Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 13 [i.e. 12]
#Sect. 13. The Croſſe is a Wil-woſhip, prooued by three reaſons.
IF we proceed in the examining of him, we ſhall finde further that he is a will worſhip, as he is vſed among the Papiſtes, in which regard it is not lawfull for Gods Church to vſe him in his worſhip at all. The firſt reaſon is, becauſe it maketh the Church participant with the popiſh ſuperſtition through defect of Godly zeale againſt their ſuperſtitious worſhips. For enſample, The Greeke Chruch abſtaineth from blood and ſtrangled, not placing in it any worſhip of Gods, but to obey the Apoſtles rule for order and for edification. Doth this excuſe that Church?aCenſur. Oriental. Eccleſ. cap. 21. p. 393. no, as long as the Iewes vſe it for a worſhip they arebStaniſlaus Socoloui. ibid. p. 460 held to Iudaize. From the Church of Greece, paſſe we ouer to Afric, there thecBernard. Bridem. bact. peregrinat. Hieroſol. p. 2. cap. de Abyſsin. Franciſc. Aluares in deſcript. Aethiop. ca. 96. Abyſsini vſe circumciſion; not as a worſhip of God like the Iewes, but as a ceremonie which is decent for that imitation which is of Chriſt in it. For which alſo they are baptized eueryevery Epiphanie the day on which Chriſt was baptized as they ſuppoſe. Many ſuch rites they hauehave which they vſe as ceremonies onelyonly, not as worſhips like the Iewes, as theſe words ſhew.dZagazabo. alias Chriſtopher Lichanati in confeſſ. Aethiop. Non quod ad ſalutem ſpectare credimus; againe, non ob circumciſionem gloriamur, nec caeteris Chriſtianis nos putamus ob id meliores aut Deo acceptiores, &c. From Aethiopia paſſe we to Germanie, where ſhall we excuſe the Adiaphoriſtes, becauſe they impoſe not their Pſeudo Adiophora, as worſhips of God, but onelyonly for ceremonies of edification? I hope we will rather ioyne with thoſe conſtant brethren of ours, who thus replied:eConfeſſ. Theolog. Saxoniae. aedit. ann. 1560. Ordinem in Eccleſia decentem conſtituendum eſſe clamant, quaſi verò antea ſine ordine in ſumma confuſione eccleſiae noſtrae vixiſſent. Indeed, hauehave the Churches no order or comelines that want the Croſſe and Surplice? Nay, hauehave they not more a great deale then ours, who are out of hope euer to come neare the reuerend grauitie of their rites, or the chaſte modeſtie of their aſſemblies? We vſe not the Croſſe as a worſhip (ſay wee) as the Papiſtes doe vſe it. By this our excuſe we iuſtifie Papiſtes in burning incenſe beforefBellar. de beat. ſanctor. lib. 1. cap. 13. Images, and beforegMiſſal. Roman. tit. rit. Celebran. Miſl. Croſſes to the defeating of that argument which our writers make hence againſt them. You commit Idolatry to Croſſes and Images, becauſe you burne incenſe to them as the Iewes did to the brazen ſerpent. HaueHave they any colour to anſwere this, ſaue this of ours, we vſe not the incenſe as a worſhip Diuine, or as a Sacrifice as the Iewes did? which wehAndrew. Willet. controuerſ. 9. q. 5. p. 1. art. 4. hold vnworthy the anſwering, all while the ceremonie is the ſame? If it be no ſufficient difference to vſe the Iewes incenſe not as a diuine worſhip like them, how can it ſuffice for vsus to ſay, wee vſe the ſame Croſſe that Papiſtes vſe, but not as a worſhip as they vſe it? How the Papiſtes vſe their incenſe before the Croſſe, I leaue in the middeſt: their making of the Croſſe with incenſe is thus deſcribed:lDurant. rational. lib. 1. ca. 7. Num. 36. Crucem cum incenſo facere eſt Chriſti paſsionem patrioſtendere, & ipſum pro nobis interpellare. What difference heere betweene them and vsus? For we vſe to ſigne with the Croſſe to ſignifie the merit of Chriſtes death, they the Croſſe (and incenſe withall) to ſignifie his interceſſion by the merit of the ſame? Secondly, though we vſe not the ſigne of the Croſſe as a worſhip, yet our vſing it in Gods worſhip, giueth occaſion of wil-worſhip in other men. We may not thinke but this commaundement forbiddeth all occaſions as well as other commandements doe, and that