Uniformity in Human Doctrinal Ceremonies, jeanes 24 – hammond 25
Jeanes.
Here the argument to prove the perfect decency of the uſage of the ſigne of the Croſſe in Baptiſm, is the frequent religious uſe of it amongſt the ancients; I ſay the religious uſe, becauſe we oppoſe not the civil uſe of it in Coins and Banners. But
1. You know, it is generally denyed by the Non-conformiſts, that the frequent uſe of the Croſſe amongſt the Ancients was lawfull and juſtifiable, and untill this bee cleared, your argument will bee little better than Petitio principii.
2. Bellarmine uſeth the like argument, de Miſſa lib. 2. cap. 15. for their croſſings in the Maſſe, having quoted divers Fathers for the antiquity of the ſign of the Croſſe, who teach that it is to be uſed in every buſineſſe: he propounds hereupon an interrogation, very like unto that of yours: Quod ſi in omni negotio ſignum crucis adhibendum, cur non in actione tremendi ſacrificii? But this perhaps ſtartles you not.
3. I demand whether the uſe of the Croſſe amongſt the Ancients was decent or undecent? If it was decent, then why was it abrogated? If it was undecent, then how can you infer therefrom, the perfect decency of the uſe of the Croſſe in Baptiſm?
But though I doe not deny the frequent uſe of the Croſſe among the Ancients, yet I have ſomething to obſerve concerning the witneſſes which you alledge therefore.
The firſt is Tertullian de Cor. Milit. cap. 3.
But this Book was written by him when a Montaniſt, this is confeſſed on all hands, but I ſhall content my ſelfe with the naming onelyonly of two Witneſſes.
The firſt is a moderate Conformiſt, Doctor Whitaker, Tom. 1. pag. 392. Reſpondeo, Tertullianum faiſſe Montaniſtam, quando hunc librum ſcripſit. Facit enim mentionem novarum prophetiarum, quarum Montanum inventorem fuiſſe, dubium non eſt. Fuit vero Montanus multarum Traditionum author, quae poſtea extirpari non poterant. Dixit, ſe habere illum paracletum, quem promiſit Chriſtus; & fretus hujus paracleti authoritate, multa foreign in Eccleſiam invexit. Impius hic Montanus Tertullianum ipſum fefellit, cujus viri jacturam caſumque merito lugere poſſumus. Illo enim tempore nullus d…ctior, nullus ſanctior, nullus pro fidei Chriſtianae defenſione vehementior fuit Tertulliano. Sed haereſis illa Montani omaem Tertulliano fidem detraxit. Sic enim Hilarius ait, in Comment. in Matth. Canon. 5. Quanquam & Tertullianus (inquit) hac de…re aptiſſima volumina ſcripſerit, conſequens error homi…i… detraxit ſcriptis probabilibus authoritatem. Hieronymus verò, in lib. contra Helvidium affirmat, eum Eccleſiae hominem non fuiſſe. Et in Catal. de Te…talliano idem ait, eum multa contra Eccleſiam ſcripſiſſe; & reverâ ſcripſit. Quae cum ita fint, quàm abſurdum eſt, Montanicas Traditiones Tertulliani nomine nobis obtrudere.
The other is a zealous and rigid pleader for humane religions Ceremonies, Mr. Hooker in his Eccleſiastical Politie, pag. 65, when Tertullian diſputed againſt the Chriſtian ſouldiers wearing a Crown or Garland on their heads, when they receive their Donative; He was a Montaniſt, and an enemy unto the Church, for condemning that prophetical spirit, which Montanus and his followers did boaſt they had received, as if in them Chriſt had performed his laſt premiſe; as if to then he had ſent the Spirit, that ſhould be their perfecter and final inſtructer in the myſteries of Chriſtian truth. Which exulceration of mind made them apt to take all occaſions of contradiction. Wherefore in honour of that action, and to gall their minds, who did not ſo much commend it, he wrote his book De Cotona Militis, not diſſembling the ſtomack wherewith he wrote it.
2. The Croſſings which Tertullian ſpeaks of, would be a weight cumberſome enough without any other Ceremony, and this cannot be denyed by ſuch indifferent perſons as will read his words at large; for thus they are, Ad omnem progreſſum, atque promotum, ad omnem additum, & exitum, ad veſtitum, ad calceatum, ad lavaera, ad menſas, ad lumina, ad cubicula, ad ſedilia, quandocunque nos converſatio exerce…, frontem crueis ſignaculo terimus. Here you ſee, that the Croſſing in Tertullians time was at every ſtep, at every coming to and going out, at the apparrelling themſelves, at waſhing, at eating, at lighting candles, and at ſitting, &c.
