Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 3 · Section 15
#Sect. 15. That the Croſſe evacuateth and polluteth Faith.
SEcondly, The figne of the Croſſe doeth evacuat faith. Whereas Paule ſaith, 2. Cor. 5.7. We walke by faith and not by ſight, it mayaAnd. Willet controverſ. 9. qu. 6. pa. 3. be inferred, that the ſight of outward repreſentations which are earthly hurteth fayth which is of thinges that are ſpirituall and not ſeene. VponUpon this ground (as I take it) reaſoneth Arnobius againſt the Heathen,bArnobius contr. gent. lib. 6. Convincitur non habere ſua religioni fidem, cui opus eſt videre quod credit, ne inane forte ſit quod non videtur. VponUpon this ground it was, that whencCyrill. con. Iulian. li. 6 Num… would invre his people to ſerue the Gods ſpiritually, hee built temples to fayth: whence he remoued all Images & all repreſentations, as which he thought contrary vntounto fayth. Laſt of all, vponupon this ground it is that ourdD Bilſon cont. Apolog. pag 4. pag. …49. owne writers dealing for a [ſound fayth] beholding and adoring God in ſpirit and truth, caſhier all [dourn be ſhewes] that mans wit can furniſh to winne the eye or moone the heart binding vsus onelyonly to the hearing of his word, and partaking of his myſteries which onelyonly can inſtruct ciur faith. Another way the ſigne of the Croſſe doeth hinder faith in that it occaſioneth diverſe to reſt in the hiſtoricall knowledge of Chriſtes death onelyonly: all of which he remembreth not, neither becauſe not the ſufferings of his ſoule, which are the cheefe, whereof one thus:eM. Calfh. cont Mart in praefat. fol. 1…. Suppoſe the Croſſe tell me, that Chriſt died, what am I the better for that, vnleſſe I knowe that he dyed for me: and the meane how his death may be applied to me? which no picture can expreſſe▪ the promiſes of the worde muſt declare me that without the which the Image is nothing (yea worſe then nothing). Thirdly, the Croſſe polluteth faith, and that with infidelitie. For as when Bellarmine teacheth: charges expended vponupon garniſhing Churches, is an action of faith. ItfLambert. Dane. cont. Bellarmin. de Cult. Sanctor. cap 6. is replyed that it is infidelitie rather and diſobedience, becauſe a preſumption without the worde. So when it is ſaid, [the Croſſe is a gesture of faith] it may be replyed, It is a gesture of infidelitie and vnbeleefe, ſeeing is hath no warrant from the ſcripture. And looke on the effectes it worketh: For as a man in daunger of drowning, catcheth euen at a ruſhe or a flagge for want of better ſtay, ſo it is out of fearfull diſtruſt of better refuge that men catche at the croſſe to helpe them. For example:gAct and Monu in Hiſtor. eius Thomas Becket armeth him ſelfe with a Crucifixe in his booſome, and with a Croſſe in his hande when he cometh to the court in daū ger. ThehHiſtorica collect. of Maſſacr. in France, in Hen 3. Archbiſhop of Lyons of late at the ſight of the executioner, as he firſt entred into the priſon, fled ſtrait to the Crucifixe. CertainelAct and Monumē. heads of houſes in Oxon. being in St Maries, and thinking the Church had bene on light fire, betooke them to the Crucifixe on the Altar. Compare not this withmSozom. li. 2. cap. 29. Alexanders flying to the Table of the Lord, when the Arrians ſtraightened him. with Ambroſe his flying to the ſame table whennAmbroſ. Epiſt. 