Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4 · Section 2
#Sect. 2. That the Croſſe mocketh the Lor. Sabboths, in darkning them: guiding the popiſh proceſsions, and with whoriſh braverie, in the worſhip of God.
SEcondly, the Croſſe mocketh the Lords Sabbothes in that it darkeneth the light of them with a latin tongue vnknowne, ſith this tongue holdeth his title by the title of the Croſſe, which ſet ouer the head of our Lord when he was crucified, is ſaid toaRhem. in Iohan. 19. ſect. 1. Item in Annota. in 1. cor. 14. ſect. 14 hallow it to his ſeruice. Thirdly, the Croſſe mocketh the Lord Sabbothes in that he is becomme the guide of the popiſhe proceſſions, as one of thembPolider. virgil. de inventor. rer. l. 6. c. 11 writeth Modus iste. &c. This manner of ſupplication is brought in that beeing marſhalleth in the order of a certaine heauenly armie we ſhould ioyfullie triumphe of the victorie purchaſed in the Croſſe of Chriſt, for which cauſe it is that the Croſſe it ſelfe is borne before as a ſtandart of Chriſt his warfare. The ſame writer detecteth the Croſſes Sabbothes breach herein, when hee maketh little better of this proceſſion then of an heatheniſh may-game, and a pompous Athenian ſacrifice, not ſo acceptable as a ſimple and chaſt offering of Lacedemon. As for ourcIoh. Reynold confe. ca. 8. diuiſ. 4. pa. 495. writers they drawe the firſt originall of it from the Graecians who bare their Idolls in proceſſion in like manner: and from thedC…lfh. art 7. fol. 138. D. Fulk. reioyn. art. 7. p 186. Montaniſtes and the Arrians who of Chriſtians were the firſt that ſet it on foote. And our Matyrs they choſe rather to dye then to bare a croſſe or a taper in it, euē aseAct. and monum 20 33. in his article. obiect. 7. Richard Gibſon did, to omit others. Of the ſame kinde is their creeping to the croſſe, like to the Sicilians fIo. Reyno. vb. Supra.creeping to Hercules, which offereth indignitie more to man then anie other Idolatrie elſe, becauſe it maketh him ſubiect to a worſe thing then a creature (which is the poynt whereby thegCypri. cō tra Deme. triā. Lacta. lib. 2. inſtitut. cap. 2. Fathers vſe to amplifie the Idolatrie of the Heathens) and howe ſubiect? euen by a beaſtlike fower-foot creaping, then which there is nothing more vnworthy of him, who is created to looke vp whē he worſhippeth: as the auncient Chriſtians did witnes: Tertulli. Occulis ad Co…lum ſublatis adoramus. Fourthly, the croſſe mocketh the Sabboth through out all the Churches of popery, in that it together with Images and other ornaments, bring in a certaine whoriſh brauery into the ſeruice of God: the worſhip wherof they make to belAndr. Willet. contro. 2. queſt. 4. p. 1. Doct. Fulk. cont. Rhem. in 1. Tim. 4. ſect. 1. Baeza in li. …nf…ſſ. de …ccle. art. 1….19.20. Carnal:mConcil. Nie…. 2. act. 1. Templi nulla ratio quod non ornatur Imagine, ſaith the Council of Nice. The proteſtant Church is like a barne (ſaithnBellarmi. de effect. Sacramen. cap. 3… ▪ Bellarmine, it hath only a pulpit ad Concionandum and a table to take the Sacrament, therfore there muſt be Croſſes in it to drawe men thither with delight for which end inoDurand. rationall. lib. 1. c. de pictor. & ornamen▪ Eccleſ. other will hauehave Oſtrich egges with the like rare ſightes to be hanged vp in the Church likewiſe well and trulypHoſpin▪ de re Temp. lib. a c. 1… one of our owne: vera cauſa. &c. the true cauſe of this is, that the ſtupide people hauing their mindes occupied in theſe externall ſightes, ſhould neglect Chriſt Ieſus, and his merit and his worde. Indeed this was that which Satan aymed at from the firſt day that the Croſſe drew breath, thefore hath he from time to time ſett him out to the vttmoſt like a Virgine of Moab. qEvagri. lib 6. ca. 21.Theodora confecrateth two Croſſe of pure golde to Saint Sergius Church at Antiohe. rPaul. Diacon lib. 16Belifarius giueth a golden Croſſe of an hundred pounde to Sainte Peeters Church at Rome and the ſame adorned with moſt pretious gemmes in qua ſuas victorias inſcripſerat. An other ſetteth vp a Croſſe of ſolide gold in the Church of Mentz with this inſcriptionsBeat. Rhenan lib. 2. rer. germa. Auri ſexcentas habet haec crux aurea libras. Honorius at Rome ſetteth vp a great Croſſe, adorned with pearle, ſo that it is ſaid the Councill of Aquiſgrane did not well like it. St Ludouicus redeeming the peece of the Croſſe which Baldwin the Emperor had laide in morgage to the VenetianstGenebra. Cronolog. lib 4. in ann. 1243. in Regio ſaecello Lutetiae condidit inſtitutis ibi ſacrorum miniſtris. What ſhould I ſpeake of the famous Churches that hauehave bene built throughout whole Criſtendome, as to the name, ſo to the honor of the Croſſe? For from the mother which is the Church de ſancta Cruce at Hieruſalem, ſtanding in Rome adorned which no leſſe thenuBaleus in Honor. 3. great ſtations eueryevery yeere, to the leaſt of the daughters,vOn…phri. de ſtation. vrb. Rom. they are all enriched with the ſpoiles of Chriſt Ieſus. It is obſerued in the church of Simon Stellites wEuagri. lib. 1. c. 14.Templi aedificium extructum eſt in mod im Crucis: are not other Churches built in the ſame forme? If they be, there is an ambition in the Croſſe to bee honored in eueryevery Churh, & with what honour one of his proctors will plainly ſhewe vsus: In this poſition,xDetzeſin… de indulge. Amand Polanus in orat. de ſcient. cruc. Crux rubra. &c. A red Croſſe ſet vp in the middeſt of the Church with the Popes armes according to the ſimilitude of the Lords Croſſe, hath no leſſe power to doe away ſinnes quam Crux ipſa domini noſtri Ieſu Chriſti. The Croſſe ſo many wayes Idolized muſt when it ſtandeth in [an holy place] come within that generall dooume [wher is ought not] more then the people of an Idoll, Mar. 13.14when they ſtand only without the walles of a cittie that hath bene holy. For are the people of an Idoll abhominable and not the Idoll it ſelfe much more? or may not they be better permitted to ſtand in an holy place then it be ſuffered in an holy worſhip?