Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 42 [i.e. 41] – Section 43 [i.e. 42]

Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies · Part · Chapter 2 · Section 42 [i.e. 41] – Section 43 [i.e. 42]

p. 131#Sect. 42. Anſwers to the arguments, which the Oppoſites take from miracles.

FRom Apparitions we muſt come to Miracles, whereby God hath manifeſted in the iudgement of our Oppoſites, that the croſſe is a ſigne vndoubted of his holy fonnes paſſion. When he would foreſhew toaaZozom. Hiſtor. lib. 5. cap. 2. Iulian that his Goſpel ſhould prevayle, he did it by a Croſſe invironed with a crowne, which he cauſed to appeare vntounto him in the entrulles of a beaſt in the middeſt of his divining. When he would make knowne to the Iewes, his goſpell ſhould prevaile againſt them repairing the Temple of Ieruſalem to deface it, he did it by certainebbIbid. ca. 2… ſignes of croſſes appearing in the builders garments. Laſt of all, when he would foreſhewe the renewing of his Goſpell by Martin Luther, he did it in Anno 1450. byccIoh Picus. Mirandula de myſte. cruc. ad Maxim. bloudy Croſſes, Nayles, Spunges and Speares; which appeared in the garments of men and women, yea in their rockes as they were a ſpinning. Firſt I anſwer with oneddD. Fulk. reioyn. art …. pag. 14… of our writers: If the Lord would in thoſe times vſe the Croſſe for an outward ſigne, what is that to defende any preſent abuſe of it? Did not God worke a great miracle by the brazenee…o. Reynol. Confer. ca. 8. diuiſ. 4. pag. 508. ſerpent, which muſt be broken for all that when it is abuſed? Secondly, It was not for the Croſſes ſake that God euer vſed it (as if it were any ſigne of his ſonnes) but per accidens, for that occaſion which then it affoorded, as Paule once vſedffSocr. hiſto. lib. 5. ca. 17 the Altar of Athens for his turne, a thing much eſteemed of amongſt the Idolaters. And the Chriſtians the T. of Sirapis, much accounted of among his Prieſts, as ſignifying in their theologie vitam venturam? What then? to retaine a croſſe for an ordinary ſigne, becauſe God or man hauehave ſometimes made vſe extraordinary of it, is as if we ſhould ſtil ſet vp Altars becauſe of thatggD. Fulk. ag. Saint. of Imag. cap. 13. extraordinary vſe which Paule had once of an Altar at Athens. & retainehhTheodo. lib. 5. ca. 2… Beda hiſto. Anglor. lib 1. cap. 17. holy water &llEuagri. lib. 4. cap. 35. holy bread for the ſakes of thoſe miracles which are ſtorried of them, or finally themmD. Fulk. reioyn. art. 3. pag. 15…. Oyle and Impoſition of handes, for the diſeaſes which they cured, & the giftes of the holy Ghoſt which were miraculouſly beſtowed by thē. Thirdly, Theſe miracles were done to grace thennWillihel. Perk. pro…. pag. 84. faith which the croſſe then cōmonly ſignified, & the prayer which the croſſe geſtured wrought all in all, it was not to grace the Croſſe it ſelf, neither was it the croſſe it ſelf that did effect theſe things. The Image which Iulian broake was revengedooZozom. hiſtor. lib. 5. cap. 10. miraculouſly. What? to grace Images? No, but to puniſh Iulian, who in the Image diſhonored Chriſt. A baptizingppTheodor. hiſto. lib. 2. cap. 27. garment by Conſtantius the Emperor is giuen to Macarius of Ieruſalem. this garmēt is ſold to a ſtageplayer, who falleth down dead whiles he had it on his back. what to grace holy veſtures, as theqqDuran. lib 2. c. 9. ſect 4 papiſtes will hauehave it? No ſay we, but to revēge the deſpite, cōtempt, & profanenes of the player. p. 132Leo rr1 Nauclerthe 4. Emperor of Conſtantinople taketh the Crowne that was full of pretious ſtones out of the treaſurie of Sophia▪ a while after he had ſett is on his head, he falleth into a feauer and dyeth. what to grace ſumptuous adorning of Churches? No, but to puniſh ſacriledge. Fourthly, ſeeing the papiſt adoreth the Croſſe with the greater honour, the greater miracles that he hath wrought, a badd office doe we performe who vſe the Croſſe the more honorably for his Miracles ſake. It was ill done of the Iewes to make Elias his Altar vponupon Mount Carmell,ssCornel. Taci. hiſto. lib. 2. an high place to ſerue God in for thettIohn Reynold de Idolo…at. lib. 2. cap. 3 ſect 46. miracles ſake which God ſhewed in it. How (then) can it be well done of vsus to bring the Croſſe into Gods ſervice for the miracles which God hath wrought by him againſt all Proteſtant writers, who not only refute papiſtes errour for their