sith hereby we build and edifie them vnto idolatrie and superstition many wayes First they drawe them to an approbation of their religion against which thus one of our b Iofias Simler in Exod. 20. fol. 85. writers etsi aliquis bonus vsus imaginum esse possit tamen propter illam horrendam idolomanian Pontificiorum ijs abstinendum esset Illi enim cum imagines vident in nostrorum templis nos secum convenire arbitrantur in earum cultu veneratione eas ad confessionem rapiunt Secondly whereas they would bee brought to doubt of their religion if it were throughly resisted by vs they nowe seeing it in part receaued even by their adversaries put themselues out of doubt against which our writers thus It is scandalum datum c Magdebu Contur 1. lib. 2. cap. 4 colum 450 quando iusta grauitas in ceremonijs adversus obstinatos non exercetur as Peter gaue scandall to the Iewes when hee conformed himselfe to their ceremonies because therby illorum prauam de illis opinionem fouebat Thirdly d P. Martyr loc commun clas 2. ca. 5. sect 25. were as the cheefe way to winne the papistes is to put them out of hope because man naturallie e Velleius Paterculus sequi de sinit quod assequi non potest the reducing of their Ceremonies hath caused the people not well resolved to say the rest will followe shortlie and the recusant what reason haue we to come to you seeing you so fast are comming to vs Fourthlie there is nothing that more hindereth the conversion of aliens then when there is an occasion giuen them to reioyce glorie boast as men that haue gotten the vpperhand as a cheefe matter which was obiected to Marcellinus was this f Caesat Baron anal tom 2. in Marcellin super te in illo die gloriabatur Imperator and the offence that is giuen by the strife of the Christians is this g Epist Synod Arime nens ad Constant Imperat. Concil tom 1. pa. 437. quae nunc ab istis nouantur fidelibus quidem incredulitatem infidelibus autem ferocitatem adferunt Doth not our strife nowe about these Ceremonies adferre ferocitatem to the papistes Thus Hierom. h Hieron commenta in Abdiam cap. 1. Quis haereticorum non despicit ecclesiasticos quis non exultat in malis corum Si qui in negationem corruerit videas illos exultare gaudere nostram ruinam suam putare victoriam Doth not the papist make himselfe glee to see the preachers that were before most zealous against him throwne downe into the depth of miserie that for no other cause but for their zeale against his reliques laugheth he not on the other side at their inconstancie who now conforme vnto his badges who would not weare before or beare the least cognizance of his Church as at a ruine of theirs a victorie of his owne Ambrose l Ambros 1 Cor. 10 saith that the very eating of a meate idolothious maketh the idolater gloriari to boast and vaunt m Gregor epist 41. ad Lean dr Gregorie will not vse the Trin-immersion when haeretiques vsed it ne morem nostrum se vicisse glorientur Our verie vse then of these rites dedicated to their idolatrie is sufficient to advaunce their spirits as if they had gotten the field against vs. To these and some other wayes of scandall which might be mentioned there are three things replyed The first is that the papists after this maner are scandalized with other things with our sainctes n Rhem. in annotat act 1. sect 7 holy-dayes with our bowing at the o Rhem in Phil sect 2 name of Iesus with our kneeling before p Mart. in reply art 10. images in glas-windowes with the lifting vp of our handes at Paules crosse with our bowing to the cloth of estate and seeing swearing is a kinde of adoration with our swearing on a book forasmuch as from hence they sucke advaÌ„tage for their idolatrie to sainctes to the name Iesus to images to crosses and for their swearing by creatures and yet all these may not be abolished For answere first if these ceremonies harden the papist then doth the vse of the Crosse much more which is with him the q Vaur Catechism grande hallower and consecrator of al holy things and actions Secondly if the former ceremonies which are not necessarie duties doe confirme him why should not we make riddance of them as well as other Churches haue especiallie bowing to the name Iesus which the most learned euen of our r D. Fulke answer to Rhem in Philip. 2. sect 2. D. Babington in Leuiâ—ie owne church condemne Thirdly our holding vp of hands when we pray at Paules Crosse and our bowing downe to the cloth of estate are necessarie duties and so not to bee abolished like Crosse and Surplice which are not necessarie euen as the Christians were not to leaue their reuerent not popishe bowing when they did curis Dei adge inculari as speaketh Tertullian although the pagans hence drewe a scandall that they did x Caesar Baron Anal. ann 211. Antistitis genitalia colere or their lifting vp of handes in prayer though by reason of it the Gentills accused them for adoring the cloudes as t D Fulke reioynd art 10 pag. 214 217. appeareth by Tertullian by a Poet of their own qui puras nubes caeli Numen adorant Secondly It is replyed to the scandall of the papistâ—â— that it maketh not the Ceremonies guiltie because it is acceptum by them who for that they are malitious are not to be regarded First they are erronious as wel as they are malitious so that to confirme them in their error were that inhumanitie in vs which layeth a stombling blocke in the way of the blinde who bath most neede to be ledde aright Leuit. 19.14 Deut. 17.18 They that were offended at Christe were as malicious of whome Bernard notwithstanding u Bernard in lib. de precept disputat magni peccatores sed tamen pusilli aestimatores beati essent si non scandalizati fuissent nunc vero quid nisi miseri sed tamen miserandi Secondly this confirming of the papistes is scandalum datum for that shewe where by we come neere him or flie not from him so farre as we should for we know that euen a shewe is scandalous as not only scriptures teach i Thes 5.22 Iud. 23. but also the auncientes with whom euen similitudo venerationis idoli is w Glossae in 1. Cor. 10. 8. whose tenent is x Thom. Aquin 2.2 quest 43. etiam species mali scandalum confecit and our y Magdebu Centur. 1. lib. 2. cap. 4. Col. 450. owne writers whose position is in generall the same with this tenent mentioned and in particular that we are to avoyde from all things that doe beare but a shewe z D. Fulke ag
in Idolatrous worship The common creatures that are are not x Rhemist in 1. Tim. 4 blessed without the Crosse to common vse What other things to vse religious y Vazq de adorat li. 3 disput 1. cap. 1. Omnia nobis ipso signo crucis benedicuntur sanctificantur Are not the Sacraments excepted No not the Sacraments But Omnia Sacramenta crucis signaculo perficiuntur z Decret vt supra sayth the Canon At a word a Dutand de rit li. 2. cap. 45. sect 7. Torrens in confess August li. 4. c. 9. tit 4 sine hoc signo nihil sanctum neque aliqua consecratio qua meretur effectum Come hither you that pleade for this adultresse see yee not how deepely shee hath drunke of the bitter water of cursing to the rotting of her thigh and the swelling of her belly And this curse is as incurable as it is bitter When Gods creatures are polluted they may be reddita suis benedictionibus restored againe vnto their blessings as an auncient b Tertul. de cib ludaic 2 Isa 2.20 Father speaketh For example the Idols meate by the word and prayer may bee restored to the common blessing of feeding the bodie which God did giue it in the day that he created it the bread of the Sacrament Idolized to the speciall blessing of feeding the soule which Christ did giue it in the night he ordained the supper whereas this wretched and vnworthy signe can recouer no benediction by either of these two wayes he being neither a creature of God nor yet a rite of his sonnes ordayning Such an Idolothite as this so deepely and irrecouerably polluted shall it not be defaced through some iniurious vse or other Yea be cast out of the Temple of God Yea throwne vnto the moules and backes the common receptacle of all defiled reliques For defacing with some iniurie we haue the auncient c Vazq de adorat li. 2 disput 2. cap. 2. â— Mac. 4.45 Albingenses for our torch-bearers who in disgrace of Images and Crosses painted the holy and blessed Virgine with one eye and set forth the Crucifixe with one nayle onely through both the feet For remoouall out of Gods Temple we haue the famous Maccabâ—us for our leader who wheÌ„ the Pagans had defiled the Altar he would suffer it to stay no longer in the Temple For throwing to the Moules backs we haue the renowmed zealous d Concil Nicen. 