Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 20 [i.e. 19]
#Sect. 20. The Croſſe as the Oppoſites, vſe it, is prooued to bee Sacramentall.
AS vponupon former examination we hauehave found the ſigne of the Croſſe to be a ceremonie and a worſhip ſuperſtitious, ſo if now we proceed in examining, we ſhall find him faulty herein alſo that he is Sacramentall. What ſhould an Hagar doe in the houſe, that hath ſo long not only crowed againſt her Miſtreſſe, but alſo crouded into her place? For firſt theaAuguſt. cont. Fault. li. 19. ca. 14. & in Pſal. 141. & 65. Bernard. de bono defenden. Fathers called the ſigne of the Croſſe a Sacrament, yea ſuch a Sacrament as thebGuil. Perk problem. in verb. Sacra. holy water &cChemnit. exam. p. 2. ca. 1. p. 7. holy bread are, which alſo were ſigned with thedDurant. de rit. lib. 2. c 58. ſect. 2 croſſe & ſanctified by it. Now the holy water hath ſuch an efficacy (ſaith one) Quae certe niſi in Sacramentis eſſe videri non poſsit, ſo that maxime omnium videtur habere propriā rationem Sacramenti hoc illustris ceremonia. As for the holy bread wont to be giuen to the catechiſed when others did receiue the Communiō, it was no leſſe then ſtanding inſteed of the Sacrament vntounto thē, therfore it was termed e…logia & fDurand. Rational. lib. 4. ca. 53.vicarius cōmunionis. What that thegAuguſt de peccator. merit. & remiſ…i. lib. 2. cap. 26. croſſe with thishIbid. & in Regul. 75. bread miniſtred was thought to ſanctifie like a ſacramēt, as theſe words of Auguſt, ſhew, Catechuminos ſecundū quendā modum per ſignū Chriſti puto ſanctificari? Howbeit the ſigne of the croſſe ſtaied not her ambition here:eAlan. de Sacra. ca. 5. ſhe meant to catch the ſadle in ſelf before ſhe had done, that which in Baptiſme ſhee quickely attained, and with little adoe,lPerk. problem verb. Chriſm. ſect. 2. Our writers telling vsus that the Fathers who ſet her on cocke horſe, made more of her then of the water it ſelfe of Baptiſme. The ſame gaue power vntounto the Croſſe tomCyprian. epiſt. 73. perfect Baptiſme, and tonIdem. de vnct. chriſmat. conferre the ſpirit of God vntounto the Baptized. As for the former, chewe a little vponupon theſe ſpeaches, it may bee they will tell thy taſte how vnſauory the Fathers are in the matter of the Croſſe.oAuguſt. de tempor. 18…. With the ſigne of the Croſſe it is that the bodie of our Lord is conſecrated, and the Fonte of Baptiſme ſanctified. With pIdem cont. Pelagium lib 6. ca. 1.the ſigne of the Croſſe is the waue of Baptiſme conſecrated. By qChryſoſt. in Mat. 16. homil. 55.the ſigne of the Croſſe is the Lordes bodie conſecrated: the Fonte of Baptiſme ſanctified, and all thinges whatſoeuer are made holie, they are made holy with the ſigne of the Lordes Croſſe. rCypri. lib. de bapt. Chriſt.Wee glorie in the Croſſe of the Lord, whoſe vertue worketh throughout all Sacraments: without which ſigne nothing elſe is holie, nor any other conſecration that commeth to effect. sAuguſt. de ſanct. ſerm. 19.With the ſigne of the Croſſe is the Fonte of regeneration made holie: and to ſpeake fully all Sacraments are perfected by his vertue. tAuguſt. in Iohan. tractat. 18.Vnleſſe the ſigne of the Croſſe bee applyed to the foreheades of the beleeuers, or to the water whereby they are regenerated, or to the Sacrifice whereby they are fedde, none of theſe are rightly performed. uAuguſt. de vulitat. poenitent.The water of ſaluation is not the water of ſaluation, vnleſſe being conſecrate in Chriſtes name, it bee ſigned with his Croſſe. Againe,wAmbroſ. de its qui initiantur. Myſter. cap. 3. The water is good for no vſe of future health without the preaching of the Lordes Croſſe. But when it is conſecrated with the myſterie of the ſauing Croſſe, then it is tempered to the vſe of a ſpirituall waſhing and of a ſauing cappe. As therefore Moſes threw the wood into the waters of Marah and made them ſweete, ſo the Prieſt ſendes the preaching of the Lordes Croſſe into this font, and the water thereof is made ſweete vntounto grace. Secondly, come we from the Fathers to the Papiſtes, who plainelyxMart. reioynd. art. 1. Fulk. ibid. p. 141. 