ſuperſtitious and vnlawfull worſhip to the Croſſe, but alſo for this theiruuIoſeph. Scaliger. de Idolol. Halenſ. vnſound reaſoning for the ſame. Fiftly, our commonwwIbid. p. 45 obiection againſt the Papiſtes is, that their Sainctes, Images and Croſſes had ſtore of miracles when they had no neede, and when there was none, that did impugne them but want miracles nowe a dayes at, greateſt neede, when ſo manie riſe vp againſt them. Againſt this there ariſe in the middeſt of vsus, who ſett a broach even moderne miracles for the Croſſe. As a Father (ſayeth one) wiſhing his childe had bene croſſe in the ſeate of natures impuritie, had a next childe borne without vent there. Firſt let the time be conſidered when this miracle is ronge, which was gratefull to the papiſtes of thoſe partes, to backe a former miracle of theirs about the Crucifixe. IuſtusxxIuſt. Lypſ. de Maria Halanſ. Lypſius Deifieth the Ladie of Halles, becauſe her image remayneth vntouched when fire confirmeth round about her: euen ſo the Papiſtes of thoſe partes, were in a crie, Great is the Crucifixe, becauſe in freſh memorie, a Crucifixe of Dunneid remayneth without hurt, when round about it, the Church and windowes were thorne with thunder, that which divers went foorth to ſee. Secondly, let the perſon of the Father be conſidered, vponupon whom it is fathered. For how could the proclaymer hereof either better revenge himſelfe, then to ſet him vponupon the ſtage, who ſtopt at home his popiſh leavene, & detected abroade many of his badde proceedings; or gratifie better his frindes of the other ſide, then to make him a ſpectacle of Gods Iudgement in the Croſſes reveng, who had before made himſelfe odious to them, all by ſervice effectually performed in the apprehenſion of diuerſe of them? At one time being vnable to enter a certaine popiſhe houſe hee beateth downe a Croſſe in ieſte, that ſtandeth ouer the dore. A great matter is made hereof, as if there were renewed the miracle of the Croſſe, which hinderedyyPaul. Diacon lib. 1. Homar in his attempt, vntill it was taken awaye. Thirdly, let the ſubiect of this miracle be conſidered, how homely it is, and howe much ſauouring of that ſpirit, which coyned a miracle of our home Kentiſmen, borne with tayles, becauſe they hanged tayles vponuponzzBeda. hiſt. Anglor. Genebrar. in Anno Do. 595. Auguſtine the Monke, and of theaaVincent. Beluacenſ. lib. 23. cap 159. Pa…cic. Tempor. in an. 754. wife of Gingolphus, letting ſcape with her tayle as oft as ſhe ſpake, becauſe deriding her huſbandes miracles ſhe had ſaid before, that her tayle made muſique, as much as he made miracles. Fourtly, let the malice be conſidered of this miracle: For ſuppoſe the childe was ſo borne, are there not inſtances of children ſo borne, euen in the ſame country, whoſe parentes neuer offended the Croſſe? Is it not folly inbbCeſar. Barph. Anal. In ann. 271 Iulius Firmicus (a fauourer of fate) to impute all the plagues of Plotinus his death, to fates revenge, becauſe hee had written againſt it? IfccIoſeph. Scaliger de Idolo. Halenſ. pa. 48 Zwickius hauehave his noſe cut of with a ſhotte, muſt it needes be the Lady of Hales that hath done it, to revenge her ſelfe vponupon him? or if Riſſelman, looſe his chinne, in like manner, muſt this needes befall him for his contempt of that Idoll. Fiftly, conſider the falſhood of this miracle. If he could hauehave reported of this child, that he was borne ſollid and flat poſteriore ddIulius Obſequens lib de prodig. cap. 85.natura parte, (as once one at Rome) their had the birth bene (indeed) prodigious. But this childe was not ſo borne, only he had a ſtoppage within. Which being remoued by the Phiſitions adviſe, he dyed afterward of a p. 133ſcouring. He reporteth (alſo) that the Father had wiſhed before, the Miniſter had Croſſed his brother there howbeit being wary, he putteth in [I heare ſaye] this hearſaye ſince, vponupon inquiry, is found a lyar. By reaſon hereof the Father ſlaundered, may well take vp the wordes of Hierome, eeHieron. in Epiſto. 62.Ne probare cogatur audiſſe ſe dicit. O ſi & mihi liberet dicere quae multi clamitant & aliorum maledictis acquieſcerem. iam & nos intelligeret ſcire quae omnes ſciunt & me quoque audire quae nullus ignorat. … conclude, which is the worſt miracle of all? that which doeth not onelyonlyffChriſoſt. in 2 Theſſ. cap. 2.2 Thess 2 indu…er… ad falſa, but is alſo falſum, euen ſuch a one is this.