33. Iuſtina the Empreſſe purſued him. withoGregor. Nazeanze. orat. 11. de Land. Gorgon. Gergonia hir flying thither in the darke night when ſhe was extreemly ſicke. Laſtly, with Theodoſius his circutingpRuffin lib. 2 cap 33. Omnia orationum loca, when Eugenius made warre againſt him: neither ſaye that this is no other, then that which the Chriſtians did when they alwayes croſſed themſelues in the time of daunger, for theſe men fledd to theſe places mentioned, becauſe they were the fitteſt for prayer, as it is ſaid ofqEpiphan. in epiſt. ad Ioh. Hieroſolomit. Epiphanius, that ſeeing a light at Anablatha, and thereby perceyving it was a Church, he tooke occaſion to goe and pray in it. As for the cuſtome of the Chriſtians croſſing them ſelues in time of daunger, let it be ſurveyed firſt in theſe enſamples, and then bee rightly iudged of. A Deacon when he entred the ſhippe to goe into exile,rTheodor. hiſtor. lib. 4 cap. 22. ſignum Diuina Crucis fronti afformauit. Whē ChriſtianssEuſeb. hiſtor. lib. 8. cap. 7. ſtood readie to be deuoured by the Panthers, they clappe their armes athwarte, to expreſſe a croſſe. Tiburtius tCeſar Bar. Annal in ann. 286.when he is to walke barefoote vponupon hoate coales, ſigneth him ſelfe with a croſſe, and ſo prepareth him ſelfe to the myracle. The ſtuffe ofvIbid in ann. 293. Domnax Macrina & holy Chriſtians wherewith their chambers were wont to be furniſhed, are ſaid to be a booke of ſcripture, a Croſſe, a cenſor, and a little boxe to keepe the Euchariſt. Glycerius wIbid. in ann. 301croſſeth him ſelfe when nowe he is to bee tyed to the ſtake.xIbid ann. 303. Aniſia fenceth her ſelfe with the ſigne of the croſſe, when ſhee is tempted to adulterie.yIbid ann. 303. Emplius doth the like when he was to be examined.zIbid. anno 253. Gregorius Thanmaturgus cleanſeth a Temple from Divells with the ſigne of the Croſſe, and teacheth others to work myracles by it. Will any iuſtifie this auncient croſſing as an action of ſayth? For mine own parte▪ I will not iuſtifie it: if there be any good in it, it is profeſſion againſt the Pagans, which now having no place amongſt vsus, it ought to be lefte. For that with papiſtes and in the people it is become a ſigne and cloke of infidelitie and diſtruſte. For this cauſe it is termed byaAndre. Willet de Cruc art. 4. our Writers, a deceytfull toye, becauſe it cauſeth men to come to it, but confoundeth them when they are come (like Theman waters) euen as diverſe examples ſhewe. The hiſtorie is common of the Biſhop of Bizantium, who ſigned him ſelf againſt Sathan in vaine, anſwering him thus:bLeoniter. Theatrū. Hiſtorical. fol. 1 …0. Signate ſigna temere me tangis & angis, as common is the ſtoriecVide▪ Calfhil. art. 1. fol. 37. of Sylveſter the 2. areſted by Satan euen in the Chappell ſancta Crucis, and in the time of Maſſe too, when as he was in his deepeſt croſſing.eThe french diſcourſe of the true honour of the Croſſe pag. 2. We are told, the greatdBodin. Daemonolog lib. 3. cap 6. Doctor Picardus in the yere 1552. ſpent many croſſes all in vayne, to chaſe a ſpirit out of a mayde in Paris. In the yeare 1554 a Cardinall ſendeth for an holy Monke of St Bennets, to diſpoſſeſſe ſome 82. may dens at Rome; who were belaboured with infinite Croſſes for the ſpace of ſixe monethes, but to no purpoſe.fſo Cripin Chrondlog. Certaine ſouldiours come into the fielde (like the Iamnites) with Croſſes and charactes in their boſomes: which, what good did they? For after the fight they were taken vp dead with theſe Croſſes in their boſomes. ThegIoh Laſicius theolog Muſcouit ca. 7. Prieſtes of Ruſsia overcome, come footh with Croſſes about their neckes, which they kiſſe often; and their Images they bringe in their handes, holding them foorth like ſo many bucklers, and are hewed all to pieces.hAct & Mo nu. 