2. act 7. pag. 188. Graecians for our example who not onely threw out Crosses and hurled Images out of the Church but also qua ex câ—ra fusaâ—rant in singularim ornatum in turpes vsus converterunt Keepe we then the Crosse Surplice within the church and breake we wilfully those two cautions which haue bin euermore prescribed and accordingly practized against the Idolothite First to shew our detestation of the Idoll we must either destroy him or in keeping him for privat vse so alter and chaunge him that c August ad Publicol epist 154. Omnis honor Idoli cum apertissima destructione subâ—ertatur that all the honour which the Idoll gaineth by him or giueth to him may bee turned vpside downe Secondly for so much as in every ceremonie wee are to provide not only for the glory of God but also for the good of our neighbor therfore not onely for his e Ibid. honor must all this honor be despoyled but also all shew thereof as these words shew Apparet illud esse prohibitum nein honorem alienorum Deorum aliquare vtamur aut vti existimemur sic eam accipiendo vt quamvis animo contemnamus eos tamen qui nostrum animum ignorant ad haec honoranda aedificemus We talke of an vse of Crosse and Surplice with a diverse minde from papistes but talke only Doe not f Ih. Howâ—let in refusal rat 2. papistes themselues gather out of this rule of Augustine that it sufficeth not in minde to hate our service and our ceremonies vnlesse all shew bee made also of their hatred by forbearing both the one and the other g Aeneas Sylui. hist Bohemic cap. 6â— Sygismund in heart honoreth the Sacrament yet when Rochezana carrieth it in procession he will not vncouer to it and all to avoyde offensive shew Ne Rochezanam approbasse videretur It is not inough for good Eleazar that hee eate no swines fleshe Mac. 2.6 but certaine meate of his owne bringing which although of it selfe it was lawfull yet must he rather loose his life then eate it for that shewe of conformitie to Idolaters in the eating of swines fleshe which it bore and carried with it h Caesar Baroni Annal anno 303. Secundus is commaunded to deliuer his Bibles he maketh answer Christianus sum non Traditor Herevpon he is commanded to deliuer aliqua ecvola that is certaine stuffe which was cast aside for that it had no vse Will he not deliuer this to saue his life no not this It was lawfull but it had a shew of their sinne whom the Church called Traditores for their deliuering the holy bookes to be burnt by the officers of the tyrant Dioclesian Last of all l Phil. Melancthon in epist ad eccles marchiac Was it lawfull for the poore man at Berne to vse the ceremonie of fasting from flesh with a diverse minde from the papistes then was he to blame to burne as he did to avoyde all shew of communicating with them But if m Decret par 2. caus 32. qu. 4. cap. 8. Augustine may be his iudge he was not to blame who holdeth it better to dye for famine then to eate an Idolothite This as it may excite our gouernors to hate the signe of the Crosse the Surplice they being polluted in the highest degree of Idolothisme so to second the auncient zeale of their forerunners in the faith who hated all customes of the alienes euen in common vse it selfe and all things else if but onely touched by them so may it iustifie our losse of liuings rather then to honour them apertissimè by aduauncing them into the seruice of the most high so to follow aloofe of those worthy witnesses who leaue example to loose life not liuing onely rather then incurre so much as a shewe so much as in the least ceremonie of the least approbation of forraigne Idolatrie #Sect 8. Two seuerall sinnes committed in retaining the Crosse The first reseruing it as a speciall and scandalous Monument of Idolatrie past with sixe reasons against the retaining of it VVE haue vewed the signe of the Crosse in his Idolothisme considered in generall now to the end wee may proceede descende we downe to the seuerall sinnes thereof which are two The first in that hee is a monument of Idolatrie past The second in that he is an inticement to Idolatry for time to come Concerning the former what is Monumentum but that which mouet mentem sayth a August dâ— cura pro
the rule had bene obserued Let no roote of any bitternesse be found among you They had happily at the first crushed and brused this serpents head Whereas following the tract of this carnall policie of keeping Images and Crosses to please the people vpon an hope a preaching against their adoration would cleare all daunger they gaue them scope before they perceiued it not only to moare but also to spread and finally to gaine that height in which at this day we find them And who was the Father of this pollicie but that Gregorie from whom as from a Troian horse many other superstions issued forth For when Serenus Bishop of Marsellis in the spirit of Hezechias brake downe the Images and the Crosse of his Diocesse because he sawe they were Idolatrously abused This Gregorie wrote an Epistle to him tart and sharpe Wherein after he had reproued him of much rashnesse and indiscretion he giueth him direction to call the people of his Diocesse before him and so q Gregor li. 9. indict 4. epist 9. homil ag peril of Idolat p. 2. 3. reach them out of the Scripture that their worship was vnlawfull but as for the Images and Crosses themselues to let them stand vntouched And this was the r D. Fulke ag Saund. of Imag. cap. 3. p. â—80 prima labes about the yeere 600. After in the 700. age Crosses and Images goe downe in the East especially after the seuenth Counsell at Constantinople had decreed the abolishing of them Which being crost by the second of Nice the Emperour Charles called a Councell at Frankford which walking in the midway betweene them both decreed that Crosses and Images should stand against the Councell of Constantinople but that they should not be worshipped against the second of Nice And this pollicie and course continued in the West in France especially for a long season as these wordes of Strabo shewe s Walafrid Strab. de reb eccles cap. 8. Non ideo quia nouimus non adorandas ideo conculonadae delenda pictura Now I neede not be long to shewe to how little effect this pollicie sorted the fact of Claudius Taurinensis bewrayeth sufficiently the Idolatry which it brought forth who vpon the same occasion that mooued Serenus of Marseillis before brake the Lawe to breake downe t Catalog testium veâ—etat in Claudio c. Crosses and other Images because he saw the abuse of them so increased as could no longer by any preaching be redressed And for this fact he was neuer u Philipp Moâ—nar vt supra troubled Yea whereas he wrote an Apologie for himselfe Ludouicus the king receiued it gratiously and gaue it to Ionas Bishop of Orleance to suruey it To suffer the signe of the Crosse then and to haue the abuse of it preached against is to imitate among the Bishops of Rome w Szâ—ged in specul pontifit malorum Primum among the Emperours that are reuiued from not being through the Lombards desolation and the Gothes the bestiam i Apoc. 17.8 primam which the spirit hath foreshewed whereas our writers call vs to an imitation of Claudius rather