacul. membra which are auguſtiora, muſt be kept pure from the Idoll it ſelfe, as his hands, his eyes, his eares, from the Surplice and from the myſticall ſigne of the Croſſe? Fiftly, whereas the aboliſhing of the Croſſe materiall is thought to throwe diſgrace ſufficient vponupon the myſticall Croſſe of popery, we are moſt humbly to intreat our godly gouernours to take knowledge of a contrary euent, there being nothing (indeed) that doth credit it more then this, that the Croſſe of the forehead ſtandeth when all other Croſſes fall, and that by authority of law and magiſtrate: which, if they be not the onelyonly Lords of the common peoples faith, yet are known tocIoſias Simlerus in praecep. 2. Gualt. in Luke cap. 5. ſway it more, & that awry in ſuch a caſe then were conuenient. And as the remouall of the Croſſe materiall graceth (after this faſhion) the aereall left behind: ſo the aereal left behind another way graceth the materiall that is caſt out; againſt the doctrine of our Church that is confirmed by Act of Parliament, which thereforedHomil. ag. peril. of Idolat. p. 3 excludeth an Image out of the Church, becauſe if it be ſuffered there, he will giuegive credit to other Images, that other where are worſhipped. When did not the Croſſe materiall & aererall mutually ſcratch and claw one another? when the Croſſe materiall was to be taken for the recouery of the holy land: what courſe hath Bernard but to ply thecCatal. Sigon de reg. Italiae li. 11 in Conrad. 2. Croſſe aereall? that which he doth in healing the ſicike, and ſo preuaileth that Conrade the Emperor himſelf aſſumeth the material Croſſe, & reſolueth on the iourney. Robert fGenebrard Chronolog. lib. 4. an. 1 148.Biſhop of Nazareth ſtayeth the flame of the fire, with the Croſſe materiall,gIdem ann. 824. Paſchalis with the Croſſe aereall. Was the materiall onelyonly graced by the former, the aereall only by the latter? do not both giuegive credit to all Croſſes, yea to the whole religion of popery in the eyes of all Papiſts? And now that wee are lighted vponupon the mention of theſe Papiſts, if it be true thathTertul. li. de coron. milit. Tertullian hath, Nihil tam dignū deo, quam quod indignum Idolo, then can we not doe God better ſeruice, then to offer the greateſt indignitie that we are able to the aereall ſigne of the Croſſe. We may perceiue by this, that they drawe it to the gracing of their religion, becauſe they take nothing morelLaurent. Surius in comment. pa. 690. Ioh. Grop. de Euchariſt. lib. Iacob Billius in Gregor. Nazianzen. indignly, then to ſee the leaſt indignity offered againſt it. Can the ſigne of the Croſſe grow cold & he not burne? Is the ſigne of the Croſſe touched, & he not tormented? or can any take it downe, & he not take on? Tuſh (ſay our Oppoſits) of the ſigne of the Croſſe, non in eo po ſitae ſunt fortunae graciae, but I ſhall neuer heare ſo much out of the mouth of the Papiſt. Who, as if Haniball were before the gates, and all the forts of Rome were ſhaking, vſeth to cry out all religion goeth downe, if the Croſſe goe downe, a way is open to allmRhemiſt. Annotat. in Philip. 2. ver. 10. Atheiſme, if he be away. Yea Chriſt himſelfe is abandoned, if he be aboliſhed. And is there not (then) a way opened in his opinion to all popery, when the honour of the Croſſe goeth vp (as it doth by our making of it in honorable vſe) I ſay by our making of it, fornTertul. lib. de Idololat. Co limus qui facimus vt coli poſsit, diligentia noſtra illius memor eſt.