Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 3 · Section 7
#Sect. 7. That the Croſſe foſtereth hypocriſie in the middes of our Church, and hindereth ſpirituall worſhip.
FRom the hipocriſie of the Croſſe in bearing Gods name before the Papiſtes, come wee to the hipocriſie of it founde in the bearing of Gods name in the middes of our owne church. Here our maine foundation is, that this commaundment forbidding all occaſions them ſelues as wel as other commaundements do, the ſigne of the Croſſe muſt packe away for that occaſion of hipocriſie which is in it, euen as one of ouraD Fulk. reioynd. art. 1. pa. 140. Writers: Well, ſeeing the Croſſe hath bene a cauſe that the inward fayth hath bene neglected, nay if it be but an occaſion heereof, that were ſufficient to remooue it. To remooue the hipocriſie of the Iewiſh ceremonies, God remoued thebAuguſt. Epiſt 5. painted wall it ſelfe of the Iewiſhe prieſthood. ſo to remooue the hipocriſie of theſe ceremonies controverſed, the ceremonies them ſelues muſt be remoued. The puritie of the Goſpell requireth of vsus to retaine the veritie of the IewiſhcAuguſt. cont. Fauſt. Manich. li. 31. cap. 11 azimes, but to lett the azimes them ſelues alone. So the puritie of a Churches reformation requireth nowe to retayne the veritie of the popiſh Croſſes (which is Chriſt crucified) but to lett their Croſſes them ſelues alone. For know we not, they hauehave defiled veritie, fervencie, ſinglenes, all the three partes of that Vprightnes which this commaundement doeth enioyne, with the leavin of all the three partes of contrarie hipocriſie. prepoſterouſnes, vacuitie and pollution? An example of the firſte we hauehave in the Croſſes that certaine women bare in their booſomes, for theſe are cenſured asdHieron. … Math. 23. Ioh. Reynold. cōfer. ca 8. divi. 4 D. Fulk. reioynd. art. 6. pag. 184. tythers of Anniſ-ſeed and Commin, to the omiſſion of a greater dutie: which was to beare the power of the death of Chriſt in their heartes? Example of the ſecond we hauehave in that common and vulgar opinion which cometh from Gregorie, to witt, that a Chriſtian is ſafe enough from the Devill, thougheGregor. dialog lib. 3. cap 17. Vas vacuum, if he bee but ſignatum with the Croſſe. Which, while the papiſtes defende as good, and much people at home doe practize, the pennes of ourfCalfh. ag. Mart. arti. 1. pag. 36. Writers, are embittered againſt the Croſſe, as againſt an occaſion of much emptie hipocriſie: to make the ſpirit to reenter againe, asgGregor in Iob. li. 17. cap 13. 2 Cor. 6.17 Agge. 2.14. Iohn. 4.23. Gregorie more truely teacheth elſ-where. Corda fide vacua Diabolo ſunt ſubdita. As for the thirde the worde is playne, that the touching of Antichriſtes thinges, maketh vncleane nowe in the ſoule, as the touching of meates vnholy, defiled the body in Moſes lawe, for a figure of this pollution. Nowe to particulars.
For the ſanctifying of the ſenſible and reaſonable ſoule, as they vſe to worke, togither all ſignes deviſed by man, muſt be diſplanted out of Gods ſervice, as occaſions of ſenſuall ſervice: yea as enemies to the ſpirituall worſhip of God: after the example of God him ſelfe, who to be ſerued in ſpirit and trueth, remoued the ceremonies of his owne ordinance: not to make place for Image orhD. Fulke ag. Saund. of imag. p. 697. Croſſe, or any other carnall rite ordayned by man, butlOrigen. in Numb. ca. 28. homil. 23. vt animas noſtras avelleret ab hoc intuitu ad Contemplationem retum ſpit itualium, Cultum que ſuum à viſibilibus ad inviſibilia transferret. This doctrine we are to hold faſt, againſt croſſes, againſt Images, againſt all other carnall objectes in Gods ſervice, even as we hauehave receyued it not onelyonly from the mouth of Chriſt, but from the writinges of the Fathers likewiſe. For wheras Origen commendeth the Iewes for baniſhing all Image-makers from amongſt them vponupon this reaſon, Ne mOrigen. cont. Celſum. lib. 4.qua hireſſet fabricandorum ſimulacrorum occaſio quae ad contemplanda terrena animae oculos retorqueret. Whereas Lactantius condemneth all Images vponupon this reaſon:nLactant. inſtirut. divin li. 2. c. 19. Galcanda terrestria vt caeleſtia conſequamur, and willeth ſpiritually to looke vp to God. that ſooIdem de Iuſtic. li. 5. cap. 8. in domicilio pectoris eum ſtatuamus. Whereas Epiphanius is cited, exhorting thus:pConcil. Conſtantinopl. 