Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 41 [i.e. 40]
#Sect. 41. An anſwere to the argument of the Oppoſites which is taken from Viſions and Apparitions.
FRom ſcriptures we muſt come to Viſions and Apparitions whereby God himſelfe from heauen hath ſhewed (ſay our Oppoſites) that the Croſſe is a ſigne of his ſonnes, Sect. 41.and a marke of his owne. For when Cōſtantine was in ſuſpence on what God he were beſt to relye for victorie, did not the Croſſe appeare in the ayre vntounto him with this ſubſcription, In hoc ſigno vinces, In this ſighe thou ſhalt overcome. Firſt, this word [ſigne] is foyſted in by a ſixt ſinger.aEuſeb. de vit. …ſt. lib. 1. cap. 22. Euſebius naming only foreign huic vince. bSocrat. Hiſtor. lib. …. cap. Niceph. lib 2. cap. 29. Zonar. in Conſtanti.Socrates and others foreign in hoc vince (to wit) in this Chriſt. Secondly, It was not the ſigne of the croſſe that appeared, but a ſight ſomwhat like it foreign ſaith the ſtorie, made after the faſhion of a Croſſe, to witt, foreign, a marke of Chriſtes name. This marke containeth the two firſt letters of his name XcEuſeb. quo ſupra. c. 25. P. ſo that the P. was made an X. by croſſing as it were a ſpeare a ſloope,dIoh. Reyn. confer. diuiſ 4. ca. 8. pag. 508. either after this maner … or as Lypſius vponupon the vewe of auncient coynes doth draw it thus, …. The former of theſe cometh neareſt to the deſcription of Euſebius, therfore the latter may be ſome imitation of it, euen as in coynes there was a diuerſitie in imitation.eProſper. pag. 3. de promiſ cap 34. Arcadius ſtampt his coyne with a cōmon croſſe vponupon a victorie which he obtained againſt the Perſians. before which, as the battaile was ioyning, certaine croſſes appeared on the garmēts of his ſouldiers. This ſtampe (ſaith the ſtorie) grewfGenebras. in anno Chri. 404. common to all the world, eſpecially it was vſed in Aſia; and the vſe of it doth endure vntounto this day. As the ſtampe of Arcadius differed frō that of Conſtantines, ſo did the ſtampe of Theodoſius which was X. P. S. which the latter age hath vitiouſly imitated. taking the midlemoſt for a Roman P. which in Greek is angGodeſcal. Steweckiu. in Veget. dere milit. lib. …. ca. 18 R. There hauehave ben coyne of Magnentius ſeene with Lypſius his forme, which why it might not be an imitation of Conſtantines figure rather thē the figure of Conſtantine him ſelfe, I ſee no manifeſt reaſon. But what forme ſoever the two firſt letters of Chriſts name had in Cōſtantines dayes, themOnuphri. de faſt. lib. 2. Vazq. de adorat. lib. 3. diſput. 2 cap. 4. letters of his name they wer not (ſay Papiſtes themſelueshD. Fulk. reioynd▪ art 1. pag. 138 to which we adde not) the croſſe, which he wore in his helmet, and ſet in his Labarum, whether it were on the topp, framed of ſome ſolide matter or in his flagge drawne and embrodered or both theſe wayes in both theſe places (which I take to be thedPrudent. ſtan. lib. 1. in ſymach. trueſt) with this bāner he ouercame (without thanks to the croſſe)lEuſeb. de vit. Conſtan. lib. 2. cap. 54. foreign to wit,mD. Fulk. reioynd. art 2. pag. 148 holding forth the forenamed characters of Chriſtes name. See you not (then) the croſſe diſcorded from this apparition? For whatſoeuer honour hath accrewed to him by the ſame, it came either from the alchymie of the Biſhops in thoſe dayes, who drewe a Croſſe out of the ſight whiche Constantine ſawe, or from the ſophiſtrie of Papiſtes ſince.
The Biſhops of thoſe dayes thought it good politie to makenEuſeb. de vit. Conſtant lib. … cap. 22. Conſtantine and the world beleeue, that not only the name of Chriſt had appeared, but alſo the croſſe; as the ſight (you ſee) was ſomewhat like. Hence is it that Conſtantine is ſet vp in the for…m at Rome with a Croſſe in his hande, with this inſcription,oEuſeb. hiſtor. lib. 9. cap. 9. Hoc ſalutari ſigno verac… fortitudinis inditio Civitatem noſtram à iugo tyranni ereptam liberavi, & S. P. Q R. liberatum priſtino ſplendori & claritati reſtitui. Herevpon alſo they adoredpZozom. hiſtor. lib. 1. cap. 4. labar…m of the Romans is chaunged to a Croſſe, to drawe the Armie to the adoring of Chriſt the ſooner. Yet ſo,qBellarm. de imag. cap. 27. vt vexilli formam non amitteret. It is ſaide by ſome, the labarum was a Croſſe before this chaunge, ſo that the Croſſe barre wherevpon therEuſeb. de vit. Conſtant. lib. 1. cap: 25. Iewel art. 14. diuiſ. 3… Lambert. Dane. con. Bellarmin. de Imag. ca. 28. …lagge did hange ſeemeth to be the Croſſe of this Labarum. which though it were there before, yet was it not eminent by the name of a Chriſtian Croſſe as now it is. Latter ages added the reſt of this Labarum, as now Papiſtes doesDurā ▪ de rit. li. …c. 6. ſect. 11. Bellar. de Imag. c. 27. Iaco. Pamel. in Tert. Vazq. de adorat. deſcribe it: who alſo hauehave turned it into atVaz li 3. diſ. …. c. 4 ✚. which now is ſet ouer the flag in the roome of it in all proceſſions.