#Sect. 43. The refuge which the Oppoſites ſeeke to hauehave by the Fathers, removed, both becauſe they paſſed meaſure herein, as alſo, that the caſe and time is now farre chaunged.

THE laſt refuge of our Oppoſites is the holde which they hauehave by the Fathers, who generally terme and call the Croſſe Signum fidei, aaCeſar Baron. Anal. in ann 286Trophaum fidei, Signum Dei, Signum Christi, Signum Dominicum, with the like. Firſt the cuſtome of the Fathers herein, none euer yet was able to iuſtifie. as who are knowne to crowne the Croſſe with this honorable name more often then the water it ſelfe of Baptiſme. Quid bbAuguſt. cont. Fauſt. lib. 19. c. 14.est (ſayeth Augustine) quod omnes noverunt eſſe ſignum Chriſti, niſi Crucem Chriſti? ſpeaking as if all men had forgotten that it is the water in Baptiſme that is Chriſtes ſigne. Nay, the Croſſe not onelyonly jetteth in the name of Chriſtes ſigne whereof it hath robbed the water in Baptiſme, but alſo throughout the Fathers writinges beſtoweth this name away from the water on whom pleaſe him, euen on as many of his attendants as he thinketh good. The Fathers call the CreedeccAmbroſ. de veland. virgin. Signaculum cordis noſtri. Wherefore? For the Croſſes ſake it ſeemeth that did goe with it, as theſe wordes ſhewe:ddAuguſt. de ſymbo. ad catecu. lib. 2 cap. 1 Quando voluerit adverſarius inſidiari noverit redemptus cum ſymboli Sacramento & Crucis vexillo debere occurrere. So is the impoſition of handes called, aeeDioniſ. de Ecleeſiaſt. Hierach. Conſignation for the Croſſes ſake wherewith it was adminiſtred. On the Oyle many are the tyties which hee beſtoweth in the writings of the Fathers. who call it for the Croſſes ſake,ffCypri. in Epiſto ad Iubaian. Signaculum dominicum. ggAmbroſ. de Sacram. lib. 3. ca. 2ſignaculum ſpirituale. hhSynod. Trullan. cap. 95.ſignaculum Dei & Spiritus ſancti: yea foreign alſo, that isllEuſeb. hiſt. lib. 6. c. 35. ſigillum. Seeing the Fathers overlaſhe thus farre, wee neede not bee mooued much with their authoritie brought againſt vsus, who are not the firſt that hold this ſigne wasmmD. Fulk. reioynd. art. 3. pag. 158. growne ſuperſtitious, euen in their chiefeſt age; yea long before the time of Auguſtine. Is it not a maxime in the Canon Lawe,nnPaul. Launcelo. Peruſin. inſtitut. lib. 1. tit. 2. prava conſaetudo non ligat? Hath not a Councill determined,ooConcil. Sardicenſ. cap. 1. prava conſaetudo non minus extir panda eſt quam pernicioſa corruptela? Secondly, what though the cuſtome of the Fathers who vſed the Croſſe for a ſigne of Chriſt, were on all ſides good, the times doe differ. They liued in an age when it was deſpiſed: we in a time when it is adored. They in a time when it profeſſed the faith: we in a time when it countenaunceth hereſie. They in a time when it was proper to Chriſtians: we in a time when it is commō to Papiſtes. They in a time when it was vſed over all the Church for the ſigne of Chriſtianitie: we in an age, when out of our owne Church it is no where vſed but for a ſigne of Antichriſtianitie. In regard, whereof we may well appeale to the old Canons, Regula Patrum traditae ſunt (ſaiethppDecret. pa. 1. diſtinct. 29. cap. 2. Gregorie) provt res poſtulare videbatur, temporis, loci, perſonarum, rei que ipſius habita ratione. AndqqIbid. diſti. 14. cap. 2. Leo, Sicut quaedam ſunt quae nulla poſſunt ratione convelli, ita multa ſunt quae pro neceſsitate temporum at conſideratione aetatum oporteat temperari. And thus farre of the Croſſes ſinne againſt this ſecond commandement.