Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 3 · Section 4

Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies · Part · Chapter 3 · Section 4

p. 130#Sect. 4. The profits alledged to accompanie the croſſe, for cōmendation thereof, as to keepe from ſinne, confuſion, cauſe zeale, and to helpe in the inſtant of temptation, are refuted.

THE third way whereby it is thought the Croſſe is profitable, is that ſenſible efficacie of it whereby it worketh on the minde, after the manner thus deſcribed:aaRic. Hook li. 5. ca. 65. The forehead is the cloſet of fancie: vponupon fancie our minde beateth day and night, as vponupon an anvill: the Croſſe (then) ſet in the forehead, awaketh the fancie, and ſtirreth vp tht imagination, and becometh a powerfull worker on the minde, eſpecially to make it aſhamed of ſinne, and to ſtay it in the instant of the tentation. Now well fare a wet finger, (ſay I). For will yee knowe? The Chriſme of confirmation layeth claime to this Panegyrick, and pleadeth it is ſtollen from hir. who muſt be in the forehead, euen for the ſame cauſe, to wit,bbThom. Aquin pa. 3. qu. 72. ar. 9 propter propinquitatem imaginationis, the nearenes of the imagination. But viewe wee the ſeverall pagentes of this Architecture. The firſt commendation is drawne from the place, to witt, the forehead. Which the Fathers neuer knewe from whom (we ſaye) wee receyue our light. It appeareth they did not croſſe according to this proiect, becauſe they ſigned them ſelues in thoſe partes which dwell farre from this cell of our fancie. It was theccHieron. Epiſt. 27. cap. 10. mouth and the ſtomacke of Paula hir mother that Eustochium croſte, when ſhee lay vponupon dying. and Paula her ſelfeddIbid. c. 13. morti vicina crucis ſignum pingebat in labijs. and the counſell giuen by Hierome is this:eeHieron. epiſt 8. ad Demet. c. 6 Claudas cubiculum pectoris, as well as this, & ſigno Crucis munias frontem. The counſell giuen by Prudentius is, ffPrudent. in hymno. aute ſomnum.fac cum vocante ſomno caſtum petis cubile frontem locum que cordis crucis figura ſignet. Ephracem is olde, though counterfait. Now he thus:ggEphreem. de poenitē. cap. 3. Pingamus in ianuis atque in frontibus noſtris & in ore & in pectore & in membris omnibus vivificum ſignum. Chriſostome willeth vsus on our hartes to imprint the ſigne of the Croſſe,hhChriſoſt. homil. in Matt. 88. ad cohibendos & continendos turbatos animi motus, & effrenatos concupiſcentiae impetus. llLuther in catec.Luther followed this counſell it ſeemeth. For he alſo croſt in pectore. And when the Fathers croſt in the forehead, it was becauſe the forehead was the openeſt place for profeſſion, and the beſt member in the body. Non ſine cauſa ſignum ſuum (ſayethmmAuguſt. in Pſal. 30.36. ca. 3.Ps 30:36 Augustine) Christus in frontibus figi voluit tanquam in ſede pudoris, ne Chriſti opprobrio Chriſtianus erubeſcat. nnIdem de catechi. Zaud. rudic. ca. 20.Crucis ſigno in fronte hodie tanquam in poſte ſignandus es. ooChriſoſt. in oration. adverſ. gē til. quod Chriſtus ſit Deus.Subinde omnes cruce ſe ſignant inſcribendo in nobiliſsimum membrum noſtrum: in fronte enim noſtra tanquam in Columna quotidiè figuratur. The ſeconde commendation that heere is given to make the Croſſe profitable, is drawne from the manner of his proceeding, in awaking the fancie by ſtirringe vpp the imagination, and thereby workinge on the minde.

