Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 3 · Section 10
#Sect. 10. That the Croſſe occaſioneth, and breedeth a canker in the conſcience, and that which the Oppoſites alleadge, that conſcience is but a pretence, is anticipat.
THE third hipocriſie of the reaſonable ſoule which the ſigne of the Croſſe occaſioneth much (like a canker) breedeth in the conſcience. Here (often) we heare our plea of cōſcience is but a pretence: we leape ouer blockes, & ſtumble at a ſtrawe (men ſay) which accuſation would moue vsus much, if it were made manifeſt, either what the blocks are over which we leape, or that the croſſe is no more then a ſtrawe, which we knowe to be a blocke, and that of ſtumbling, which, who ſo counſelleth, let him remember Balaam. But what if it were a ſtrawe onelyonly? Apoc. 2.14.euen a ſtrawe that doth offend, muſt be taken out of the way, as well as cummine and anniſeed tythed. and wherein will our governours ſpare vsus, or ſhew their merciemercy and clemencie towards vsus, if not in a ſtrawe? ForaIllyric. in lib de Adiaphor. Conformitas in minoribus ceremonys, non eſt perinde neceſſaria to them, and yet this mote and gnatt (as they ſpeake) is of great perill vntounto vsus, Mat. 7.5.for that the conſcience being tender (like the eye) a very mote moleſteth it much: and ſtraite in paſſage like an infantes throte, a very gnat is able to choke it, as once it did Pope Adrian. But the helpe is to reforme our cōſciences. Alas tell vsus which way: we are loth to walke with a*Epheſ. 6.15. bare-foot conſcience without any ſhoe from the word ſhaped; eſpecially in the†Luke 3.5. rough wayes of ſubſcription, where eueryevery ſteppe will (we feare vsus) be a gaſhe.“Ioſu. 5.15 Loth are we alſo in ſo holy a ground as baptiſme in ſteed of putting of foule ſhoes, to put on ſhoes on this3Eccles. 4.17. foote of our ſoule ſo foule, as hauehave not to this hower ſhaked4Luke 10.11. of the duſt of Romes ſtreetes, which they ought to hauehave done long ſince. And with the winges of our meditation we hauehave ſoared ouer all the region of this controverſie, and finde no place where the5Gen. 8.9. ſole of our foote may reſt, or whēce we may plucke an oliue leafe for a pledge of peace to our ſelues. Heere we meete with a doubting conſcience, there with an accuſing conſcience, elſwhere with an audacious conſcience: in another place with a benummed conſcience: there is alſo where wee finde a conſcience ſuperſtitious. The ſight hereof ſtriketh many fearfull thoughtes into vsus. Better to keepe vsus in the Arke where now we are, then to venter abroade, vnleſſe wee can content our ſelues to reſt (as it were) on the outſide of it. Howbeit, who knoweth whether God will denie vntounto vsus euen this houering of a rauen about his Arke, and not throw vsus rather into the ſurges of that Deluge, wherewith wee ſhall finde our earth ſwallowed, whoſe place we hauehave bought with ſo deare a price, there to taſte of the vnquietnes of that conſcience of which it is ſaide: Iſay. 57.20.The wicked are like the raging Sea that cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt vp mire and dirt. This I preſage of our ſelues onelyonly, who muſt make ſhipwracke of a good conſcience if wee conforme; for want of that fulbIoh. Piſcator. ſayle of a foreign which ſome of our brethren (they ſay) hauehave attayned, which if they hauehave, we count them bleſſed. They may congratulate to them ſelues the warme ſide they walke in; beake them ſelues in their ſunne-ſhine, and ſayle merily whether the preſent gale doth carrie them: while we in our leapers tente, and in the houſe of our mourning (as men reiected out of the hoſte, and in whoſe face the Lord hath ſpirt) muſt goe and mourne for our olde ſinnes which hauehave made vsus vnworthy of that place in the houſe of our God, which they enioye, and which we our ſelues had once, till now that iudgement is begun at his houſe: Who is he that ſaith, we may helpe all this if we will? Is there anie ſuch ſavour in the white of an egge as that any will taſte it for delight? Iob. 6.6.what pleaſure now in the learning of ſome newe trade or occupation whereby to liue? what pleaſure to bowe downe at the gates of other men (it may bee of papiſtes) for a morſell of bread? Laſt of all, What pleaſure nowe in our