Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 14 [i.e. 13]
#Sect. 14. The holines and neceſsitie of the Croſſe, cauſe it to ſmell very ranckely of ſuperſtition.
NOw this participation and this occaſioning is much aduaunced by the ranke ſauour which the Croſſe hath amongſt vsus, both of that holines and of that neceſſitie which are propet to a worſhip. What faults find we in a popiſh ceremonie, but only theſeaBellar. de effect. Sacrament. cap. 31. two when it is made a worſhip by them. But now a ranke ſauour of theſe two cleaueth as cloſely to the Croſſe vntounto this houre, as did the leap roſie of Gehazi vntounto his ſeede. Begin we with the former, firſt how neare are we to the yoke of fellowſhip with them in the efficient of the Croſſes holines. For when they recite what doth make an Image holy, and a Croſſe, theybSuar. tom. 1. in. Tho. diſput. 54. ſect 4.7. name antiquitie, and the authoritie of holy perſons that hauehave vſed it, and the preſence of God that hath wrought miracles by it, & the benediction of the church. In which who heareth not the very ſound of our home pulpits? which declaime before the people how ancient the ſigne of the Croſſe is: How much reckoning the Fathers made of it? What miracles God hath wroght by it? & how devoutly our Church hath ſanctified it to be a meane whereby to dedicate our ſeede to him that dyed vponupon the tree therof? But they ſay that the Croſſe hath power againſt SathancIbid. diſput. 56. ſect. 3. ex diuina inſtitutione. and that it is holy by way ofdBellarm: quo ſupra. impetration, for that God heareth his Church when ſhe doth bleſſe it. But what if in the former by diuine inſtitution they meane naught elſe but Apoſtolicall vſe? then ſo many of our Oppoſites concurre with them, as hold the Croſſe to be Apoſtolicall. As for impetration, are we not told of Gods aſſiſtance to our Church, as if the Croſſe muſt needs be good becauſe the Church ordaineth it? But our Church doth not ordaine the Croſſe in ſo vile maner as the popiſhe. As if there were not too great an agreement betwene the Armenians and the Romans, becauſe the Armenians do conſecrat the Croſſe in ſo vile manner as that the papiſteseVazq. de adorat. li. 3 diſput. 2. cap. 1. themſelues deteſt it? Secondly, how neare are we to the right hand of fellowſhip with them in the condition of the Croſſes holines, ſeeing they well neare agree with vsus in what we ſpeake againſt it, we with them in what they ſpeake for it. We put no holines in the Croſſe (ſay our Oppoſites) f ſo Harding: we put no holines in the Surplice: ſo the Councill of Trent. gConcil. Trident. ſeff. 25.you muſt put no vertue nor holines in Images. So the Ieſuit,hVazq. de adorat. li. 2 diſput. 6. cap. 2. & lib. 3. diſput. 1. ca. 2 There is no holines in any dead thing, but only in relation to ſom what, Cui ſanctitas primario conuenit. As when Iacob ſaith, This place is holy, he meaneth no ſunctitie in the earth, but a relatiue holines in reſpect of Gods preſence who appeared there. On the other ſide, in relation to Chriſt and his death, and to Gods & the Churches ordinance the Croſſe is holy ſaith the papiſte. So do our Oppoſites call the Croſſe [lRic. Hook. li. 5. ca. 65. an holy Croſſe] and the holy ſigne of Chriſt. Now I would faine knowe, what relation there is in it which by the Principles of our Religion can advaunce it to this ſtile? Is relation to our Churches ordinance? but our religion teacheth, It is mD. Fulke in 1. Tim. 4.ſuperſtition to conſecrat any thing to be holy in Gods ſeruice. Yea no leſſe ſuperſtition then that which God plagued innD. Willet. contro. 9. qu. 7. p. 5. Abihu, when hee brought into the Tabernacle holy fire of his owne chooſing. Is relation to Chriſtes death? but our religionoIdem. cont. 9. q. 5. art. 2. argum. 1. teacheth that to call a Croſſe holy in this reſpect is plainely to croſſe the holy Apoſtle who calleth it curſed. Indeed apVazq de adorat. li. 3. diſput. 