Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 3 · Section 14
#Sect. 14. Howe the ſigne of the Croſſe is an enemie to our affiance in the merites of Chriſt.
THE ſecond affection of the hart which the ſigne of the Croſſe defloureth, is Faith and affiance in the merites of Chriſt: where I had rather lament then expreſſe how neare our Oppoſites come to the Papiſtes. For, hold they not the ſigne of the Croſſe to be a profeſſion & a teſtimonie of our faith, not fearing Bellarmines ſocietie,aBellarm. de effect. Sacrament. cap. 31. Crux eſt exercitium fidei? Valde. n. &c. For we doe very much exerciſe our faith when we doe arme our ſelues with the ſigne of the croſſe againſt the Divill. For we doe proteſt by this ceremonie, that we doe beleeue that the power of the Crucified is ſo great, as that the Divills are forced to flye before his verie Image it ſelfe. They hold that our profeſſion of the faith by the ſigne of the croſſe is an honouring of the merites of Chriſt his death, not fearing the ſocietie of Durantus in all other Images,bDuran. de rit lib 1. c. 4. ſect. 11. Imaginibus Chriſti non minuitur eius honor, ſed augetur. For if Chriſt be honoured by a croſſe, then why not by an Image as well? Why not by a Crucifixe alſo? Laſt of all there be who giuegive foorth, that our defacing of the Croſſe diminiſheth the honour of the merites of Chriſt. not fearing a ſocietie in that old and rotten ſlaunder, The Armenians deſerue confuſion, who vſe not the ſigne of water with the wine in the Sacrament of the ſupper: cTheophil in Ioh. c. 19Non. n. credunt vt videtur, quod aqua ex latere egreſſa ſit. For in that new deuiſed ſlaunder of the papiſtes, thedRhem in Annotat. in Philip. 2. ſect. 2. Proteſtantes in diſvſing Croſſes and Images, doe nos onelyonly diſhonour Ieſus Christ, but alſo deface him in Oblivion: and open a windowe wide to Atheiſme. It is like alſo that ſlaunder of Dureus: For (as he ſaith) we doeIoh. Durae us cont. Whitaker, fol 380. in reſponſ Whitaker. reſurrectionis fidem quaſi cuniculis evertere, for that we faſt betweene Eaſter and Whitſonty de, and make not the good cheare which they hauehave deviſed for a memorial of his riſing. So this imputation chargeth vsus with a diſhonouring of the merites of Chriſt, for that wee vſe not the Croſſe, which man hath choſen, not the Lorde for a remembrance of the ſame. Nowe we doubt not but we ſhall be iuſtified when that tincture of hipocriſie is wel conſidered, wherewith it infecteth our faith. Here we finde, that firſt he doth prepoſterate it much in that he occaſioneth truſt in himſelfe: yea more truſt oft times in him ſelfe, thē in Chriſt Ieſus repreſented How can it be otherwiſe the papiſts doctrine being ſtill on foote?fMart in replie art a There is a vertue flowne into the Croſſe from Chriſtes death. The gPan… epiſt 11. cyted by Rhem▪ in Ioh. 19. ſect. 1Croſſe whereon Chriſt dyed, drunk in vertue from his bloud▪ not for himſelfe only but for hBellarm. de imag. cap 26.all other Croſſes alſo that are like to him. lThom Aquin p 3. quaeſ 2…. art 4.In Chriſti cruce ponimus ſpem ſalutis: Cantat enim Eccleſia, Aue Crux ſpes vnica. Men muſt beleeue ſtill in the ſigne of the Croſſe (whenmAct, and monument in his 7. art. Thomas Man would not beleeue in it, he was burnt.) Laſt of all: The nBellarm. de cult. ſanctor cap▪ 7.Croſſe with other ſacramentalia applye Chriſtes bloud vntounto vsus to the waſhing away of ſinne. and that as a fellow worker with our faith. And the complaint is true of them which one of our writerspPhil Mornaeus de En chariſt. li. 1 cap. 6. p 49 maketh roundly and altogither at a blowe: we ſee them come downe from this croſſe that is the death and paſſion of our Lord,oSee Fulk reioynd. art. 5. the effectuall powerfulnes whereof is adored of the Angells to the onelyonly figne of the Croſſe. and there paſſing over according to their cuſtome from the ſignes to the things, & from the things to the ſignes, they come to attribute all whatſoever is ſaid by the Apoſtles or by the old Fathers of the true and verie croſſe of Chriſt, vntounto this dumbe and naked ſigne. By meanes hereof croſſing hath bredd ſuch inconvenience (ſaithqM. Calfh. cont. Mart. art. 1. fo. …6 one) that the externe action had in reverence, hath made the inward faith to be neglected: and that vertue aſcribed to the ſigne which onelyonly proceedeth from him that was ſignified, in regard whereof it may well be lefte. PLACE="marg" Philip. 3.19.In deed as Moſes ceremonies became enimies to the croſſe of Chriſt, when men began to beleeue in them (for which cauſe they were remoued) ſo the ſigne of the Croſſe now is an enimie to Chriſtes croſſe much people truſting in it, for which cauſe it ought to bee diſplanted. Had it bene fit for the Apoſtles to hauehave vſed in Gods ſervice the Robe, the Reede, the Crowne, the Scepter, wherewith Chriſt at that time was mocket? but now it is with the ſigne of the croſſe in poperie that Chriſt and his croſſe is mockt? when they hauehave robbed him of his Scepter, and of his Prieſthood, they giuegive him a Croſſe to mocke him withall (ſaith onerAnd Willet. contro. 4. Q 10▪ p. 3. art. 2. of our writers.)