olde yeares when our ſtrength (waſted in the labours of the Church) doeth fayle vsus, and when the naturall dayes drawe on, of which men naturally vſe to ſaye, we hauehave no pleaſure or delight in them. now I ſay to lye vnderunder the walles of thoſe houſes which once were ours, to bidd long farewell to our long-loved harbours, to goe and embrace the thiſtle for a dwelling, and the rocke for a covering, the dongue for a pallat, the Oſtriche or Pellicane for a companion: where Iſmaell ſtarveth, Hagar weepeth, Elias fainteth, and wearie of life, deſires to dye, becauſe by reaſon of diſaſtrous tymes, he is no better then his fathers. Howbeit all this is welcome, all while there is walking in the middeſt of vsus one that is like to the ſonne of man:cCyri. lib. 4 epiſt. 6. 2 Sam. 25.31. ſolus non eſt, cui Chriſtus Comes eſt. *Tiburtius martyr apud Baron in An. 168.Omnis nobis vilis est poena, vbi pura Comes eſt conſcientia. We know, we feele what force Abigaels perſwaſion hath: So ſhall it bee no griefe of minde. Whereas on the other ſide, howe doe wee feare the griefe and knowledge of an ill conſcience vponupon the eating of this fruite? We ſtande nowe on the holy of holies, and looke vp boldly and hauehave hope. Nevertheles let it be proved that the throwing downe of our ſelues into ſome other conſcience, is warrantable by the worde of God, Pſal. 91.11. Mat. 4.6.and we will adventure to be borne vp. But if this clauſe [in his wayes] be left out in this temptation (as of olde) then blame vsus not, if we ſhake, if we ſhiver, to ſee, to ſurveye, the ſtones, the flatts, vponupon which wee are like to fall. For what? the douting conſcience foundeth heavily like a ſhalme [to him that doubted to him it is ſinne] and if our heartes condemne vsus, God is greater then our heartes. The accuſing conſcience chattereth dolefully like a ſwallow or a crane: 2. Reg. 5.18.The Lord be mercifull in this poynt. 1 Gro 13.15 1 Sam. 13.10.The benummed conſcience which ſeeth not what ſinne is committed when baptiſme is carted with a Philiſtines carte, wilbe awaked to ſenſe and feeling by ſome iudgement. The audacious conſcience is too profane. It ſaith with Saule: I wilbe bolde whether it be well or no. and as for the conſcience ſuperſtitious, it cryeth like a priſoner out of the chaines wherewith the Councill of Trente hath fettered it.dConcil. Trident. de Sacram. can. 13. ſeſ. 7. It is damnable ſinne to omit any of the rites of baptiſme that bee commaunded. Neither will it be comforted or reformed by all oureChemnit. examin. p. 2. tit de rit. Sacrament. Writers, ſtanding for our chriſtian libertie againſt this bondage. By this it appeareth, to what exigent this vnworthy rite hath brought vsus. Vnhappy times you muſt heare again the old complaintes of thefConrad. Schlnſſenburg li. 13 pag 506. 589. Germane Divines, when the Adiaphoriſme ceremonies were preſt on them: the heart ſigheth, the minde is troubled, the ſpirit is ſadd, the ioye of the holy ghoſt it ſelfe is obſcured. HaueHave pittie vponupon vsus, hauehave pittie vponupon vsus, O you our governours, how long wil you feed vsus with that you tread on? how long fill vsus with the puddle & the mudd? how long make vsus in your preſence as a troubled & muddy ſpring, & all for a beggerlie ceremonies ſakes? Are ye not ledd from ſuch a courſe to an abolition of the croſſe by the example of Epiphanius? he taketh downegHieron in tranſlat. epiſt. Epiphan. ad Iohan. Hieroſol. Anablathaes Image, and forbiddeth all other Images, becauſe occaſions of ſcrupuloſitie in the Church. And as for the conſcience ſuperſtitious, (which this ſigne breedeth) may it be any other way remedied ſaue exemplo hZach. Vrſi. de Adiaphor.omiſsionis? For beſides that the ſcripture (like an Notrh winde) ſcattereth away al the humane cō ſtitutions that tye mens cōſciences to themſelues as it were with alIo. Piſcator in 1 Cor. 7 35. corde, or1Coloſ. 2.20. burthen the ſoule, or2Gal. 5.1. enthrall libertie, or bring the free men of the Lord into31 Cor. 6.12. ſubiection, we hauehave a plaine cenſure that wipeth the Croſſe out of our Leyturgie when there is found anmBucer in cenſu. c. 12 elementi ſervitutis in it: as alſo eueryevery ceremonie elſe a nIbid. ca. 8.Cuius inviili ſervitute populus abſtrahi ſe aegrè patitur.