Uniformity in Human Doctrinal Ceremonies, jeanes 21 – hammond 22
Jeanes.
This weighs little or nothing, unleſſe withall you can prove, that the Apoſtles command of decency enjoyneth, that the ſeate of ſhame in the baptized ſhould be marked with the ſign of the Croſſe, in token that he ſhould not bee aſhamed. Doubtleſſe Saint Pauls practiſe was ſuitable unto his precept, and you doe not, you cannot pretend, that ever hee was ſigned in the forehead with the ſign of the Croſſe, either by himſelf or any other: he propounds his example for imitation, and gives this for a reaſon, that his pattern was that of our bleſſed Saviour, 1 Cor. 11.1. Be ye even followers of me, as I alſo am of Christ. We ſhall not then think that ſo requiſite unto Baptiſme which hee never uſed; ſo ſo long as wee follow ſo great a precedent, wee ſhall not bee much ſollicitous, though we ſwarve from the advice of Auguſtine, that hath no warrant from the Word of God. Paul makes large profeſſions, that he was not aſhamed of the Goſpel, which held forth a crucified Chriſt, Rom. 1.16. Phil. 1.20. 2 Tim 1.12. But no man can ſay that he ever expreſſed this his profeſſion by the ſign of the Croſſe; and therefore we ſhall make no other account of the Signe of the Croſſe, than as of a ſupernumerarie in Gods ſervice; and thoſe Beleevers that want it, may have confidence when Chriſt ſhall appear, and not be aſhamed before him at his comming, 1 Joh. 2.28.
But perhaps you think we muſt ſtoop unto the bare words of Auguſtine, though not ſeconded with any reaſon; and this is more then Auguſtine himſelfe would have expected from us: for after this manner the holy Scriptures alone are to be entertained, as Biſhop Jewel proveth againſt Harding, Def. Apol. Chur. Engl. part. 1. p. 55. out of ſeveral places of St. Auguſt. Therfore St. Aug. ſaith, Alios Scriptores ita lego, ut quanta libet ſanctitate doctrinâque praepolleant, non ideo verum putem, quod ipſi ita ſenſerint, ſed quod id mihi, vel per alios Authores Canonicos, vel probabili ratione perſuadere potuerint. Other Writers or Fathers (beſides the holy Scriptures) I read in this ſort, that be their learning and holyneſſe never ſo great, I will not think it true, becauſe they have thought ſo, but becauſe they are able to perſwade me ſo, either by other Canonical Writers, or elſe by ſome likely reaſon. Likewiſe again he ſaith, Hoc genus literarum non cum credendi neceſſitate, ſed cum judicandi libertate, legendum eſt: This kinde of Writings (of the holy Doctors and Fathers) muſt bee read, not with neceſſity to beleeve each thing, but with liberty to judge each thing.
Likewiſe St. Auguſtine diſputing againſt the Arians, refuſeth, as I have ſaid before, both Councils and Fathers, and appealeth onelyonly to the Scriptures: Nec ego Nicoenam Synodum tibi, nec tu mihi Ariminenſem debes objicere: Scripturarum authoritatibus, res cum re, cauſa cum cauſâ, ratio cum ratione concertet. Neither will I alledge the Council of Nice againſt you, nor ſhall you alledge the Council of Ariminum againſt me. By the authority of the Scriptures let us weigh matter with matter, cauſe with cauſe, reaſon with reaſon.
I ſhall conclude all that I have to ſay unto the foregoing Teſtimonies of Auguſtine (and you may apply it alſo unto thoſe which follow) with the Anſwer of Whitaker, Tom. 1. pag. 293. unto a place quoted out of the 118. Epiſt. of Aug. ad Januar. Respondeo, Magnum eſſe Auguſtini nomen in Eccleſiâ Dei, & merito quidem: Sed meminiſſe debemus, hominem fuiſſe, ac proinde errare potuiſſe. Et licet hoc loco quidem videatur favere Traditionibus, tamen in aliis locis, ſcripturae perfectionem acerrimè defendit, ut poſtea melius patebit. Senſit enim apertiſſimè, nullum dogma reci…iendum eſſe, quod non ſcripturis nitatur. Aut…gitur de Traditionibus non neceſsariis loquitur, aut fibi ipſi non conſentit.
Dr. Hammond. ſect. 26.
Secondly, the uſage of this Ceremony of ſigning with the Groſſe, was, wee alſo know, frequent in the Church (while the gifts of healing continued) in dSee Aug. de civ. Dei, lib. 22. cap. 8.curing diſeaſes, and caſting out Devils, ſo that Athanaſius frequently affirmes, (e)De Incarnat. Tom. 1. pag. 84. So pag. 101. D. foreign. And pag. 102.6. foreign. And contr. Arian. Or. 1. pag. 285. A. foreign. And, Praeſente ſigno crucis obmuteſcit Paganitas. Aug. T. 4.229. B. And, 832. B. Daemonia nominatâ cruce Chriſti terrentur, ſi impenſius fiat, fugantur. Dii Paganorum metu crucis reſponſa dare non poſſunt.foreign; by the ſign of the Croſse all Magick and Witchcraft is brought to naught, all the Idol Temples layd waſte and empty.