in consideration that x Phillip Mornae de Eucharist lib. 2. cap. 3 for the raysing of superstition no meanes are left as long as the Bishops thinke they doe seruice sufficient if they preach against the worshipping of images Secondly the presidents which wee haue to keepe the Crosse and preach against the abuses of it are not so vnworthy of imitation but the presidents which wee haue to the contrary are as necessary to be followed Iosuah did not bid the Priestes to preach against the Idols of Canaan but with his hands he threw them downe And Hezechias willed not the Leuites to preach against the serpents abuse but hee brake it all to peeces and shewed it all the disgrace he could Our Lord not only preached against the Oxen and Doues sold in the Temple but also as the king of the Church he cast them forth Epiphanius tooke no course with the Pastor of Anablatha or with Iohn Patriarch of Ierusalem to haue the image of Christ hanging in the Church to be preached against but he reproued them for suffering it there and y Epiphan in epist ad Ioh. Hierosol pulled it downe himselfe The Councell of z Coucil Elibertin Can. 36. Eliberis and the fift of a Concil Carthag 5 cap. 15. Carthage where Augustine himselfe was president and the Councell of b Concil Mogunt cap 42. Mentz leaue not a relique nor a remnant of Idolatry in the Church vpon a colour of preaching against the abuses of them but they remooue and abolish them all or sue to the magistrat for their abolition Constantine the great would not suffer the least ragge of Pagan Idolatry to remaine to be preached against but razed out all memorials of it as which he acknowledged to be c Euseb de vita Constantin lib. 3. cap. 47. 52. SoÌ„zom lib. 1. cap. 8. lapidem offensacula ante pedes proiecta Theodosius was more earnest d Theodor. histor li. 5. cap. 20 Tripartit histor li 9. cap. 33. who not onely ouerthrew funditus but also obliuioni dedit those few ceremonies which had escaped the hands of Constantine or which Iulian had repayred The same together with Valentinian tooke out of the way e Pet. Crinitus de honest disciplin li. 9. cap. 9. Quodcunque signum saluatoris and suffered them not vpon an hope to haue their abuses preached against f Idem ibid. Leo the third did the like and Constantine the sift his sonne which was the Emperour that called the seuenth generall Synod at Constantinople to ratifie and confirme this course of abolition #Sect 29. Preaching as it is now in England is not sufficient to remoue the abuses of the Crosse the Crosse it selfe remayning THirdly Sect. 29. it is no a M. Calsh ag Mart. art 9. fol. 170. wisdome to prescribe a medicine that doth not reach so farre as the disease doth reach as preaching doth b Bucer in Censur ca. 2. p. 458 not For preaching c Homil. ag peril of Idolâ—t p. 3 wants in many places where the Crosse is vsed where it is many preachers neglect as notorious faults as this and some are corrupted in their iudgment some desirous to please some are infected with the spirit of emulation to adde affliction to the misery of their brethren who are of a diuerse iudgment Polidore Virgil desireth more preaching against abuses of Crosses Images of his time Howbeit as a man out of hope to haue them euer by these meanes amended When e Gabriel Biell in canon miss lect 49. Gabriell Biell setteth downe teaching as we do now for a remedy against the abuse of Images f Georg. Cassand in consultat art 11. Cassander himself replyeth istud quidem rectè dicitur c. This is well said but I would these teachers were not themselues
the causes of this superstition or at the least the nourishers of it in the hearts of the simple neither is it ynough if the people by sermons and admonitions be reuoked from error vnlesse by the common care of Princes Bishops it be effected that with as little a do as may be omnis huiusmodi errorum occasio praescindatur What that our booke of g Homil. ag peril of Idolat p. 3. Homilies it selfe reiecteth this pretence of preaching as insufficiēt not only because it often wanteth but also because whē it informeth yet it doth not so much preuaile as whē the monumēts of Idolatrie themselues are remoued Lastly thus Bucer h Bucer in censur cap. 10. fol. 478 Si dicamus vsum istorum signorum salutarem posse restitui per doctrinam videmus doctrinam alijs deesse alijs covsque non prodesse sublata itaque haec signa malim quam retenta Fourthly whether is it better to l Baeza in epistol fill vp the pit as God 1 Exod. 21.33 commandeth or set one to warne the passengers they fal not into it Must not our gouernours make good to the Lord euery soule that shall miscarry either by his owne blindnesse or deafenesse or by the watchmans sleepe or doumbnesse for that his course is disobeyed a course that would haue cleared all daunger and a contrary course taken which neither is so wise nor safe And let the commandement of the 2 Deu. 22. ◠raile and of the battlement be adioyned For as the former forbiddes all occasions of throwing downe so this commandeth to bring in place all occasions and all meanes of staying vp Woe worth therefore the carelesse exposing of the precious soules of men to the daunger of any Idoll from which the Lord in loue hath fenced them as it were with a double hedge I speake not here how this course doth tempt the Lorde or how neare it approcheth to that m Nichol. Saund. de imag c. 17. hardinesse yea hardnes of heart that will haue Crosses and other Images for the triall of mens strength least it should bee idle For the credit of the Church least it should be esteemed weake and for a priuate credit also to wit to auoid the blot and staine of pusilanimitie Such men if they disdaine to learne of n Quint. Curtius Scithians Nemo contemnendo vicit etiam ferrum rubigo consumit I send them to a Christian writer who thus can counsell him in the like case of adultery bodily the victory o Author lib dsi ugularit cleric apud Cyprian is vncertaine quando pugnatur inter arma hostilia and it is a foolish thing Arctari cupere ad laborem quando offertur abque vllo periculo delicatus triumphus the sight of the harlot such as spiritually this signe is serueth for nothing saue ad augendas impugnationes it is farre better vt homo cognoscat se infirmum vt fortis existat quam vt fortis videri velit infirmus emergat Last of all quanto quisque magis ab aduersis est tanto minus aduersa sentit Fiftly what shall the people be taught the right vse of the Crosse what need they be troubled about learning his vse at all who hardly are brought to heare willingly the necessarie points of their saluation What that the doctrine of the right vse of it is so hard that a man may say of the Crosse in particular what p Erasm in Cateches Erasmus of all other Images They may more easily themselues be throwen out of the Church then their right vse defined And know we not the beaten prouerbe which experience tryeth too true q Flace Illyrie in lib. de Adiaphor populus non intelligit acuta Lastly is it safe to propose to the people these controuersies not so materiall of things vnnecessary For both A Paule forbiddeth to assume the 3 Rom. 14.1 weake to the controuersies of disputation about things that are indifferent such as the Crosse is held to be and A r Euseb de rit Constan lib. 2. cap. 67. Constantine will not haue the people burthened with the preaching of any matter controuersed which is not of waight and moment to be knowne #Sect 30. SIxtly what though the people might be taught and it were fit they should it is ouerruled by an Adiaphorist himselfe that till occasio superstitionis praescindatur a Georg. Cassand in consultae ad Ferdinand Maximil art 21. nullus superstitionis finis sperandus est And home authoritie hath permitted this to be published touching the Crosse b M. Ca lt h. ag Martial art 4. fol. 88. Doctrine will not preuaile with the people if the Crosse it selfe which