3. The frequent uſe of the Croſſe, mentioned by Tertullian at every ſtep, and in every action that we do, was not, could not be decent, becauſe it could not but be a great hinderance, diſturbance, and diſtraction unto the more neceſſary, and important actions of mens lives, eſpecially ſeeing you will ſay, it was to be accompanied with inward action of the ſoul ſuitable thereunto: now how can that, which is not decent in it ſelf, derive that, which it hath not, unto another: this perpetual Croſſing, was ſo farre from being decent, as that it was ridiculous; and ſhould we now ſee a man after this manner croſſing of himſelf, we would think either that he was out of his wits, or elſe that he was tranſported with ſuch deluſions of Satan, as the Quakers are now, or the Montaniſts were in Tertullians time.
A ſecond witneſſe is Palladius de Hiſtoria Lauſiaca. This Author I ſuſpected to be fabulous by the two tales related out of him by Bellarmine, de Reliq. & Imaginib. Sanctorum, cap. 29. and I cannot but wonder that you ſhould alledge him, conſidering the character that Hierome and Epiphanius give of him; but not having the Book in my own Study, I ſent unto a friend in Oxford, to make ſome ſearch after the place, and in a ſhort time this anſwer was returned unto me.
What authority is to be given to that quotation out of Palladius concerning Hippolytus, whom he would have to be Apoſtolorum foreign?Queſt.
None at all, or very little: For
1. Palladius, hee lived in the end of the forth Century, anno 389, Anſw.ſaies aIn Chronelog. Authorum praefixa Hiſt. vet. Patrum Pariſ. 1583.Laurentius de la Barre, Bellarmine (deſcript. Eccleſ. pag 156. in Palladio, puts him ad annum 390) ſaith he was coetaneous with Hierom and Ruffine, and a man of no great repute. Reprehenditur (ſaith bDe Scriptor. Eccleſ in Palladio pag. 156.Bellarmine) ut Origeniſta Pallactius (ſaith cPreaemio adverſus Pelagianos ad Creſiphentem.Hierome) ſervus nequitiae, candem haereſim inſtaurare conatus eſt, & novam tranſlationi calumniam Hebraicae mihi ſtruere, nunc quo que myſteriū iniquitatis operatur And at the ſame time Epiphanius, dEpiſt. 60. apud Hieron.Palladium, qui quondem nobis …harus fuit, & nunc miſericordiâ Dei indiget, cave, quia nunc Originis baereſim praedidicat, &c. And though he ſeemed afterwards to have forſaken his Haereſies, yet (if we may beleeve eIn Apparatu Sacro. pag. 60. Palladius pag. 207.Poſſevine) Mutavit perſonam, non animum.
2. This Hiſtoria Lauſiaca, was called ſo, not by Palladius himſelf, who inſcribes it thus fVide Palladium graecè editum per Jo. Meurſium pag. 1.foreign: Paliadii Epiſcopi Hiſtoria vitas ſanctorum Patrum continens. But becauſe he dedicated that Hiſtory, foreign, Lauſo Praepoſito, to an eminent man then in authority; ſo it was that from this Lauſus it was called Lauſiaca.
3. This Narration of Hippolytus here cited, occurs in the gIn Hiſt. Vet. Patrum per Laurentium de la Barre, cap. 1.9. pag. 88. who puts theſe words in the Margin, Crucis ſignum tempere Apostolor. foreign. MS. in Bibl. Bodlianâ. Palladius graecè per Ioh. Meurſ. Lug. Bat. 1616. 4….Latine Edition of Palladius by Gentianus Hervetus, thus, Quae cum ſic feciſſet, & ſe totam ſigno crucis muniiſset, egreſſa eſt, &c. He ſpeaks of a Corinthian Virgin, a Chriſtian, damned by the Judge to the Stews, out of which place ſhe eſcaped (a pious young man giving her the cloaths) in mans apparel, foreign (that is, putting on mans apparel) foreign, and ſigning her ſelf all over with the Myſtery of the Croſſe, ſhee eſcaped ſafe. So the ſtory is, in the Greek Edition by Meurſius pag. 154. what other Greek copy the Doctor made uſe of, I know not; he cites pag. …049. whereas in Meurſius his Edition there are but 212. pages in all.