7. Ne in Eccleſiam Imagines inferatis, ſed perpetuò circumferte Deum in cordibus veſtris. Non enim fas est Chriſtianum per oculos ſuſpenſum teneri, ſed per occupationem mentis. To whichqD. Fulke cont. Sa…id. of imag. c. 15. p. 685. our writers vſe to adde [we walke by faith and not by ſight] [bleſſed are they that beleeue & ſee not]. Laſt of all, wheras the whole Argument of St Bernards Apologie (euen inrBellarm de cult. ſancto. cap. 6. Bellarmines owne confeſſion) is this, That the Cluniacenſes were carnall in that they vſed outwarde ſpectacles qui impediunt affectum, dum retorq…ent aſpectum. The Croſſe being aſmuch guiltie of hindering ſpirituull worſhip, of retorting the ſenſe to an earthly ſight, of hurting of the heartes affection as any other carnall obiect formerlie mentioned, he muſt be thruſt out as well as they. From this prepoſterouſneſſe of the Croſſe ſetting the ſenſe before the ſpirite, come wee to his Vaaeuitie for his inwarde Devotion. whiche beeing thesThom. Aquin. 2. 2.quaeſ. 82. fatt of euerie ſacrifice, yea thetDurant. de rit. lib. 3 c. 24. ſect. 18 marrowe of every ſervice, how great is the ſinne of the Croſſe to coole it? how great alſo their overſight that putt ſuch a cooler in truſt to kindle it? Firſt chooſe we a Croſſe to ſtirr vp reverence and devotion to the Sacrament, and leaue we our ſelues without excuſe for excluding the Oyle, Salt▪ Spittell, and the like, becauſe theſe are annext to Baptiſme for like reverenceuThom. Aquin. pa 3. qu. 66. art. 10. and devotion towards it: and open we a windowe on the other ſide to other of their Iewiſh ceremonies as to their Incenſe, ſith it ſerveth only to admoniſhewDuran. de rit. lib. 1. ca 9 ſect 8 Con nostrum ignitum veluti thuribulum coram Deo odor atiſsimum facere. Secondly, ourxIoh Reynold. confer. cap. 8. divil. 4. pa. 101. writers holde the Croſſe with other ceremonies of the Papiſts, beggerly ceremonies. Beggerly, that is wanting power to entic he with grace ſpirituall. And when Saunders obiecteth, the Croſſe and Images breed devotion. The Devill they doe (quoth D.yD. Fulke cont. Safid. de imag. cap. 17. pa. 697. Fulke.) Cenſure him not. The ſcripture ſayth, theaApoc. 9.…0. Croſſe is a Devill. the greateſt effectes of whoſe devotion, when they are regiſtred are ſaid to be theſe:zPic. Miran dul. tom. …. de mort. ch. li. 1. ca. 10. The Image of the Crucifixe found pictured in the heart of S• Clara, and the woundes of Chriſt imprinted in the body of Saint Frauncis. which pretty images of him ſelf begotten by him, putteth me in mind of him thataLudovic. Vives in Auguſt. de ci…it. Dei. li. 10. ca. 2…. going in to his wife in the habit of a divill through his wifes imagination (and it is through imagination whereby the ſigne of the croſſe doeth worke ſaith Mr Hooker) begat a childe in a Divells ſhape likewiſe. Let not Maiſter Calf hill be forgotten. It is impoſſible (bMa Calfh …ont. Mart. praefa fo. 6 ſaith he) that Chriſt ſhould be ſerved as he ought, where a croſſe is erected in his ſervice, becauſe the minde is rapt frō an heauenly conſideration to the earthly creature; from the ſoule to the ſence; from the hart to the eye. Thirdly, the dregges of the popiſh doctrine ſticke (to this hower) in the teeth of the people▪ in regard whereof the croſſe cannot but ſlay devotion For it even teacheth hipocriſie when it avoucheth an opus operatum in it: although the hart be not vpright. And how many drugges are ingredients to this poyſon. For thus Bellarmine: the croſſe hathcBellarm. de effect. Sacrament. cap. 31. ſpiritualem virtutem, yea miram virtutem, euen ex opere operato, and that ex inſtitution dIdem de imag. ca. 30divina, euen to bleſſing witheIbid. &c de cul…. ſan…t. cap. 7. bare touching. The third hipocriſie of the croſſe vponupon the ſoule and ſenſe together, is [Pollution.] For who feeleth not a popiſh qualme in the vſe of this ſigne: ſeeth not a popiſh humor nouriſhed by it in the people? Is not our zealous retayle of the croſſe, our louely entertaynement we giuegive him in baptiſme, our devout gracing him there, as good as a ſpiritual Oſculum, a ſpirituall amplexus of him, at leaſt in ſhew? In the ſhew we hauehave no excuſe: ſeeing it ſetteth the alluring harlot before the eyes of incontinent men, againſt the warines of ourfChriſoft. in Math c. 23 Homil. 