is the thing they trust to and delight in be not taken from them The Adiaphorisme of Saxonie and Interim of Lipsia inioyne the keeping of the holyday of Corpus Christi with this c Conrad Schlusslburg lib. 13. for 509 elusion that there might be a Sermon on that day to teach the people as I take it against the abuse thereof Hereby see how large the mockage of this excuse is The people may bee taught against the abuse Indeed the suffering of a thing that hath but a shew of conformitie with poperie doth ten times more hurt then peaching is able to doe good Doth d Homil. ag peril of idolat p. 3. meat nourish so fast as poyson extinguish Or Physicke heale so fast as the pestilence doth infect or in a 1 Gal. 5.6 leauen is there not a quicker power to make sower then is in any drugge to sweeten Adde that the people are moued more with the sight of the Crosse which they see made then with any words of the preacher which they vnderstand hardly attend vnwillingly and they marke more what the preacher doth then what he saith and while the law commaundeth the Crosse it will seeme but Puritanisme what is spoken against it And last of all if a preacher shall make the Crosse and the same preach against it being abused the people with whom the abuse of it is for the most part the right vse of it will thinke he speaketh one thing and doth another So that here the Counsel hath place which one in a like case giueth e Pet. Mart. epistol amic cuid in Angl. Quis videns te c. who seeing thee the messenger of Christ praying at the Altar before the Image of a crucifixe attired with the Priestly Vestiments will not think that thou also doest not only beare with these rites but also approue them whence it will follow that when thou shalt afterwards teach otherwise none will beleeue thee For hee that teacheth otherwise then hee doth destroyeth what he buildeth and on the other side buildeth that which he ouerthroweth There hath here place also what a whole Church wrote about the like rites of poperie retained Quod vero quidam ineptiunt c. f Hamburgens epist de
is strooken dead in the neast by e Caesar Baron anal in an Christ 180. Caesar Baronius who lahoureth to proue that Ezra neuer chaunged the letters that the olde auncient Copies of the Hebrew Bibles were many of them remayning in Ezralies time that they all are in one character to witt the olde and auncient character of the Hebewes Howbeit Baronius him self sayleth in part the whole matter is here of late brought cleerlie to light by Ioseph Scaliger who writeth thus The olde Hebrewe and the Samaritane letters be all one and the letter Tau in neither of them is like a Crosse or the Greeke or Romane T. Hierome what he reciteth of Ezraes chaunge of the old Samaritane Tau he taketh word by word out of Origene in Romanes Origine was deceiued by a Iewe on whose bare relatioÌ„ he grounded him selfe which relation was also false Whereas Hierome saith elswhere he sawe a Samaritane copie that was after he had written this if before he had seene it hee would haue seene Origens errour and haue preuented it in him selfe But if there be any thing worth the learning in this error it is this Hierome and others thinke it a worthy thing for Ezra to chaunge the letters of the scripture to the ende that the Church may differ from Samaritanes and from aliens euen in their writing An ensample of like zeale we see in f Paul Dâ—â—t 〈◊〉 â—â— Vlid the Arabian who when hee meant to enlarge the religion of Mahomet not onely rased the churches of the Christians that were in Damascus but also abolished their verie letters making a law that nothing should be written in Greeke but in Arabique only And when the Christians were after afflicted because they would not menscrizare that is conforme who can say but that they stoode out against these characters amongst the rest which they refused What then We may not conforme to the Crosse especially in religious vse it being a Character of the beast but our Church must chaunge it and make a lawe against it if it meane to be zealous after the patterne and proportioÌ„ of these examples Thirdly let it be the word Tau or the letter T. let the letter be changed or not changed all is one and this one thing is nothing for the Crosse Then are the Fathers nothing neither say our Opposites for they are all of them for the Crosse euen in this text But may wee not a little chaung the wordes of Christ and say to the Fathers in this matter Men what haue we to doe with you euen as we are prompted by Doctor Fulke Maister Calfhill saith h D. Fulke reioyn art 1. pa. 137. he doth iustly reproue the Fathers for so high extolling the signe of the crosse which hath no ground in the worde of God but was brought in either by contention against the heathens who despised it or in emulation of heretiques who first vsed it We must giue the Fathers leaue to play and according to their owne pleasure not only to fetch the figure of the Croffe out of this Tau but also out of the l Augâ— cont Faust lib. 12. cap. 34. two stickes which the Widdow of Sarepta gathered yea to fetche a Crosse and a T. too out of the 300. m Augusti questi suplib Iudle lib. 7. ca. 17 soldiers of Gedion who me thinkes resemble the 300. ministers who now stand out against the Crosse for that disdayning to ley downe vnder the burthen of an euill conscience to drinke at ease the pleasaunt waters of conformitie they are contented to lapp like dogs the waters of marah or rather to be vsed like doggs surely no more to be called Naomi although their giftes and their labours in the Church had made them beautifull but Marah rather because the Lord beginning iudgement at his owne house hath shewed them bitternes Secondly what though the Crosse bee here insinuated that is nothing to the signe of the Crosse in the foreheade but to n Pet. serran in hunc loc Calfhill ag Mart. art 2 D. Fulke reioyn ibid pag. 146. Christes Crosse only on which he died which is not here insinuated neither for any honour to it selfe but for the forshewing of Christs death wherof it was the cursed instrument As for the signe of the forehead mentioned in the Reuelation o Hector Pintus in hunc loc it is as fondly after Aquinas Martiall the Rhemistes and the rest of that â—â—â—ble drawne to the aereall figne of the Crosse as this signe of Ezechiell is For this p Mr. Calfh ag Mart. art 1. D. Fulke reio ar 1. p. 137 signe in the reuelation giueth the Spirit of life and faith so doth not the Crosse this signe maketh a difference between good and bad so doth not the Crosse this signe in the forehead noteth those who with open q Iohâ—n de â—aâ—â—o in Apoâ— ca. 7 forheads should professe the Gospel euen as they who are not signed in the forehead vers 9. note those who should lye hid and not so openly professe as the former who yet made the signe of the Crosse in the forehead as well as the former called to martyrdom and confession if antiquitie be true Thirdly what if the signe of the Crosse in the forehead be alluded to in Ezechiell and in the Apocalips yet this maketh nothing for the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme because it was tollerable in old time r Lambet Dane cont Bellarm. de Imag. c. 29 quatenus erat testimonium confessionis in trepida contra ethnicos not r Lambert Dane dont Bellarm. de Imag. c. 29 quatenus it was a signe in baptisme Fourthly Our Opposites that entitle the signe of the Crosse to the place of Ezech. and that of the Apoca the same must needes entitle it to an effectiue and operatiue power for such a power doth the text giue to the signes of these scriptures witnes the very Fathers themselues who thinking these textes to speake of the Crosse coÌ„clude out of them that the signe of the Crosse doth arme defende preserue vs. of which error we are ashamed to our shame vntill we disclaime their interpretation of this scripture and the obligation of their authoritie in this question of the Crosse #Sect 40. That the signe of the Crosse is not the signe of the Sonne of man THE second scripture which of late we haue heard alleadged against vs is the 24. chap. of Math. 30. vers where some of our Opposites will haue the signe of the sonne of man to be the signe of the Crosse euen as the Fathers teach Alas whether will the Fathers carry them Because of the Fathers they will beleue that a signe of the Crosse shall appeare in heauen for a fore-runner of Christ his comming vnto iudgement Will they not awake to see that this is no other dreame then that which Lactantius dreameth There shall be a great sword let fall from the heauen into the earth