3. He tells us where he had this Fable, or Hiſtory (for Palladius does not affirm it to be true) foreign (i.e. in alio libello, qui inſcribebatur (Hippolyti ipſis Apostolis cogniti, ſeu Apoſtolorum coaetanei) Iſtiaſmodi Natrationem inveni: And then he tels this ſtory of the Corinthian Virgin.
4. So that the Summe is: He found a Pamphlet (for ſo the word foreign ſignifies) which was inſcribed to Hippolytus, who was known to the Apoſtles, but that it was not foreign, a falſe and ſpurious inſcription, he tels us not, onelyonly he found a Pamphlet ſo inſcribed.
2. It is very likely he had no great opinion of that Pamphlet, for then he would have told us ſo, to give reputation to the ſtory. For in the very next hPalladius ex Edit. Joh Meurſii, pag. 152. foreign.ſtory before this, which is concerning a Virgin called Juliana, he tels us, he had it out of a moſt ancient book of Hymns, writ by Origens own hand, foreign; whereas he hath nothing of this, but that he ſaw a Pamphlet ſo inſcribed.
3. And this is more probable, becauſe I find not any Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtorian (or other Author) mention any ſuch Hippolytus, who was Apostolorum foreign.
4. Nor is there any foundation in Antiquity, in the teſtimony of any good Author, that any ſuch Croſſing was uſed in the Apoſtles time, though I know in Tertullians time, and afterwards, it grew much in faſhion, eſpecially in the fourth Century in the time of iAuguſt in Evang. Joh. Tract. 118.Chryſostome kChryſoſt. demonſtrat quod Chriſtus ſi… Deus.Auguſtine, and this Palladius, who was Biſhop of Helenopolis, and this is confeſſed by lIn his Conference with Hart, page 504. Edit. London, Anno 1598.Dr. Rainolds againſt Hart (where you have much about Croſſing) who denies (and juſtly too) that any ſuch uſe of the Croſſe was uſed in the Apoſtles times, nor do I finde any affirm it, but they of Rome, who (againſt all reaſon and antiquity) would have all their ridiculous and ſuperſtitious Ceremonies to be Apoſtolical: It is obſervable further, that the Latin Tranſlation by Gentianus, differs very much from the Greek put out by Joh. Meurſius (as he mJo. Meurſius in Praefat. Lectori Palladio Praepoſitae.himſelf tels us) and both of them very much (even in this preſent ſtory we now ſpeak of) from an ancient Greek Manuſcript copy of Palladius in Bodlyes Library. So that 'tis evident the book hath been much interpolated; ſo that he had need of a ſpirit of Prophecy, who would certainly tell us which is genuine, which ſpurious.
For inſtance, in Meurſius his Edition Lugd. Batav. 1616. pag. 152. The foreign of the 93 Narration or Chapter is thus, foreign. And then the narration begins thus, foreign, &c. And then the next Narration (Narratio 94. pag. 154. hath this foreign.
Now in the Manuſcript ancient Copy in Bodlyes Library thoſe two Chapters are but one, and the foreign one, thus foreign. And then the Narration begins thus, foreign, &c. Difference enough, and therefore negligence or knavery enough in the Tranſcribers.
Beſides this Univerſity friend, I conſulted another in the Country, who had, I knew, a well furniſhed ſtudy, and from him I received this following Anſwer.
