Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 3 · Section 8
#Sect. 8. The hipocriſie of the croſſe in prepoſterating, evacuating, and polluting the vnderſtanding, which is the first part of the ſoule reaſonable, is proved.
VVE are now to examine the Croſſes hipocriſie in the ſeuerall powers of the ſoule reaſonable. The vnderſtanding whereof (which is the firſte) the Croſſe is ſaid to inſtructe like a verie effectuallaRic. Hook li. 5. ca. 65. teacher. Againſt which bragge we take vponupon vsus to prooue that the Croſſe is guiltie againſt this comment, both for prepoſterating, and for evacuating, and for polluting [knowledge.] The prepoſterouſnes of the croſſe appeareth heerin, in that the ſigne is matched with the word, yea in ſome ſorte preferred before it. The leaſt of which twoo hipocriſies can be no litle ſinne. To begin with the firſt. Adde the croſſe for a teacher to the word and pull downe at once all the blockhouſes which our writers from time to time hauehave reared againſt the popiſh teaching of it, ſuch as bee theſe:bD. Fulk ag. Saund. of imag. c. 11. pa. 638 though all other things may be taught by the eye, yet faith & religion can not be taught ſaue by the eate. Rom. 10.17. teaching to the eye is ſufficiently performed by the Sacraments,cD. Bilſ cōt. Apolog. p. 4. pa. 349. the word & the Sacramēts were appointed by Chriſt to teach vsus (ſaith one of our Oppoſites) a Crucifix was not, ergo, not a croſſe neither, which to adde (dD. Fulke reioind. arric 9. pag. 205. ſaye our writers) is iniuriouseZanch. de imag. theſ. 3. fol. 370. vntounto them, & preſumptuous againſt the Lord. as whē a ſcholler wil chooſe him a book & not keepe him ſelfe to that which his Maiſter hath ſet him. At a word, it is the fountaine of al Idolatrie. Frō whence came thefIo. Calvin. in Act. 7. Ioſi. Simlet in Exo. 32. calfe, but from a deſire to hauehave a viſible ſigne of Gods preſence? And the heatheniſhgHoſpin. de orig. imag. ſo. 56 Rom. 1.23.28. Idolatrie, whence? but frō a deſire to adviſible ſignes to the book of the creatures. The iniurie wherof, if God revenged ſo ſeverily on them, what revenge reſerveth he for vsus, who to the contumelie of his word written ſeeke to the croſſe to teach vsus? The ſeconde prepoſterouſnes of this ſigne doeth yet much worſe. It doeth not onelyonly match it ſelf with the wordhConcil. Nicen. 2. in Tharaſ. apiſtol. quidquid ſanctum Evangelium per lectionem nobis demonſtrat, hoc idem Imagines per inſpectionem. lHoſius.And a croſſe is able to teach a ſimple mā al things neceſſarie to ſalvation.mIo. Dowley inſtruc. cap. 1. And the Croſſe is the ſumme & the abridgement of the chriſtian Faith. But it preferreth it ſelf before it:nBellarm de imag. c. 10. Melius docet inter dum pictura, quam ſcriptura. oConcil. Senonenſ.Per picturam plus diſcimus brevi temporis ſpatio, quam longo ſludio ſcripturarum. pConcil. Nicen. ….Imago mator eſt quam oratio. Which, whiles Saunders defendeth, hee maketh the CroſſeqD. Fulk agai. Saund. de imagin. ca. 15 pa. 681. better then a ſermon. As alſo Martiall doeth,rMart. of the Croſſe art 9 fol. 117. The Croſſe is needfull (ſayth he) though we may hauehave godly inſtructions by reading of ſcriptures, and hearing good preachers, becauſe eueryevery man cannot read ſcripturs or vnderſtand them when he readeth them: and eueryevery man cannot at all times ſo conveniently heare a good preacher, as he may ſee the ſigne of the Croſſe: and things ſeene doe mooue more affection then thoſe which be heard or read. Adde to this, that for this common and continuall; and this ſpeedie teaching ſake, theysNie. Saund de imag. cap. 11. teache the Croſſe is worthie of worſhip and adoration. How can we find it in our hearts to make it a teacher to our ſelues, which cannot be done without giving ſhewe of iuſtification to this iniurious preſumptuous, ſacrilegious & Idolatrous teaching? But from this prepoſterating of the meanes of knowledge, come wee now to the Evacuating of knowledge it ſelfe. Here our ground is what one of ourtIewel. art. 10 in ſi…e. writers layeth: The Croſſe and the Image muſt be remooued in that he is an occaſion of ignorance, Deut. 27. Curſed be he that leadeth the blinde out of the way. And Levit. 19. Thou ſhalt not lay a ſtumbling blocke before the blinde. Firſt, the Croſſe is an occaſion of ignorance, becauſe he deceyueth thoſe that looke to be taught by him, it being a mute uD Fulk. reioynd. art. 3.59.character and dumbe ſigne, awCalfh ag Mart. art 9 pa 170. blinde guide, the ſight whereof teacheth a man no more then it doeth anxIbid. pag. 167. horſe: yea more a doumbeyIbid. pag. 169. Vicar of the Devill. Secondly, if it teach any it is to no good. Claudius zCatalog. teſtium veritat. in vita eius.Taurinenſis would not ſuffer the Croſſes and Images of his time to meddle with teaching, becauſe it was not Chriſt glorified which they taught, but Chriſt according to the fleſhe. In which manner we know him no longer. AaCō …il Cō ſtantinop. 