74. Forefathers, who ſet a wall of ſeparation in the Church, euen betweene honeſt men and women, that they ſhould not hauehave the ſight of one another there. And conſider we the effecte that commonly followeth and falleth out. For asgThom. Aquin. 2.2. quaeſ 154. art. 4. vide Caiet. ibid. Oſcula & amplexus, in that they are circumſtances of adulterie bodily, ſunt libidin…ſ… for the delectatio tactus which is in them, though no concubitus bee intended. So though the people hauehave no intent to adore the Croſſe, and pretende that they vſe it for decencie onelyonly, yet their delight in it, their …agernes to defend it, their mallice to revenge it, their intemperate deſire to hauehave it, is a ſpirituall kiſſe & embracing, and delighting which doeth pollute them with adulterie towardes it. Againſt theſe occaſions of hipocriſie in the Croſſe, he ſetteth vp a paper wall that appoſeth the counſell which a certaine Councill giueth: this may bee amended.hConcil. Magunt. cap. 39. Si Past…res ſedule deceant againſt the hipocriſie of opus operatum, and informe the people that the Croſſe doeth all per Divina virturis operationem, & ſan…tiſici Numinis invocationem, which I repeale by an appeale euen to the Adiaphoriſtea them ſelues,lInterim Caroli quin…. ſi quid in Ceremonijs, ſuccreverit ex quo ſuperſtitio ca…ſari poſsit, illud tollatur, would the Lord Chriſt or Paule (thinke yee) ſuffer a Phariſaicall garment in the ſeruice and worſhip of God, after a vertue is once place in it, Math. 23.5.to make men holy, who ſo mightily invayeth againſt it for that occaſion and purpoſe of hipocriſie which was in it: whiche is the caſe of eueryevery garment that deceyueth? Zach. 13 4.Naaman thinketh the earth of Iſraell is able to make holy a ſacrifice. The Iewes thinke the ceremonies ſanctifie. 2 Ring. 5.17Is teaching againſt hipocriſie ſufficient here? Doth not Eliſha denie the earth it ſelfe vntounto Naaman? GodmRolloc. in Epheſ. 2.14 take away the Temples ceremonies them ſelues from the people? But the Fathers when they ſawe the Croſſe abuſed hipocritically contented them ſelues with a reproofe of the hipocriſie, but ſtill retayned the croſſe it ſelfe,nOrig. in d… verſ. Evangel. loc. homil. 8 Cruces non ſolum in frontibus, ſed in animabus quoque noſtris habere debemus. oChriſoſt. in Mat. homil. 55.Crucem non ſimpliciter digito in corpore, ſed magna profecto fide in mente formare oporteret. pAuguſt. in Iohan. tratat. 43.Chriſtus elegit vt in Cruce pēderet, vt ipſam crucem in cordibus fidelium figeret. Signum Chriſti ex pellit exterminatorem, ſi cor nostrum recipiat Salvatorem. qAmbroſ. de Iſaac. & anima. ca. 8Signaculum Chriſtus in fronte eſt; ſignaculum in corde; in fronte vt ſemper confiteamur: in corde vt ſemper diligamus: in brachio vt ſemper operemur. The Fathers were not free from ſuperſtition in this ſigne, and theſe reproofes of theirs, ſhewe that the croſſe was an occaſion of hipocriſie in their time that they wayned the people from this hipocriſie by theſe reproofes in vaine: and the Fathers who liued to ſee the groſſnes of the hipocriſie popiſhe, they did not content them ſelues with ſuch reproofes, but proceeded to the remouall euē of the croſſe it ſelfe. So it isrAlphonſ. de caſt. in verb adorat. teſtified of Iohn Wicliffe, that he took away all outward vſe of the croſſe, and taught onelyonly a croſſe ſpirituall to bee vſed. Doth notsElmar in Harbor of faithfull ſubiect. Elmar run on a croſſe ſpiritual when he writeth of Q. Elizabeth that ſhe was the Engliſh Helena that digged vp the croſſe out of the rubbell where papiſtes had buried it, in that ſhe reſtored the Goſpell? Sure our foundeſt writers teache,uIoh. Keyn. conference ca. 8. divi. 4 pag 491.493. Andr. Willet. de templ. pag. 3. that popiſh rites renew a Iewiſh and a carnall worſhip, and are but vayles which muſt away, that the inward vayle of the heart may be remoued the ſooner, & Gods worſhip become ſpirituall, whereby the croſſe is caſte.