Sir,
Palladius his Hiſtoria Lauſiaca I find in the ſeventh Tom. of Bibliotheca Sanct. Patrum, put forth by Margarinus de la Bigne at Paris, Anno 1589. of which Author Bellarmine himſelf in his Book de Scriptoribus Eccleſiaſticis ad annum 390. confeſſeth (after he had firſt praiſed this Hiſtory, as not a little profitable to the Reader of it) that this Palladius is reproved by Saint Hierome, in an Epiſtle of his to Cteſiphon, for an Origeniſt, and ſo accounted alſo by Epiphanius in an Epiſtle of his to John of Jeruſalem, which Epiſtle is to be ſeen (as he ſaith) in the ſecond Tom. of Hieroms Works. This Hiſtory of Palladius hath the name Lauſiaca, from one Lauſus, to whom it is dedicated both by Palladius and Heraclides. a Biſhop of Cappadocia; both which Epiſtles dedicated to Lauſus, are prefixed to this Hiſtory. The Hiſtory hath more Miracles in it than are in the New Teſtament, and as ſtrange ones as are in any Legend, and it ſeemeth the Author, (as he ſaith at the 56. Sect. of this Hiſtory) could have reported ſtranger, but that they did excedere miraculi modum; not that they were falſe though, but becauſe men wanted faith to believe them. In the firſt Sect one Dorotheus, cum prius ſignaculo crucis ſe muniviſſet, draweth, and drinketh the water of a Well, wherein there were Aſps: Abbot Copres, ſect. 49. went into the flames of a great fire, and ſtaid there half an hour, and had no hurt, but as he entred the fire he was in nomine Chriſti ſignatus. One Abbot Be, at the entreaty of ſome Husbandmen of that Country, commanded a Sea horſe (Hipp-potamus) who waſted that Country to be packing, and not to ſpoil the Country any more. And ſo forthwith this Sea horſe, as if he had been driven away by an Angell, aniſhed, omnino evanuit. Sect. 17. An Hyaena brings her whelpe unto Abbot Macarius and layeth it down at the Abbots feet, this whelp was blind, the Abbot ſpits upon the eyes of this blind whelp, prayeth, and the whelp recovereth its ſight; the Hyaena taketh up the whelp, and deparreth: But then the next day the ſame Hyaena bringeth a great ſheep-skin unto the Abbot, offereth it unto him (belike as a token of her thankfulneſs for the cure) the Abbor refuſeth the preſent, ratleth the Hyaena for killing the ſheep, adviſeth her to kill no more ſheep, the Hyaena, capite ſuo annuit, ut quae ſancto Macario aſſentiretur, Saith my Authour: upon the report of St. Paphnutius in another Place, the Divell in the habit of a Presbyter offereth the Sacrament to one, but the good Presbyter diſcovereth the Divell, and defies him, and his Sacrament. In another place one liveth many yeares, and had no other ſuſtenance, but the Sacrament once every Sabbath day.
By this time the Reader is, I hope, ſufficiently ſatisfied, that your Author Palladius is a Legendary writer, the Gentlemen who have made this ſearch for me, deſire for the preſent, to have their names concealed, but however they will be reſponſible for what they have written, when ever you ſhall be pleaſed to call them to an account.
A third witnes is the Author of the Queſt. and Reſp. aſcribed to Juſtin Martyr, but this Author is unknown, and the book a forgery, unworthy of Juſtin Martyr, and as ſhort of his former writings as Lead is of Gold, this you know a great deal better then my ſelf, but others may ſee as much demonſtrated by Rivet. Critie. ſacr. lib. 2. cap. 5. Out of Poſſevinus, Sylburgius and Scaltetus.
But you have perhaps another argument, hinted towards the concluſion of this ſection, and it is the apparition of the ſigne of the Croſſe unto Constantine, of which you ſpeak in thoſe words; he that thus ſigned to Conſtantine victory from Heaven (foreign in this overcome &c.
But it is much queſtioned, whether or no that which you call the ſigne of the Croſſe, was that which appeared unto Conſtantine. Biſhop Abbot in his anſwer unto Dr. Biſhop his Epiſtle unto King James pag. 167. ſaith, that the ſigne of the Croſſe, unto which Conſtantine was ſo much affectioned (and that which he was ſo affectionate unto, was that which appeared unto him) was indeed iEuſeb. de vit. Conſt. lib. 1 c. 25.the ſigne of the name of our Saviour, consisting of the two Greek letters x and p, and in the form of a foreign, which are the two firſt letters of the name of Chriſt, and did import the ſame whole name, by the ſight whereof in the skie Conſtantine was advertiſed, that kIb. c. 22.by Chriſt be muſt conquer and overcome. To which name of Chriſt, repreſented to Conſtantine, his moſt excellent majesty giveth the ſame honour that Conſtantine did, repoſing therein the whole truſt of his Victory, and ſafety, both ſpirituall and corporall, and knowing that no lActs 4.7.other name is given under heaven, by which we muſt be ſaved, but only the name of Jeſus Chriſt. This opinion…s embraced by many; but Dr. John Rainolds of all others, I beleeve, ſpeakes moſt fully of it in his conference with Hart, pag. 507, 508. The ſign that appeared to Conſtantine in the Element was a ſigne of the name of Chriſt, not his Croſſe: howſoever the Coiners and mMartials treatiſe of the Croſſe art. 2. Harpesfeildes Cope. dialog 4.Croſſe-maintainers of your Church doe falſly paint it out. For as nDe vit. Conſtant. lib. 1. cap. 15.Euſebius writeth, (unto whom Conſtantine did report the thing, and ſhewed him that enſign, which he had cauſed to be made in the likeneſs thereof) it was the forme of a foreign. which words tranſlated amiſſe by Interpreters (erat litera p inſerta in medio literae x) have occaſioned ſome to make the ſigne otherwiſe then Euſebius deſcribeth it.Spear standing ſtrait upright, with a Crown on the top of it, and as it were a horn, which did croſſe the mideſt of the Spear aſlope. So that at repreſented two of the Greek letters, x and p: which being the two firſt letters of the name of Chriſt, the name of Chriſt was ſignified by that ſign to Conſtantine. Thus be deſcribeth it who ſaw it.
