Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 1 · Section 34
#Sect. 34. Another Oppoſites obiection aunſwered: which is, we vſe it as a ciuill ceremonie, not religious.
ALthough we hauehave couered the mouth of the Croſſe in all former excuſes of abuſe extenuated, firſt vſe extolled, and late vſe purged, yet being an harlot that is talkatiue ſhe ſtill proceedeth to multiplie words, Pro. 7.11. & 9.23.as if her preſent purged vſe were throughly cleane both for the manner of her placing in Gods ſeruice, & for her place where. Touching the former, why is the Croſſe cryed out againſt (ſay ſome of our Oppoſits) as if it had an vſe religious? There is no ſuch matter. For we doe vſe it in our Baptiſme as a ceremonie meerely ciuill; in which manner vſed by vsus, it is as lawfull in that ſacrament, as in the coyne which we beare in our purſes; where we our ſelues (they ſay) doe wiſh it, not only hold it lawfull. Howbeit, how eaſie is it to iuſtifie our vſe of the Croſſe to be too religious, to be lawfull? for the vnderſtanding whereof, we muſt run ouer the two ſorts of religious things. The firſt of them are religious in a ſenſe common, riſing fromaSylueſt. ſumma in verb. relig. Religio as it is a vertue, in which ſenſe all is religious that is done to an holy end: the end being it, that determineth eueryevery vſe, asbTho. Aquin. 1.2. q. 16. art. 3. ſcholemen teach. In this ſenſe the Croſſe is [Religious] euen out of Gods ſeruice and euer hath bin, ſith at the firſt it ſerued to profeſſe the faith againſtcGuilihel. Perk. problem. tit. ſign. cruc. Pagans, to ſanctifiedTertul. de coron. milit. omnem progreſſam to ciuill buſineſſe, andeHieron. ad Euſtoch. epiſt. 22. cap. 16. omnem actum thereof. Did Conſtantine ſet it in his banners, or on the ſhoulders of his ſouldiers? he did itfSozomen. li. 1. cap 8. aſſuefacere exercitum ſuum ad colendum deum, and to make knownegCaſsiodor tripartit. hiſtor. li. 3. cap. 4. hunc Deum colo, cuius ſignum meus portat exercitus. HaueHave Chriſtian kings ſince his time adorned their crowneshHieron. ad Laetam. epiſt. 7. c. 2. patibuli ſalutaris pictura? they doe it to ſhew they profeſſe Chriſt Ieſus. Laſt of all, when a malefactor ſaued his life by flying to ſanctuary, by the auncient lawes of our land, he was to be baniſhed, carrying a Croſſe in his hands to the ſea ſide. This was ſignum ſeruatae vitae, religionis ergò. This conſidered, the ſigne of the Croſſe is neuer mearely a ciuill thing, euen in ciuill obiectes themſelues. Mixtly, and for the end of his vſe he remayneth ſtill religious. Howbeit, our Oppoſites turne this againſt vsus, wee vſe it in Baptiſme for a ciuill end (ſay they) therefore it is ciuill, and in reſpect of this end lawfull. Firſt, this iumpeth with themChytr…us in Ioſu. 22. Lutheran, who excuſeth his religious Images in the Church, by like ciuill end and hiſtoricall vſe: and with the Papiſt, who excuſeth his Iewiſh ceremonies, in that he doth vſe them,nTho. Aquin. p. 3. q. 83. art. 5. Non quaſi ceremoniali praecepto legis, ſed ſicut eccleſiae ſtatuto. And becauſe the thing which he vſeth, is quiddam ſecundum ſe conueniens, ex inſtituto Eccleſia, which is our language vp and downe. Laſtly, this iumpeth with the politique ofoDauid. Chytreus in an. 15 84 Auguſta, who inforceth the Popes newe Callender on this colour, the Miniſters ſhall vſe it in their feaſtes, not as receiued from the Pope, but as enioyned by the Senate. Secondly, though Croſſe and Surplice may for their end in ſome ſenſe be termed [Ciuill] as all rites that ſerue forqHarmon. confeſſ. ſect. 17. confeſſ. Auguſtan. art. 7. order,pBulling. in epiſt. ad N. & M. yet this end maketh it not lawfull, becauſe though an ill end maketh an ill action (for that euen one defect doth ſuffice to hatch a ſinne) yet a good end (ſuch as order and decencie is) and the obedience to the Magiſtrate cannot make anrTho. Aquin. 1.2. qu. 10. art. 2. action good, becauſe the integritie of the obiect, and all other circumſtances muſt here concurre, which in theſe rites are wanting. The Croſſe is an Idolothite; which asGualt. Archityp. 1. Cor. 10. Heſt. 3. Corinthian may not eate for any ciuill vſe or ende of peace and friendſhip, or any ciuill commoditie els. The Croſſe is an Agagite, deuoted to death and to deſtruction, a Mordecay may not bow downe vntounto it, though he pretend, that it is onelyonly to performe obedience to the Magiſtrate, that hee performeth this honour to him. The Croſſe ſorteth vsus with the Papiſts, as much as the Garland ſorted the Chriſtians with the Pagans in the dayes of Tertullian. But atBeat. Rhenan. in Tertul. de coron. milit. Chriſtian may not weare a Garland, no not on the birth day of the Emperour, though he pretend a ciuill end, and ciuill honour to his Prince. Our ſigne of the Croſſe, the Papiſt interpreteth to be a liking of his rites like as the Pagan (in Iulians dayes) interpreted frankencenſe throwne into the fire before the Throne and ſeate of Iulian, to be a profeſſion of Pagan religion. This twouTheodor. hiſtor. li. 3. cap. 16. Chriſtians may not doe, no though they doe it to a ciuill end alone, to wit, to honour and obey their Prince.