2. cap. 6. Ieſuite himſelfe will yeeld that as the Croſſe is conſidered to be but an inſtrument of the paine of Chriſt his death, that ſo hee ought to bee as deteſtable vntounto vsus, as the gibbet is to a child which was the inſtrument of his Fathers infamous hanging. And what other conſideration will our religion allow in the Croſſe ſaue this alone? For whereas the Papiſtes count him holy, as an inſtrument of our redemption which was merited by the paine to which the Croſſe did put him, we totally denie that he may be conſidered ſo. Affirming that the Croſſe was onelyonly vſed for paine and curſe that of the redemption which came by this curſe and paine he was no inſtrument at all, vponupon no other ground ſaue this continue we ſtill the ancient argument of theqVid Bellarm. de Imag. cap. 16. Petrobruſiani the croſſe ought to be as odious vntounto vsus as is the Gallouſe to a child on which his Father hanged. Thirdly, we come too neare the ſocietie of the Papiſtes in the act of the Croſſes holineſſe: which is ſo vile, that it is a fault euen a louſe off to follow them. For a man to Croſſe himſelfe, it is with them,rGuilhel. Wideford. a dverſ. Wickleph. a rt. 10. actus Chriſtianiſimus: and the tradition of the Croſſe is with them perfecta the very Queene of all other traditions. So that Wicklife is thought to be out of his wits in that he thinketh there may be ſinne committed in ſo holly ansIdem. a rt. 16. act as Croſſing. And when great Alphonſus choſe the greateſt dutie in the burying of a ſtraunger, hee ſet his ſeruaunts to digge the graue to dreſſe the corpe and ſhroude it reſeruing the holieſt part to himſelfe which was to make an holy Croſſe to ſet at his head, and istPanormitan. de dict. & fact. Alphonſ. commended for his holines in ſo doing. Howbeit I doubt whither late Inquiſitors will commend him, who hauehave taken anuSilueſt. Prier. in verb. imag. newe courſe to keepe the Croſſe in requeſt for holines; to wit, the dead muſt rather want the protection of his holines, then his holines be ſo debaſed, as to be ſet by a graues ſides vponupon the ground. For the ſame cauſe muſt women kicke the ſanctification of the Croſſe at Rome. For as women were of old debarred from acceſſe into the Temple of Simon wEnagrius hiſtor. li. 1. cap. 14.Stellites, and by an olde Canon from all ingreſſe inxCapitul. Grecor. Synodor. Collector. ſanct. Martino. Bracarenſ. can. 42. Secretarium: ſo leaſt the Croſſe ſhould be eſteemed no more then ordinarie for his holines, noyAttillius Serranus de ſept. eccleſ. vib. Rom. pag. …6. woman muſt come into his Church but once a yeere, onelyonly the twentieth of May which is the dedication day. No ſmall preferment I tell you to be admitted into the preſence of the Croſſe, and to taſte of his bountie; and to hauehave the toppe of his holy ſcepter reached forth vntounto you. The more is it to bee lamented that euen in the middeſt of our owne Church ſome ſhould ariſe, to renewe a great part of this his credit. For as if Wideforde, Alphonſus, Prieras and the Croſſes Prieſtes at Rome had a neaſt of birdes amongſt vsus lately flouſh and nowe flowne, wee make more adoe about a Croſſe then about any duetie elſe: as if it were Actus Chriſtianiſsimus, and preaching muſt bee turned out rather then it bee diſpoſſeſſed ſo much as of a babies face; yea deeds of merciemercy themſelues muſt packe, I ſay not to the dead but to the liuing; and not to women alone, but to men alſo, yea to Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe; not onelyonly in his members, but euen in his Miniſters. And although wee hold the Croſſe can preſerue from ſinne in the very [inſtant] of the tentation, yet are wee contented to depriue our brethren of it, for wee may not vſezRic Hook li. 5. ca. 65. common croſſing, leaſt vnhappily the ſigne ſhould grow into contempt And what other courſe can bee taken for the holy things of God themſelues? For no way ſooner can there be procured a reuerence to the holy name of God then1Exod. 20.7. by forbearing it in common talke: to his2Exod. 30.31. Oyle then by forbearing it in common vſe, to the fatte or3Leuit. 17.11.12. blood of his ſacrifice, then by forbearing them in common meate. And I pray you what great difference betweene ſeperating of meates from common hands to make them holy which the4Mark. 7.1.2. Phariſees did, and this ſeperating of a Croſſe from common fingers to make it ſeeme holier in the eyes of the people.