142 teach, that though it be not a Sacrament, yet is it like a Sacrament, for which cauſe they call it a Sacramentale. Now there are two things (ſaith Bellarmine) wanting of a Sacrament.yBellar. de imag. ca. 30 Firſt, he conferreth no iuſtifying grace [ex opere operato.] Secondly, he worketh not infallibiliter. But ſome ſay (and CardinallzBellar. de effect. ſacram. c. 31. Bellarmine ſeaneth that way) that the ceremonies which the Church doth bleſſe (of which I truſt the Croſſe is one) apply Chriſtes merits as Sacraments doe; conferre their graces ex opere operato, as Sacraments do. Finally produce their effects, infallibiliter ſi id vttle ſit hominibus; and what neede is there that any Sacrament ſhould doe more? It is the Croſſe (ſaithaDurant. de rit. li. 2. ca. 45. ſect 7. one) whoſe vertue ſhineth in eueryevery Sacrament, the efficacy of bleſſing in the impoſition of handes, (and that is a Sacrament with them) dependeth vponupon the ſigne of the CroſſebIan Senius Concord. euangelic. cap. 150. ſaith another: ancTho. Hutton. ag. Devon. Miniſt. other ſort of them teach, that the ſigne of the Croſſe may ſupply Baptiſme, and ſtand in the roume thereof. Thirdly, from Fathers and Papiſtes come we downe to home writers, whodLamd. Danaeus. cont. Bellar de cultu. ſanct. ca. 7. D. Willet. de bapt. q. 8 error. 15. teach that eueryevery new deuiſed ſigne, is a new deuiſed Sacrament, and that a SacramentePet. Martyr in comment. 1. Reg. 8. and a Sacramentale be all one, as long as there is an outward ſigne with ſymbolicall ſignification, and that the Papiſtes arefD Fulke repl. to Mart. art. p. 141. 142. ſacrilegious in bringing the Croſſe ſo neare a Sacrament as they doe. In regarde hereof they cannot bee cleare that doe vſe the Croſſe in a Sacrament as wee doe. ThegTheodor. haere…. …abular. lib. 1 Manichees did eate the meate, the dreſſers whereof they held in execration, and are held ridiculous. As then wee deteſt the Papiſtes for dreſſing of the Croſſe with the reliſh of Baptiſme, ſo let vsus forbeare to eate of the meate it ſelfe which they hauehave dreſſed there, who ſhould abſtaine euen from the very broth it ſelfe, of eueryevery vncleane thing. When the Nazarites were forbidden to drinke wine, it was vnlawfull for them to taſte of the liquar of the grape.hAuguſt. de haereſ. cap. 46. Auguſtine reprooueth the Manichees for that profeſſing earneſt hatred againſt the wine,1Iſa. 65.4. they would fill their bellies with grapes notwithſtanding.2Num. 6.3 Seeing then wee profeſſe hatred againſt the popiſhe Croſſe, retaine wee no longer this liquoriſhe taſte of him in our Sacrament. TheylConcil. Aquiſgranenſ. ca 63 that will not eate meate, muſt yet touch it, to ſhew that they did not iudge it vncleane like the heretiques. Our vſe of the Croſſe in Baptiſme, if it bee not an eating of this Idolothite, yet is it at leaſt a touching of it, whereby the people iudge it cleane.mAuguſt. contra. Penlian. lib. 2. Auguſtine himſelfe was carried away with the vſe of his time to thinke that the Oylie Croſſe in genere ſignacularum viſibilium was ſacro-ſanctum ſicut ipſe Baptiſmus. Will not ſimple men bee drawne much more to thinke that the ſigne of the Croſſe is holie as Baptiſme is, all while they ſee it vſed in Baptiſme? Conſider the water wont to bee mingled with the wine of the ſupper, becauſe it was ſuffeted there, it grewe at laſt to be thought as neceſſary as the wine. So that thenConrad. Lutzenburg. in Georgian. Durant. de rit. lib. 2. cap. 27. ſect. 3.4. Armenians and our Church are condemned as heretiques for omitting the water as are the Aquarij for the leauing out of the wine. What then? as the waſhing of the feete was caſhiered from Baptiſme, when it ſeemedoAuguſt: epiſt. 119. cap. 18. pertinere ad Baptiſmum, ſo now deale we with the Croſſe; whoſe firſt Sacramentall guilt we hauehave ſeene, that it is well neare a Sacrament added.