execution of a thing indifferent let it also be lawfull for him sometimes to command a sinne I trust I neede not feare here that any opposite will affirme that the evill vse of a thing indifferent becometh good when the Magistrat doth commaund it seeing one of the most learned of thē hath given vs a quietus esto frō this obiection when he saith g D. Bils ag the Apolo p. 2. p. 338. Good euil are to be measured by Gods lawes not by man◠for as no mā is good but only God so no mans lawe is the rule of good evill but only Gods And tēporall things are neither good nor evil but altogither indifferent ergo Princes were not ordained of God for temporal things but the goods bodies and liues of their subiects be cōmitted to them for the preservation of faith and good manners In the margent hereof we finde these wordes Worldly things be neither good nor evill Rom. 13.4 1 Pet 2.14 for which two causes Princes beare the sworde I marvell what those Opposites of ours will say to this who haue nothing in their mouthes against vs but this that if we leaue not an absolute power in things indifferent to the Magistrat that thē we leaue him no power at all For what haue we here affirmed Princes are not ordayned for worldly things because they are indifferent Princes are ordained for good and evil to further the one and resist the other worldly things are not such indifferent things are not such therefore the power of the Prince doeth not consiste in worldly things quatenus worldly nor in things that are indifferent quatenus they bee indifferent This out of our Opposites owne confession to shewe that the Magistrate hath no other power but that which the Apostle had to wit a power to edification and not to destruction which in things that are indifferent furthereth the good vse thereof because it doth edifie but correcteth the evill vse because it doth destroye But what if it were graunted that the Magistrate had absolute power in a thing indifferent know they not that when an il circumstance cleaueth to their vse that then h Benedict Arct. Proble loc 58. desinunt esse adiaphora l Magdebu centur 1. li 2. cap. 10. Adiaphororum naturam exuunt m Harmon confess sect 17. ex Helvet posterior libera esse desinunt n Ibid. confess Augusta art 7 Non iam sunt medio o Iosias Simler in Exod. 20. mandat 2. fol. 85. Iam non sunt libera p Zaueh de Imag. c. 15. pag. 357. Iam est ab illis abstinendum #Sect 6. 3. Suit that practised commaunding of Ceremonies be reformed for time to come and the Church freed from divers greevances As that there be 2. Gods c. OVr third suite is that the practised commaunding of them bee reformed for time to come and we freed from diverse greevances brought vpō vs by the same First we are grieued to heare that there are twoo Gods the one in heaven commaunding absolutly in matters necessarie the other in earth commanding absolutely in things indifferent a Bellarm. de Pontifi lib. 4. c. 16 Bellarmine him selfe speaketh not so audaciouslie for he draweth the absolute authoritie of Man not from God as he is God but as he is Legis-lator only Now this distinction notwithstanding b Mat. Sut. de Pontifi lib 4. cap. 7 Sybrand Lubbert de pap Romā li. 8. c. 7 Fran. Iun. controuers 2. lib. 4. ca. 16. not 8. our writers all holde his allotting of an absolute power to man is blasphemous his allotting it to the Pope maketh him Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God as if he were God And whereas Andradius agreeth with Bellarmine and so holdeth that man may partake an authoritie non limitata our common writers build vp against him this sure principle c Chemnit exam pag. 202.204 Nulla est plenitudo potestatis amongst men d Fran. Iun. controuers 3. lib. 4 ca. 16. not 89. Plenitudo potestatis non est instrumenti sed solius principalis causae e A. Willet controuers 4. qu. 5. p. 3 The Princes high and soueraigne authoritie we make not infinite the word of God must be his rule square So that the f Idem controuer 2. que 4. p. 2. ceremonies which he commaundeth must be limited to the rules of the scripture which require order and decencie for the glorie of God and the edification of the Church This is that which Tertul. wrote long since and August after him the former of which requireth in a ceremonie g Tertul. de corō milit vt fidei congruat saluti proficiat disciplinae conducat The latter denyeth that to be indifferent which is h August epist 118. cap. 11. contra fidem bonos more 's l Ibid cap 4 freeing vs from every ceremonie that hath either of these faultes as these ceremonies now in handling haue them both Here of late Peter Martyr m P. Martyr comment in hunc loc taught No rite by any mans authoritie is well ordayned vnlesse the rules be obserued which God setteth downe to wit in the 1. Cor. 14. The latest of all thus one of our Opposites n D. Bils ag Apolog. p. 2. pa. 344. To deuise new rites and ceremonies of the Church is not the Princes vocation but to receaue and allowe such as the Scriptures and Canons commend such as the Bishops and Pastors of the place shall advise not infringing the scriptures or Canons and so for all other Ecclesiasticall things and causes Princes be neither the devisers nor directors of them but the Confirmers establishers of that which is good and displacers of that which is evill Secondlie we are grieued that we haue these ceremonies enforced vpon vs by the meer will of our Reverend Fathers who haue thought vs vnworthie that any reason should be giuen vs or assuming vs vnto conference 1 Cor 11.6 haue expected we should obey although they haue giuen vs no better reason then such as for the sleightnes of them haue confirmed vs in our opinion more then before Paule him self will proue the covering of the woman to be decent both by the law of God nature before he throw it on the church o Tertuli in Apolo cap. 4. Nulla lex sibi soli conscientiam iustitiae suae debet sed ijs à quibus obsequium expectat sayeth Tertull. coeterum suspecta lex est quae probari se non vult improba autem si non probata dominetur When Augustine was asked his iudgement about the ceremonie of the Satersdayes faste he would not p 〈◊〉 epist 118. cap. 11. admonere sola sua authoritaete nulla addita ratione The same thrusteth out euery ceremonie of which it is doubtfull q Idem epist 119. quam rationem sequuti sunt who first ordayned it Constantine in the