in the Croſſe it ſelfe, which becauſe it is an occaſion of ſuperſtition, it is to be done away in the iudgement of ourmCalfh. ag. Mart art. 1. D. Fulke reioynd. art. 1. p. 140 Exod. 12.15. writers. Is it ſufficient the leauen be not put in the bread of the Paſchall ſupper, or that it be not eaten with it as a part of that worſhip? No, it is further required that it bee not ſuffered ſo much as in the baſeſt roome of the houſe. The equitie heereof hath feared our Diuines from ſuffering ceremonies leſſe hurtfull, leaſt in the end they giuegive occaſion of a worſhip ſuperſtitious. As they remooue the receauing of the communion with thenBucer. in Cenſur. cap. 3. mouth, leaſt in the end it ſhould breed an opinion of holineſſe in the conſecrate handes of the Prieſts. And theoIbid. ca. 4. p. 464. reſeruing of the communion Bread and Wine to auoyde the occaſion which it giueth of thinking them holy, extra vſum, or chaunged in ſubſtance. The ſame Diuines of ours condemne euen omnem ſpeciem of the popiſh ſuperſtition. (euenpAuguſt. epiſt. 19. as Auguſtine long ſince affirmed: The man is throwne downe into the dungeon of the Deuill, that obſerueth a Iewiſh ceremonie in deede or in ſhew) ſo much the more, becauſe in this land,qBucer. in Cenſur. cap. 3. Omnia ſunt ſuperſtitione referta. This laſt clauſe willeth vsus to be more wary of ſhew, when the people are readie to take hurt by it. I ſay [take hurt] euen as our Communion Booke forbiddeth the wafer cake to take away all ſuperſtition which any might [rRubrie. after the L. ſupper. take] marke (take in it) in which wafer cake when was there put the one halfe of that ſuperſtition which is now in the Croſſe? Nay the cenſure is yet more ſtrict, If we louelove Chriſt Ieſus,sBucer in Cenſur. cap. 9. p. 472. Nihil prorſus loci apud nos inuenient eaeres omnes, verba & geſtus in quibus vel appareat eſſe aliquid tantis impietatibus affine aut ad vllam rapiatur (quanquam improbè & abſ que data cauſa) harum ſuarum impietatum commendationem. Howbeit, in Croſſe and Surplice there is euen occaſion giuen: firſt by that ſhew of a will-worſhip which is greater in them then of a Maſſe in the Prieſtes going vp to the Communion table to ſay the prayers before the Offertorie, which notwithſtanding we hauehavetBucer. in Cenſur. cap. 3. p. 458.459. cenſured for [occaſioning]. and through that repreſenting of a popiſh worſhip, which is as great in Croſſe and Surplice, as in the eleuation of the bread for oſtenſion to the people which is condemned foruAlexand. Aleſius in proaemio. leitourg. a prouoker: And laſt of all, by the appointing of them to be vſed in holy vſe, which is adiudged offenſiue euen as thewAuguſt. epiſt. 86. ad caſulan. appointing of a faſt on a Sunday, it being the ſame day as the Manichees do appoint, ſauoureth too much of approbation. But there be inſtances fit for this purpoſe euen in the very Croſſe it ſelfe. Our Diuines could not abide thoſe nigrae cruculae which were inxBucer. in Cenſur. cap. 9. p. 472. King Edwards communion booke to direct the Miniſter how to make Croſſes on the bread and on the wine. It is forbidden by the popiſhyMiſſal. ſecund. vſum ſacrum in offic. peregrinor. Canons, that any pilgrimes ſhould burne a Croſſe in their fleſh. Wherfore? It ſeemeth becauſe they were to meet at Hieruſalem with thezBernard. Bridenbac. peregrinat. Hieroſol. p. 2. de Abyſſen. Pet. Bellan obſeruas. li. 2. ca. 85. Aethyophians & theaDanaeus de haereſib. cap. 97. Iacobites with others, who in their baptiſme burne ſom one, ſom two, ſom tree croſſes with an hot iron in the forheades, in the cheekes, and aboue the noſes of their children. By proportion from hence we may not figure the Croſſe in baptiſme becauſe they figure it as they burne it not, becauſe the ſuperſtitous burne it. Let the Germane Diuines ſhut vp all: who alleadged againſt the Surplice and other ceremonies thē inforced, that albLib. Concord. apud. Conrad. Schluſelburg. tom. 13. P. 751. ſhadow of ſhew was to be ſhunned with popely.