VntoUnto this Hart thus replyeth, but out of doubt he calleth it the ſigne or the monument of the Croſſe alſo.
And unto this Dr. Rainolds thus rejoyneth. But 5 cap. 25.himſelf ſheweth, that he calleth it ſo, becauſe it reſembled oforeign.the ſigne of a Croſſe. For neither was it like the Croſse fully, which had pThe figure of the letter T. Tertull. adverſ. Marcion. lib. 3. Hieron. lib. 3. Comment. in Ezec. c. 9.another figure: and where he deſcribeth it, he ſaith in plain termes that it was 6foreign.a ſigne of the name of Chriſt. Neither were thoſe words that you rehearſed written by it, In this ſigne overcome, as your qHarpsfeild in his Cope-Dialog. 4. c. 3.Doctor ſaith: (belike becauſe he read it coined in the Cruſeado ſo, or in the Portigue) bu… rforeign. Euſeb. de vit. Conſtant. l. c. 22.by this overcome: as if God ſhewing him the name of Chriſt, ſhould have ſaid unto him that ſActs 4.12.there is no other name given under Heaven whereby we must be ſaved. In the which meaning it ſeemeth that Conſtantine did understand it alſo: becauſe tEuſeb. de vit. Conſt. lib. c. 25.he uſed afterward to carry in his Helmet, not the ſigne of the Croſse, but thoſe two letters by which the name of Chriſt was repreſented to him.
But ſuppoſe it was the very ſigne of the Croſſe, which you imagine, appeared unto Constantine, yet this will make nothing for the perfect decency of the uſage of the ſigne of the Croſſe in Baptiſme amongſt us: and my reaſon is, becauſe apparitions in the aire, though they be not illuſions of Satan, the Prince of the aire, but true & reall miracles, doe not oblige us unto an imitation of the like in Gods ordinances: ſtrong and powerfull motives they are unto the worſhip of Chriſt, but were never deſigned to be a rule of it, and he that uſeth it to ſuch a purpoſe perverts it from its right end.
Dr. Hammond.
And then for the Surplice: It is no newes, I hope, for ſeverall ſorts of men to have ſolemne Garments, for ſolemne actions which they doe not uſe at other times. The Judges upon the Bench, or the Lords at their coming to Parliament, are a ſufficient evidence of this, who weare not thoſe Robes in common occaſions, which there they do, as betokening their quality. and the imployments they are about. And then what is thus cuſtomary in civill matters (viz, to difference perſons and imployments, yea and dayes, by diſtinction of garments) and is allowed to be decent therein, this by analogy undeniable, is as fitly and decently from thence derived to ſolemne ſacred actions alſo, ſuch are the publick offices of the Prieſt: and the commands of our Superiours being added to this decency of the matter, foreign to foreign, it is, I am ſure, more than undecent for inferiors to be obſtinate, and deny obedience to them. In the choice of the garment, there hath been alſo, as near as may be, a reſemblance obſerved of thoſe garments, which in Scripture are mentioned for the like ſolemnities, long, ſhining, i. e. white robes or garments. And if the conſtant uſage of other Churches beſides this of ours, Eaſtern as well as Weſtern, for ſo many Centuries together, be conſidered, it will be competently able to eſtabliſh an Eccleſiaſtical cuſtome alſo, which, in things of this nature, externall ornaments and formalities, is a more rat onal ground, and rule or meaſure of decency, than any Mr. J. (or Ameſius to boot) will readily be able to produce for the rejecting of them, or breaking and caſting away thoſe bands which tyed no harder a yoak than this upon their ſhoulders.