7 Councill, yea our ownebHomil ag. pe…l of ido lat. Doctrine findeth fault with the picture of Chriſt, becauſe it repreſenteth him as man, not as God alſo: which is the Croſſes lamnes. A FrenchcThe true honouring of the croſſ. part. 1. diſcourſe that anſwereth a Placard about the Croſſe diſclaymeth his teaching for that hee preſenteth the bodily ſufferinges of Chriſt only, and not the ſufferinges of his ſoule withall.dCalth. ag. Mart. art. 9 pa. 166. Another of our Writers layeth againſt it, that it ſtayeth men in the general hiſtorie of Chriſt his death, and neither teacheth for whom he dyed nor to what end, or what is the power of his death, or how we may apply the ſame to our ſelues. Thirdly, let the event ſpeake. For as Bucer affirmed of our lande, touching ceremonies retayned in general from the Papacie,eBucerus in cenſur. ca 2 pa. 458. They are no where cared for, where the Goſpell is painfully preached, wheras in places where the Goſpell is vnknowne, they are highly reverenced. That truely (by one) is applyed to the ſigne of the Croſſe by name,fCalfh. art. 9. fol. 171. They who most ſet by him, are groſly ignorant of the power of Chriſtes paſsion. May this be the event of the Croſſe and he no occaſion of blindnes▪ hen repeale we ourgIewel. art. 14 diviſ. 10 pa 560. writers reaſoning againſt Images, proving they are the occaſions of blindnes, becauſe they are moſt in requeſt with the blinde, and were brought in, in thehHolpin de re templ. c. de imag. deepeſt times of blindnes; and ſway moſt where Chriſt is moſt vntaughtlMai. Calfh ag. Mart. art. 1. and vnknowne: and then deviſe wee alſo a better anſwere then a m bare denyall, to the papiſtes that reaſon thus:nD. Hill in quartron of reaſons. rat. 20. The Croſſe is a profitable teacher, becauſe our lay people who are vſed to it, hauehave more knowledge in the myſteries of religion, then ſome of your miniſters who vſe it not. The third hypocriſie of the Croſſe in Mans vnderſtanding ſoule is a pollution. The old proverbe is knowne, foreign oConcil. Nicen. 2. art. 1.an ill doctor teacheth naught but ill doctrine. Now the Croſſe is an ill teacher, it hath no inſtructions in it (ſaithpCalfh. art 9. fol. 169. one of our writers) but onelyonly the leſſons of Croſſe Idolatrie pēned by the Divell. The ſame affirmeth in an otherqIbid pag. 170. place, That the Croſſe teacheth errors many. If you aske me what errors? I aske againe, what were the errors which Peeter taught by his conformitie to the ceremonies of the Iewes, by which he is ſaid to hauehaverAndre Hipeonid de ſtud. Theolog p. 73. Fulk ag. Rhem. in Gal. ca. 2. erred in the fayth, & to hauehave walked not with a right foote in the preaching of the Goſpell. And there be many private errors which he broacheth. Agenerall faith that Christ dyed, ſufficeth. The Croſſe is an holy ſigne of his death. The Croſſe doeth dedicate our children to God. The ſigne of the Croſſe doeth sD Fulk reioynd art. … pa 140.bleſſe. with diverſe others before rehearſed. Oh but it teacheth a diverſe good things touching Chriſt Ieſus crucified▪ True. As the ligatures of old, and as the charmes of late hauehave the name of Chriſt, and diverſe other good things in them, which Auguſtine calleth honny mixt with poyſon vt tAuguſt. 1 Pet. 2.2. 2 Cor. 2.17perid quod dulce eſt, lateat quod amarum eſt. Ought not the milke bee foreign vnmixt, which is taught in the Church? when there is but water mixt with wine, is it not a tapſterlike marchandizing to be abhord? but here is mingled not onelyonlylTho. Morton. Apol. pag. 2. li. 1. cap 49. Ezech. 34.19. water with wine, but alſo puddle (moddy water at the leaſt) I might ſaye alſo poyſon. But ſuppoſe the Croſſe were neuer abuſed in teaching, doth this ſuffice to authorize a ceremonie in the Church, That it doeth teach good things? The Croſſe teacheth not out of the ſcripture, the horne dothuHieron. in Pſal 91. Omnia ſacrificia cornuta fuerunt. and of the Godlie it is ſaid, exaltauit ſicut vnicornis cornu meum: ſo that, vnleſſe a man hath a ſtrong faith, tanquam cornu quo inimicos ventilet non est dignus immolari Deo. The Croſſe teacheth not out of the ſcripture, the dounge doth,wAuguſt. de verb. Dom. in Luc. ſerm. 31. cophinum ſtercoris in bono intellige ſordes ſunt ſed fructum dant; Sordes cultoris dolores ſunt peccatoris. If therefore the ſigne of the Croſſe as a profitable ceremonie muſt bee receyued becauſe it teacheth good things (howbeit without the word) then by the ſame reaſon a miniſter may weare an horne as Moſes is painted, and beare dounge vponupon his head, as the Iewes once aſhes, ſith theſe teach very good things, and that out of the word of God.