2104. Pauckney and Harrington two fellowes of new Colledge in Oxon. drowned themſelues, and were taken vp with their Crucifixes about their neckes. Lewes II. of Fraunce, after he had kiſſed eueryevery Relique he heard of to gett his health,lIo Criſpin Cbronolo. in an. 1479 and well neare worne out his hatt and his booſome with Croſſes, dyeth moſt vnwillinglie, and without comfort, and with great feare and horrour of death, as ſheweth the exceeding monethly pay which he gaue to his Phiſitions for the prolonging of his life. Oppoſe to this the death of the greateſt enemie that euer Croſſes or Images had, to witt, Conſtantinus mIoh. Criſpin in Conſtant 5. Iſay 50.11. Deut. 17.17.Coprominus, whoſe laſt wordes are ſaide to be theſe: I am deliuered from the fire eternall. We ſee in theſe, we might ſee in more, that they who kindle this ſparke to them ſelues, meete with the thret: This ſhall yee hauehave at myne handes, yee ſhall lye downe in the ſorrowe. And ſhall we not remooue it then, as God him ſelfe doeth vſe to remooue the occaſions of vayne confidence in men? And as a Councill doeth commaunde,nConcil. Colonienſ. p. 9. ca. 16. Quicquid in Ceremonijs ad abuſum & ſuperſtitionem ſpectat, & quo populus à Deo ad collocandam in rebus externis fiduciam abduct poſs it, prohibemus. The Fathers (as the ordinarie ſhift) will bee obiected here: Who vſed the Croſſe as a teſtimonie and profeſſion of their faith. Firſt the Fathers are not iuſtified in this their practize: Our Writers ſaye, the Croſſe at the firſt was aoCalfh ag. Mate. in praefar. fol. 12 & art. 1. fol. 26. & 30. faithleſſe invention taken vp without all warrant, yea without all good occaſion, and without all neede. The moſt that can cleare them is this, that they commaunde the printing of the merites of Chriſtes paſſion in the minde firſt, and afterwarde the ſigne of the Croſſe in the body. Now to this it is anſwered: Fruſtra fit per plura quod fieri poſsit per pauciora. there is nothing in the world that the croſſe can doe, but fayth can doe without it: Leaue we therefore that which may tende to ſuperſtition and is vncommaunded, and betake we our ſelues to that which is of fayth and force thorough Gods commaundement. Secondly, what though at firſt the Croſſe were deviſed well to teſtifie fayth, nowe it is abuſed to the croſſing of ſayth (euenpCalfh. ar…. 1. fol 25. as one writeth): That which was at firſte a teſtifying of Chriſtianitie, came to be made a magicall inchauntement. That which was a reproofe to the enimies of the Croſſe, became in the ende a cauſe of conqueſt againſt Chriſtians. But theſe abuſes may be ſpoken againſt the croſſe it ſelfe remayning, which preſident the Fathers giuegive vsus. Doeth not Origen exhort, that this ſigne beqOrigen. in Exod. cap. 15. homil. 6. conſignatum fideliter? rCyril in Catech…ſ. 13.Cyrill that it be ostenſum fortiter. sChriſoft. in Math. homil 55Chriſoſtome, that it be made magna ſide in Corde? tAuguſt in Ioh. tracta. 43.Auguſtine, that it be faſtened in the heart? And what of this? For this ſheweth that the ſigne of the Croſſe hath bredd hypocriſie euen from the beginning and that the pruning knife of doctrine was neuer able to this howre to lopp off the abuſes of it. ſo that now we are taught by experience, there is no reaſon but to roote and plucke it vp. Another of our Writers well adviſeth,uFulke reioynd. art▪ 15. pa. 17…. Although the elder and better ageretained and vſed this ſigne tollerably, yet conſidering the ſhamefull abuſe thereof, it ought nowe of right and of conſcience to bee condemned, as Maiſter Calf hill faith.