p. 131But this, is it not the rightppSuarez. tom. 1. in Thom. diſput. 54. ſect. 1. Image working of poperie?qqNichol. S…und. de imag. ca. 7. where the painting of Chriſtes death moueth the eye: the eye advertiſeth the common ſenſe; the cōmon ſenſe informeth the fancie: out of our fancie reaſon draweth a conſideration, &c. and wherein? there is an abſtraction from the matter of the image to the forme ſo abſtracted, and from the forme that is abſtracted to the apprehēſion of Chriſt him ſelfe, for that our fancie doth conſider it to be his Image. I for my parte can ſee no difference betweene this croſſe and image-working, therfore let it receiue the ſame anſwer. Theſe abſtractions (ſaithrrD. Fulk ag Saund. of imag. p. 612 D. Fulke) are Metaphiſicall and too hard leſſons for the people to learne: & whē they hauehave learned them, they are nothing worth. And as for conjoying the outward ſigne which Chriſt ſignified by meanes of our fancie, it is a toy to mocke an Ape.ssIbid. pag. 163. Laſt of all. A Chriſtian is taught by hearing and not by ſeeing. Bleſſed are they (ſaith Chriſt) which beleeue and hauehave not ſeene: and he hath learned that an Image is profitable for nothing, that he is a teacher of lies; and that he is curſed that ſayth an Image ſhall teach him. It will be obiected that this abſtraction and progreſſion, and mouing of the fancie is found in the Sacrament. which, what is it to the purpoſe? For where as in the working of outward ſignes, it is the paſſage of the minde from the ſigne to the thing ſignified that dothttAuguſt. in epiſt. ad Ianuar. 119. cap. 11. enkindle it after the maner that a firebrand taketh flame by being wagged & ſhaken, there is in a Sacrament a fire of the ſpirit to enkindle this paſſage, whiche hath thoughtes & imaginations that are grounded on the word: whereas in the Croſſe it is a ſtraung fire that doth enkindle with fancies ſenſuall & imaginations fantaſticall againſt his rule, who writeth thus againſt croſſe-worſhip:uuIonas Aurelianenſ. l. 1. de cult. imag. Ne ſit religio nostra in phantaſmatibus naſtris. The 3. commendation which is here giuen to the Croſſe, is drawne from the effect. which is a reſtraint from ſinne, through ſhame conceiued and that in the verie inſtant of the temptation. Concerning this, who will not cō mend the cleanly conveyance of this Author, who will hauehave the croſſe a weapon againſt the Divill ſtill. howbeit, not ſo groſſe a one as the papiſtes or as the Fathers themſelves doe make it. Theſe hold that the ſight of the croſſe driveth the tempter away euenwwBellarm. de imag. cap. 30. ex opere operato, through Gods ordinance, and becauſe it is a Trophe of Chriſt, & putteth the Divill in remēbrance of the foyle which he receyued by Ch. death. The Fathers ſome excuſe as if they held that the ſigne of the croſſe driveth the tempter awayxxPerk. problem. in ſign. cruc. Athanaſ. li. 2. cap. 16. pag. 153. ex opere operantis only, as it is a ſigne of faith & geſture of prayer. Who, whether they be right or no, I will not here determine: only I will vncouer the fountaine from whence M^r Hookers doctrine floweth vntounto the papiſtes, and from them with ſom cleanſing and refining vntounto him ſelf.yyConſtitut. Clement. lib. 3. Crucis ſignum infractum ſignum quia cuflodia munitiſsima Crux. zzCypri. adverſ. Iudaeos. cap. 21.Hic eſt lapis quo David frontem Goliae percuſſit. quo ſigno nos & tuti ſemper ſumus & vivimus. aaOrige homil. 8. in diverſ. Evangel. loc.Immortale lauacrum portemus in frontibus noſtris cum viderint demones contremiſcunt, qui aurata capitolia non timent crucem riment. bbEphraem. de armatu. ſpiritual. & de poenitē.Signo crucis teipſum muni, validiſsima. n. armatura eſt. ſiue dormias, fiue iter agas ſiue evigiles ſiue operi inſiſtas ſiue māduces ſiue bibas ſiue maria naviges ſiue flumina trāſmittas, hac te lorica circumtege membra que tua omnia, ſalutari ſigno exorna, at que circūſepi, & non accedent ad te mala hoc. n. ſigno circūſpecto adverſariae poteſtates conterritatrementeſ que recedent. ccCyrillus Hieroſol. Catecheſ 4Signate fronte vt daemones ſignum regis videntes, trementes procul fugiant. ddIdem Catecheſ. 