Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 40 [i.e. 39]
#Sect. 40. That the ſigne of the Croſſe, is not the ſigne of the Sonne of man.
THE ſecond ſcripture which of late we hauehave heard alleadged againſt vsus, is the 24. chap. of Math. 30. verſ. where ſome of our Oppoſites will hauehave the ſigne of the ſonne of man to be the ſigne of the Croſſe, euen as the Fathers teach. Alas, whether will the Fathers carry them? Becauſe of the Fathers they will beleue that a ſigne of the Croſſe ſhall appeare in heauen, for a fore-runner of Chriſt his comming vntounto iudgement. Will they not awake to ſee that this is no other dreame then that which Lactantius dreameth, There ſhall be a great ſword let fall from the heauen into the earth, before Chriſtes comming vntounto iudgement, for a token and ſigne thereof? which (me thinkes) they are bound to beleeue, as well as the other. for he hath ſcripture as good, [aLactant. lib… ▪ …e vita Beat. cap. 19. When I come I will ſende a ſworde into the earth]. And howe is it probable that Chriſt ſhould call that his ſigne which him ſelfe ordained not? which can be nobD. Fulk. ag. Rhem. Luk. 24. ſect. 5. convenient ſigne of his, becauſe a meare invention of mans: and which he foreſawe in tyme ſhould become an Idoll of abhomination, and a marke of his ennemie the man of ſinne and perdition? There is (then) no probabilitie for the Croſſe. is there probabilitie for any thinge elſe? Firſte it iscCaluin: Baeza, Buc… ▪ thought that by this ſigne of the ſonne of man, there are meant (by way of Synecd…che) the great ſignes of glorie & maieſtie, which then ſhall compaſſe him round about: and ſhall omnium oculos convertere ad ſe, quaſi ſigno dato. which ſeemeth to hauehave ſtrength from the explication which doeth followe, He ſhalbe ſeene come in the cloudes with power and great glorie.
Secondie, it isdIohan: Piſcator. in ſchol. D… Fulk. in reioynd. are. … pag. 136. thought, that as the ſigne of Circumciſion is nothing elſe but Circumciſion it ſelfe, ſo heere the ſigne of the ſonne of man is nothinge elſe, but the ſonne of man him ſelfe, as a certaine ſigne that the time is come of the laſt iudgement▪ which receiueth ſtrength by the conference of the other Evangeliſtes, who in ſteede of theſe wordes [Then ſhall appeare the ſigne of the Sonne of man, Rom. 4. Luk. 21. Marc. 13.] hauehave onelyonly theſe, Then ſhall the Sonne of man appeare. Neare to this one,eChriſoſt. In Math. homil. 49▪ Quidam putant Crucem Christi oſtendendam eſſe in coelo: verius autem eſt ipſum Chriſtum in corpore ſuo habentem teſtimonia paſsionis, (id eſt) vulnera lanciae & clavorum.
Thirdlie, it isfMuſcul. thought, that a ſigne here ſtandeth for a ſignification of Chriſtes comming to this ſenſe: Theſe foreſaide eventes ſhall be a certaine ſignification, and (as it were) a ſigne of my comming. And becauſe thegRollocus. in 1. Theſſ. cap. 4. & Park. on the Creed. fyring of the heauen and of the earth, is one of the chiefe of all the reſt, therefore chieflie it is accoun…d to be this ſigne. I can not omitt the wordes of one:hLambert. Dane. cont. The ſigne of the Sonne of man, is the very ſame thinges whiche Chriſt foreſhewed in the 29. verſe, before ſhould fall out in the Sunne, Moone, & Starres, and not any other thing. Therfore after Chriſt had foreſhewed the ſignes that were neareſt to his cōming, he addeth for concluſion and explication ſake, that theſe ſignes are the very ſignes of his comming. And what can be alleadged againſt theſe things? The Fathers? But they agree not.lBellarm. de Imag. …a. 28 Bellarmines mouth runneth over exceedingly, when he ſayeth that the auncient Fathers omnes ad vnum interprete this ſigne to be the Croſſe. For Chriſo ſtome thinketh it to be the body of Chriſt it ſelfe. Hierome writeth thus: Signum hic aut Crucis intelligamus. ant vexillum victoriae trium phantis. Beda followeth him in the ſame wordes. Theophilacte holdeth the true Croſſe ſhall appeare whereon Chriſt dyed. So doth Sybilla, O lignum faelix in quo Deus ipſe pependit. Nec te terra capit, ſed coeli tecta videbis. AndmTho. waldens. Tom. 3. tit. 20. cap. 158. Thomas Waldenſis followeth thē. Abulenſis & Ianſenius are of another opinion. They thinke it ſhalbe a Croſſe compacted of glorious & of lightſome ayre. Now is it likely that the wood of the Croſſe which hath bene ſo long agoe rotten, ſhalbe rayſed vp againe in glorie? Seeing the promiſe hereof belongeth to the members of Chriſt only; who receyue it from the power of his owne riſing? Thirdly, If ihe ſigne of the ſonne of man be here admitted to be the Croſſe, the true croſſe & the croſſes image which is materiall, is here authoriſed, (which our church hath broken & overthrowne) but the aereall ſigne of the forehead is neuer the nearer, if our Oppoſits keepe their old tennes ſtill.