to maintayne this axiome we must retayne some of the popish rites to winne them willeth vs to see what course Gregorie tooke with Nellitus This course we haue seene he c Beda histo li. 1. ca. 30. Gregor Epistol l. 9. in dict 4. epist 7. forbiddeth Nellitus to pull downe the idolatrous temples he commaundeth to lett their festivities alone he will haue their temples sanctified with altars holy-water and reliques of Saintes he adviseth that on their birth dayes of the Martyrs whose Reliques be there layde the people should sett vp greene bowers about the church and make holy banquets such as the heathen vsed to make in the feastes of their idolls See what a goodly popish course for winning we are sett to see Secondlie It is a duetie that there be a difference in rites and ceremonies betweene Gods Church and heretiques d Tertul. in Il. de cotoÌ„ milit Longum divortium sayth Tertullianus mandas Deus ab idolatria in nullo proximè agendum Draco etiam terrenus de longinquo hominis spiritâ—s absorbet c Bellarmin controvers 6. ca 4. de Monach. Bellarmine him selfe confesseth that the shaving of the head was forbidden to the Iewe in respect of the Gentiles least they should be like them which the reason of the text confirmeth for yee are an holy people to the Lord. Herevpon one f D. Willet controvers 6. q. 6. p. 2. It was vnlawfull because a superstitious rite of the Heathen which did not beseeme the people of God In regard hereof the onely lawfull course to winne is that which accordeth with this duetie and that is to roote out all hereticall rites and ceremonies idolatrous observations God is wisest now he ordayned an abolition of all the idolatrous rites of Canaan to winne the remnant of the Cananites which he foresawe would be reserved as the offspring of Rahab and of the Gibeonites and all other proselites that should come over to the Church And the Fathers of the Church giue like advise g August de verb. Dom. serm 6. Si quaeritis vnde vincantur Pagani sayth Augustin vnde illuminentur vnde ad salutem vocentur Deserite â—â—â—â—as solennitates ipsorum Deserite nugas eorum Et si non consentiunt veritati nostra saltem pudeat paucitatis suae The Councells also take like order For whereas h Concil Eliberti can 34. one of them forbiddeth Tapers at funeralls with such like this reason is rendered euen by a l Duâ—ant de rit li. 1. c. 4. sect 11. ca. 23. sect â—4 papist him selfe because the people of Spaine but newly converted were still distayned with some of their olde superstitious customes therefore this Councell forbiddeth many things ad extirpandas funditus tollendas Gentilium superstitiones quas novi Christiani in ijs Hispaniae locis tum retinebant But haue yee neuer read saye our Opposites that olde rites ceremonies haue been retayned in the Church for their sakes who would haue been alienated if they might not haue been permitted to vse them as they and their Forefathers had donne longe tyme before Yes we haue read and nowe allowe of a certaine tolleration of olde customes but that maketh nothing for our retayle of popishe ceremonies nowe controversed First a tolleration is an involuÌ„tarie permission against our wills it doth m Decret p. 2. caus 1 qu. 7. c. 18. quaedam tollerare quaedam amputare with the same vnwillingnes that a n Cap. 16. Pilote in a tempest saveth some of his wares and others of them he doth cast over bord and when o Ibid. caus 23. qu. 4. cap. 5. quod salvo pacis vinculo excludere non possumus equitate improbamus yea tolleration is with p August epist 64. greefe yea with lamentation as August q Idem de ciuit Deâ— lib. 18. lamented those coÌ„mon sinnes which he was constrayned to tollerat for that he could not redresse them Now what like to this in our retention of these ceremonies controversed Is it out of an vnwillingnes that our governours keepe in these ceremonies Is it not rather their will and pleasure and doe they disprove them equitate doe they not constrayne vs to approve them rather doe they greeue at them doe they not rather increase the greefe of them that doe greeue and bring lamentation on them and theirs who hartily lament to see the Church so pestered with them Secondly a tolleration of aliene rites is only a libertie to new converts which cannot well be wayned from them such as the decree gaue once to the Iewes r Decret p. â— distin 45. cap. 3. omnes festiuitates suas sicut hactenus tam ip si quam patres eorum per longa colentes tempora tenuerunt liberam habeant obseruandi colendique potestatem the reason is giuen by Augustine s August dâ— vtilitat â—eiun modestè vetusia vulnera pertractemus cauti simus ne inter manus medici deficiat qui curatur and by an other canon else where t Decret pa. 1. dinct 4. c. 6. Quia tali consuetudine averti non possunt ideo cum venia suo ingenio relinquendi sunt ne fortè peiores existant si à tali consuetudine prohibeantur what like to this againe in our retention of the ceremonies controversed Is it only a libertie to the rawe coÌ„verted papistes that desire them Is it not a necessitie rather throwne on the children of the church that haue been bread and brought vp in it yea on the Fathers of the church them selves that doe abhorre them and that to the vtter losse and impeachment of their owne christian libertie Thirdly a tolleration is onely ad diem ne u Augustin cont Parâ—nem lib. 3. cap. 1. eradicetur triticum not excusing either pigritiem corrigend or negligenti aÌ„ vindicandi after a long time and season when nowe a scandall may without hurt be done away and it worketh on men that are not firma radice w Decret p. 2. cans 35. qu. 3â— cap. 20. sollidati giving milke not meate vnto them ne bonum quod infirma adhuc radice plantatum erat erueretur sed aliquantulum firma retur vsque ad perfectionem custodiretur What like to this once more in our retention of these ceremonies controversed is it not after fortie yeeres preaching of the Gospell that they continue And hath there been no oportunitie found in so long tyme to roote them out And is not the tyme of our Churches infancie past as yet Is it not yet fit for meate so to laye this milke aside Fourthly tolleration is onely of those things x Ibid. caâ—â—â— 2. qu. 1. ca. 23. quae sola nocere non valent si caterorum confletintegritas illa magnopere praecavenda sunt in a tolleration quae recepi nisi manifesta decoloratione non possunt Againe Ea sinenda sunt quae nullo detrimento aliquoties indulgenda creduntur quae rerum temporumque
idolatry by causse though nâ—w they be not honored yet there is daunger for time to come Gedeons Ephed is ill suffered to stand still if it be but for future daunger and the Altars of the high place must downe least hereafter they should hurt And Moses body must be buried out of the way to prevent occasion of future idolatrie Iudg. 8. Exod. 20.25 Deut. 34.6 Gen. 34.2 Reg. 23.13 that which also must be done with Rahells images Salomons Temples stande now forlorne yet must they be razed because in time they may recouer credit againe so must the temples of the heathens of which one thus c P. Martyrâ— loc commun de imag sect 24. etiam extera c. Images must not be kept whole no not out of the church because if there be a chauÌ„g they will be restored againe CoÌ„stantine the great shut vp the temples of the Gods but razed them not These Iulian the Apostata opened againe which if they had bene overthrowne before non tam facilè reaedificari potuissent which Theodosius and other Princes marking either they razed them altogither or grauÌ„ted them to the vses of Christians Gratian remooved the Ara victoriae which stood in Curia Senatoria and at which the Senators were wont to be sworne for feare of daunger in tyme to come Symachus sued to Valentinian who succeeded to haue it restored the christians them selues that were of his counsell yeelded those the Emperour accused perfidiae and further replied d Carol. Sigon de Imper. ocâ—idental lib. 9. quomodo quod frater eripuit me reddere suadetis cùm religionem laesurus sim fratrem à quo nolo pietatis officio superari These ceremonies laedunt fidem laedunt fratres in other churches that haue remooued them and they will be a meane to reedifie poperie magis facile they emboldeÌ„ the popishe Symachùs not only to hope but also to sue for tolleration and they are a roote of bitternes to defile many in time and lastly a stompe of the popish tree remayning to make it reflorish at last againe Heb. 12.15 Dan. 4.12 I conclude therefore with that saying of Zisca the famous e Ludonie Lauat in Deuteron leader of the Thaborites diruendi sunt etiam ipsi ciconiarum nidi neredeant Secondly these ceremonies hurt the gospell in regard of the present prosperitie of it and that many wayes