13.Crux ſignum fidelium & timor daemonum. Gregorie Nazianz. ſpeaking of Iulian croſſing himſelf whē the Divill affrighted him,eeGregor. Nazianze. oratio 3. in Iulian. Valuit (ſaith he) cedunt daemones, pellūtur timores. ffTheodor. hiſtor. li. 3 cap. 3. Tri. par. hiſt. li. 6. cap. 1.Theodoret ſpeaking of the ſame, Daemones trophei dominici figuram reſpiciētes & ſua recordati devictionis repentè diſparuerunt. ggHieron. in epiſtol. ad Heliodor.Muniar crucis tua ſigno quod videntes poteſtates adverſae fagiant confuſae & diſcedant àme. hhGregor. Mag. dial. lib. 3. c.Gregorie tells vsus that a Iewe in a Chriſtian church ſaued himſelfe from a Senate of Divills by ſigning his forehead with the ſigne of the croſſe. AnllGuilihel. Non bringenſ de reb. Anglor. li. 2. cap. 21. Angell chideth one Ketellus for not croſſing himſelf, giving him warning, ne in poſterum inſidiātes hoſtes inermē eum invenirent. Pervſe this fountaine from whence this profit of the Croſſe floweth againſt tentation. p. 132Conſider with what puddle the papiſtes, infect it when they vſe it as weapon againſt the tempter, being therevnto confirmed by theſe authorities, and then reſolue whether they do not better ſeruice, whommCalſh. again Mart. ar. 1. fo. 28 reiect the croſſe quite in the combat of temptation, becauſe it is none of the Chriſtian weapons, but is omitted by Paule wher he rehearſeth the whole armor of God: andnnD. Fulk reioynd. art. 2. pa. 145. eſteeme all vſe of the Croſſe againſt the deuill, to be ſuperſtitious, and the Croſſe it ſelfe no better then a ſtrawe to runne at tilt withall; or they who dubb it with this honour, that it is a forcible meane to keepe from ſinne: a meane to ſaue from confuſion: it cauſeth zeale and ſhame of ſinne, and helpeth at the instant against the temptation of the deuill? It fellooCōmanta. de ſtat. religion. in Reg. Galliae Collect. of Maſſacr. in Fraunce. out once by the great merciemercy of the Lord vponupon the Proteſtants of Beziers in France, that a drunken Drummer ſaueth the whole Towne by waking of it, at the very inſtant that their walles were ſurprizing, by ringing of their Towne-bell, as hee was going home at midnight from his drinke. If the ſigne of the Croſſe ſaue at the inſtant of the tentation by awaking the fancie, hee ſaueth like this Drummer. And as the Senate of Beziers would not ſuffer dronken men to ring the Larum bell of the Towne, when ſoeuer their drinke ſhould moue them; notwithſtanding this ſtraung deliuerance: ſo though ſome drunken (but not with wine) ſhall thinke themſelues awaked by the Croſſe at the puſhe of their tentation, yet will not theppD. Fulk reioynd. art. 2. pa. 145. Andr. Willet. de cruc. art. 3. Ioh Reynold. confet. cap. 8. diuiſ. 4. Senate of Diuines permitte to bleſſe our ſelues with it, or to vſe it in common vſe. So (then) neither by the contentement of it, nor by the complement of it, nor by the efficacie of it, doth the croſſe any good, but the promiſe of much good by it, proueth like the promiſe which papiſtesqqNic. Saūd. de imag. cap. 17. make of much good to bee done by Images, both which are the promiſe of the apple: promiſing much good, but paying much euill. If any replie, this commeth of the abuſe, the anſwere is ready:rrChemnie. examin. pa. 2. tit de rit. p. 39. eueryevery ceremonie muſt be remoueth, that doeth degenerate into abuſe when it is found to bee incorrigible, as the Croſſe hath proued it ſelfe for more then theſe fourtie yeeres. And ſo farre of the Croſſes ſinne, againſt the letter of this Lawe.