Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 16 [i.e. 15]
#Sect. 16. The ſecond pretence for defence of the Croſſe, is neceſsitie.
THe ſecond is an other propertie which alſo doth pertaine to a worſhip, and that is [Neceſsitie] Heere theaRhemiſt. Annotat. 2. Theſſ. 2. ſect▪ 17. Papiſt reckoneth the Croſſe not only among ſuch traditions as are neceſſary to ſaluation, but alſo among ſuch as are principall partes of faith. It being ſo, we are much in fault to dwell ſo neare them as we do, there being almoſt no pretence which their neceſſitie admitteth not as well as ours; no blame which our neceſſitie incurreth not as well as theirs. Touching the firſt, what are we able to ſay for our ſelues more then this, that we commaunde it in Baptiſme not [tanquam neceſſarium] but oblige the conſcience in reſpect of the Magiſtrates commaundement only, not in reſpect of the rite it ſelfe. As though the Papiſtes commaunde it otherwiſe? Seeing in baptiſme they confeſſe it is not neceſſarie perſe, it muſt be confeſſed they commaund it there in the very ſame manner that we commaund it; as alſo all the reſt of their rites. Thus Aquinas, bTho. Aquin. 2.2. qu. 147. art. 4. reſponſ ad. 1.ſtatuta Eccleſiae ſunt de his quae non per ſe ſunt de neceſsitate ſalutis, ſed ſolum ex inſtitutione Eccleſia. Neither fiſhe nor fleſh of it ſelfe doeth defile (ſaye thecRhemiſt. in Math 15 ſect 5. Rhemiſtes) but a breach of the Churches precept defileth. They who hold the ſingle life of Miniſters to be indifferent, deſcribe the neceſſitie of it in ſuch termes of notdTho. A. quin. 2.2. qu. 88. art. 11. eſſentialiter ſed ex ſtatuto Eccleſia. accidentaliter, of not abſolutè ratione ordinis, ſed ex ſtatuto Eccleſiae. of noteDurand in 4. diſtinct. 37.qu.1. fCaietan. opulcul. tom 2. tractat. 31.abſolutely loquendo & ſecluſis legibus Eccleſiaſticis: as that a Proteſtant him ſelfe cannot deuiſe better to ſhew that the Croſſe is not neceſſarie of it ſelfe, but as authoritie doeth commaund it. Is not the Croſſe à Satramentale? And how commaund they their Sacramentalia, but as wee nowe the Croſſe?gCarol. Bouius. in ſchol. in Clement. li. 7 ca. 44. Bellar. de effect. Sacrament. cap. 21. propoſit. 2 not ex neceſsitate Sacramenti, ſed ex neceſsitate praecepti: nothDurant de rit. lib. 2. cap 27. ex neceſsitate Sacramenti, but ex neceſsitate miniſtantis Sacramētum. Laſt of all,lAlexand. ab Alis apud Theſang. Theolog. p. 4. qu. 12. not ex neceſsitate faciendi, but ex neceſsitate facientis only. And what the very Croſſe it ſelf,mBellarm. de verb. non. ſcript. lib. 4. ca 7. Quaedam etſi ex ſe, &c. ſome things there are which although they be not neceſſarie of them ſelues, yet after they be commaunded, they bee ſo neceſſarie as that if purpoſely they be omitted, men grieuouſly ſinne. of which ſort is the ſigne of the Croſſe in conſecrating the water, &c. We hauehave the Croſſe then made neceſſarie in poperie no otherwſe then we our ſelues doe make it neceſſarie, & yet ournFranciſc. Iun. cont. Bellar. ibid. not. 29. Math. 15.2 writers bende them ſelues againſt the neceſſitie of it, euen after this manner introduced. So did our Sauiour ſtand out againſt the neceſſitie of waſhing hands, though preſſed vponupon him by vertue of the Elders commaundement, and of the order of the Church: When Peter conformed to the Iewes ceremonies, he did itoHieron. apud. Auguſtin. epiſt. 11. conſuetudine ſolemnitatis, non neceſsitate ſalutis, and yet he did ill. And wherefore ill? becauſe though he did not [predicare] that they were neceſſary, yet his vſing of them did [pAuguſt. ad conſent. cont. mendac. ſimulare] a neceſſitie in them. which alſo was ſo much the more faultie becauſe there were many who in error did [putare] that is, hold them to be neceſſarie. All while (then) papiſtes and ſimple men holde the Croſſe to be neceſſarie as other worſhips of God are, it is no ſufficient excuſe, we doe not predicare & teach a neceſſitie in him, our vſing of him doeth (ſimulare) ſo much, and breed ſuch error in other men. One exāple more: They that kept the Paſſeouer like the IewesqSocrat hiſtor. lib 5. cap. 21. pari ratione cum Iudaeis condemnantur, though they pretende a ſublimior ſenſus in their obſervation, becauſe they did pedibus proterere their diuerſe manner of obſeruing by that bellum grauiſsimum, which they rayſed againſt their brethren about the ſame. Hence any may collect, that our diuerſe manner of croſſing, ſaueth vsus not from being condemned with the Papiſtes, all while we make them ſo neceſſarie, as to make warre vponupon our brethren about them.