which I will set downe in order out of one f Flaccus Illirie in lib. de Adiaph of our writers First the ceremonies are the sinewes of poperie in which they place the whole summe of their religioÌ„ neither is it possible these foundations of their superstitious standing to keepe away from vs their superstition we see our Preachers are scarse able to hisse out abuses when the foundations of abuses are abolished nothing more light theÌ„ the foolish multitude which can not be kept within the boundes of their dutie no not when all occasions of impietie are taken away how much lesse then can they be contayned when occasion shall be restored Secondly these ceremonies breed discord and strife which weakeneth the gospell devideth the church and giveth advaÌ„tage for poperie to growe Thirdly these ceremonies both keepe out Preachers and turne out preachers vntill the flockes be left without shepheardes yea left to wolues or hirelings Fourthly the zealous when they see these ceremonies reinforced which they haue despised will loath the service of God the more the simple who will thinke the worse of all the religion because they will indge summanâ— esse lenitatem ministrorum qui iam abrogant ceremonias pontificias extreme vituperant iam verò easdem restituunt Fiftly when the Minister yeeldeth to these ceremonies he being their captaine and thus shrinking it coÌ„meth to passe what Chabrias said once Better an armie of hartes with a Lyon to their Captaine then an armie of Lyons with an Hart to their Captaine the people are most vnwilling to suffer though there be neuer so great neede when they can drawe the inconstancie of their Minister to cloake their coldnes they thinke they haue excuse sufficient and the Minister him selfe whatsoeuer neede should be can not exhort them vnto perseverance and to suffering if he doe his wordes moue not because he is but held a turne-coat Sixtly these ceremonies hinder the refutation of poperie in the pulpit they make men beleeue Preachers are too vehement against the papistes as the Interim when it came forth made men to say of Martine Luther he was not a man of moderation they make the people beleeue also that the vehement and zealous Preachers against poperie are Stoickes and precise and inhumane and too strickt and severe even as the Germane Preachers were iudged of at the same time Seventhly by reason of these ceremonies the people wil be induced to say as they did once wheÌ„ popish ceremonies did reenter in Germanie we perceaue now the Pope is not so blacke as Luther made him and that wee may come to some agreement if we will so by these meanes the Preachers labouring to season mens heartes with an hatred of poperie will see their labours come al to nothing Eightlie our yeelding to the ceremonies will drawe others by our example against their consciences for that the Germane Epiphonema will be taken vp againe vide quid illi num tu es illis doctior aut sanctior qua machina constat partim oppugnatas partim subrutas Ecclesias tum in Germania tum in Hungaria Ninthly These ceremonies yeelded to by vs will make the sonnes of Gath to reioyce and the daughters of the Philistines to triumphe which were litle discretion in vs if the old rule hold neque tu tuae occasioni desis neque suaÌ„ hosti Dei They make accouÌ„t that their side shall now goe vp that as many as returne to their ceremoni are coÌ„ming towards them will be wholy theirs in the end eveÌ„ as Luther was wont to say papistae nostras concessiones intelligunt largè largius largissimè suas a. strictè strictius strictissimè quod cum sctant nostri Theologi tanto malo occasionem dare non deberent And the libertine who maketh more account of his swine then of Christ will hereby count him self freed from all care of religion as which he seeth left in the suddes even by the chief professors themselues when once they come ad vocem ancillae for let a Minister but conforme who before was zealous and who will thinke better of him theÌ„ of one that is arundo vacua inclinans ad quemvis ventum Here I apply not to our Reverend Fathers what once was spoken of this scandall yet thinke I it fit to set it downe that they may coÌ„sider of it g Hilar. l. 1. contra CoÌ„stant defunct only dogges treturne to their vomit and will you compel the ministers of Christ to suppe vp those things which they had spit foorth Tenthly last of all there be
not preachers enough in the lande men say and therfore the Nonresidents the dumbe dogges must continue what wound then will there be giveÌ„ in this want when the subscription shall sweepe out a great part of them which ordinarilie preach on every Sabboth that which will follow hereof is this the people will returne to their old lipp-labour which now for the want of preachers is said to be found in the Greeke church if their priestes saith h Dauid Chytre in praerat Antelection Chtonie one can reade the common Orologie they count nothing more required to the duetie of a true Pastor And if the people heare it read or reade it them selues in private they thinke nothing vnperformed which true devotion requiteth of them This who seeth not in great part is come vpon our church alreadie but this may suffice for the murther of ceremonies thorough scandall #Sect 20. The third murther of the Crosse is thorough home contention FRom the crosses murther of the body through crueltie of the soule through scandall we are to come now to a third murther of them both thorough contention For the home dissentioÌ„ which these ceremonies haue raised amongst vs hath brought forth no fewer evills then the contention of Nazianzens dayes of which so tragically he a Gregor Nazianz. in Apalog coÌ„playneth whither we respect the coÌ„suming quite of all remnant of loue at home or our growing contemptible to papists hatefull to the churches abroad or the losse of our name credit among the better sort of our brethreÌ„ or their building on our backes that are lewde while what we obiect one against another they catch greedily to the commoÌ„ disgrace of vs all It being so 2. Sam. 20.21 who is wise amongst vs to cut of the make bates head that the inheritance of the Lord be no longer troubled the peaceable in Israell no longer pursued Psal 35.20 nor the quiet of the lande molested b Ioachim Vadian in Iouia Claudius the Emperour was vniust they were the Iewes that raysed the tumult in Rome but he exiled and banished the christians as if they had bin the authors of it To prevent the like iniustice now we craue of every in different man before he condemne vs for the authors of this dissention which is in our Church to heare with patience this our Apologie and defence 1. King 17.18 Firâ—te it is no contention to contende for the trueth or to labour to purge corruptions out of the Church in regarde whereof Iohn c. 4. we can no more be accused for troubling the Lande who indeavour to cleanse it of all reliques of superstition then Elias could when he cleansed Israell from the Altars of Baall or be blamed more then the Angell was to bee blamed for troubling the water sith it is to cure the sicknesses and diseases of the Church that we doe trouble it Let there be considered heere the similitude which c Gelas in epist ad Anastas August Gelaesius vseth It is the qualitie and condition of the sicke to accuse his Phisition rather then to represse his owne hurtful lustes humors but if we be proud who minister a salue for health quid vocaÌ„di sunt qui resultant If we be proud who say there must be obedieÌ„ce yeelded to Gods word qui refragantur quo appellaÌ„di sunt nomine If we be proud qui diuinuÌ„ cultum pùro atque illibato copimus tenore servari what are they to be called who defile it with the things vncleane of Antichrist vbi spiritus superbiae veraciter pugnet veritas ipsa indicat It must be the truth that must be iudge which side is coÌ„teÌ„tious A strang thing crie our Opposites here that men should be fouÌ„d crying out for truth in a church that professeth the truth Zeph. 1.4 vnder pretence of the gospell breeding disturbaÌ„ce in such peace of the gospell as by the infinite blessing of God our land at this time enioyeth As if vnder Iosias him selfe that great reformer of the church there were not remnants of Baal left against which a Zephaniah is bound to contend strive vntill they be removed clensed the very idolatrous garments themselues of the Chemarims not excepted as badd as which the Cope the Surplice are or els our d Gualt in Sophon ho nil 2. writers are deceaued Thus one of theÌ„ even when the Magistrat retayneth rites of baptisme popish it is the duty of the Minister to e Zâ—nch in Epist ad Philippens cap. 1. doctrin 2. dâ—cere publicè priuatim quid facienduÌ„ sit modo placidè prudeÌ„ter hoc fiat absque seditione turbatione ecclesiae Secondly wise men will remeÌ„ber the loving coÌ„sent wherin the Pastors laboured togither in the beginning of Eliza. dayes at which time seeing there was no such haÌ„mering noyse in our temple noâ— cry in our streetes I speak in coÌ„parison til the subscriptioÌ„ stepped in like an Vsher cryed roome for the ceremo they will I doubt not iudge this subscript conformitie to be the very evill spirits that haue divided Sichem So Paule iudgeth the circumcizion to be the concision because the stirre began about it whereas the church was quiet before WheÌ„ Ioab was accused by Abner for devouring th'inheritaÌ„ce of the Lord by civil dissention Iudg. 9.23 he excuseth himself thus who provoked which now is our Apologie who would be quiet in our places but cannot be suffred who strike neither first nor second blow Philip. 3.2 nor offer any occasion of strise but suffer only only defend that with a quiet Apologie only 2. Sam. 2.27 deserue not so much as that coÌ„plaint that we do not totum telum recipere when did we ever offer to drink aboue them who now teare vs in pieces for troubling their waters when ever refused we to bowe down our backes to theÌ„ although they haue fetched the bloud with their spurres in which case is there not f Ioh. Sarisburiens Exra 4.15 leave given eueÌ„ to Balaams asse her self to open her mouth Thidly it is not nothing that it may be obiected The citie hath bin of old seditious now thus a whole church g Harm coÌ„fess sect 17. ex confess Saxonica p 228. 8. August 223. the necessitie of imposing ceremo is that which hath bred contention froÌ„ time to time let it be examined whether there was not more peace in the primitiue church wheÌ„ no h Socrat histor lib. 5. cap. 22. lawes of an necessarie observation in rites and ceremonies were enacted Let it be examined on the other side since a necessitie of rites and ceremonies hath been imposed what controversies from time to time haue bin in the church about them iudge by the first tumult of all the rest Victor goeth about to throw a necessitie of conformitie vpoÌ„ the churches in observing Easter day did not Irenaeus reprove him for this tanquaÌ„ pacis perturbatorem
recompence the losse of so many worthie Preachers and what wisedome to vse a medicine worse then the disease Thirdly we are commaunded a contrarie meane which is easie and without any hurt yea to much good for cast this Ionas out of the shippe and what a calme will there presently followe In the controversie about Images at Constantinople Germanus purposing not to yeelde h Carol. Sigon do reg Ital. si ego sum Ionas sayeth he mittite me in mare and so resigned It seemeth he borrowed this out of Epiphanius who writing against Manes hath these wordes l Epiphan haerel 66. Nonne oportebat cum Iona dicere tollite me proijcite in mare propter me enim tempestas ista What then A man of Ionas spirit will not sticke to throwe into the Sea to gaine vnitie and peace vnto the Church I say not such tryfling wares as these Ceremonies are in strife but also their honours and dignities them selves they being the matters of that strife and contention which doeth so trouble it vnnecessarilie The wise and skilfull m Decret p. 2. c. 1. q. 7. cap. 16. Pilote tempestate vrgente quaedam exonerat vt caetera salva permaneant yea though the wares bee precious And shall we then cast out the Pilotes of the shippe them selues and all to spare the wares of Rome which are no lawfull Trafficque And when Christ commaundeth to pull out the verie eye to cutt off the verie hande it selfe that offendeth this course to spare the paring of an nayle or worse commaundeth to cutt off not the member that doeth offende but all the members yea principall members to witt the faithfull Preachers of the Gospell that are iustly offended by it Itane propter Consuetudines audes iubere vt pij viri qui alias sincerè docent eijciantur sayd n Herman HamelmaÌ„ de tradit p. 1. lib. 4. col 377. one to Cassander once And this is the first lawfull meane for the appeasing of our contention the remoovall of the ceremonies and subscription who are the make-bates of our Church But if this cannot bee obtayned then the next way to appease contention is that whiche is next vnto it to leaue these ceremonies as they are helde to be indifferent so to be vsed indifferentlie as everie man thinketh good The example heereof wee haue in Polycarpe and Anicetus Policrates and Victor who though they dissented in the controversie of Easter daye yet communicated one with another suffered all men to enioy their own iudgements and by this meanes o Sozora l. 7. c. 19. Nicephor lib. 12. cap. 31. sapienter extinxerunt hanc contentionem The verie same course was there taken for vnitie and concord by certaine Bishopps assembling together who made a Canon which they called p Socrat histor lib. 5. cap. 20. adiaphoron because it left the observation of Easter daye indifferent as men would them selues The long warre betweene the Greeke and the Latin Church howe was it comprimised at the last but by the same course the decree of the vnion running thus q concil Florentin sess vlt. Item in Azimo siue fermentato pane vnusquisque Domini corpus conficiat iuxta suae ecclesiae siue Occidentalis siue Orientalis morem Augustin speaking of a Satersdayes fast or Dinner hath these wordes r August epist 86. ad Casulan In his nihil mihi videtur tutius pacatiusque servari quam vt qui non manducat manducantem non spernat siue iudicet and speaking of a like matter he hath these s Idem epist 118. Si quis dixerit non quotidie accipiendam esse Eucharistiam alius affirmet quotidie faciat vnusquisque quod secundum fidem suam pie credit faciendum Hierome speaking of receaving the communion as it seemeth for private eating in a white linnen cloth t Hierom. in Apolog cont Iouâ—nian scio Romae saith he hanc esse consuetudinem vt fideles corpus Christi accipiant quod nec repraehendo nec probo vnusquisque enim in suo sensu abundat Gregorie speaking of the trim-immersion u Gregor Epistolar l. 1. epist 41 non est repraehensibile saith he infantem vel semel vel ter immergi Come we to the Crosse w Amalar. de Ecclesiast offic li. 3. cap. 24. Satius est signum Crucis semel fieri super panem vinum non tamen est abs re si bis fiat One thus of our English ceremonies x Alexand. Ales in proemio Leiturg Anglican sunt haec certe eiusmodi cuiusmodi sunt illa de quibus beatus Paulus iubet vt vnusquisque intellectu proprio abundare hoc est sine dubitatione sequi debeat suam sententiam This holdeth onely will some say in the private vse of things indifferent of which there is no Canon made As if these thinges forementioned were not all of them overruled by the custome of the church if they speake of a Canon inferring necessitie they must knowe there were no such Canons in auncient time christian libertie was more tendered in those dayes It was poperie that first brought in Canons of necessitie y Decret p. 1. distinc 4. cap. 6. Decretum necessitatem facit exhortatio autem liberam voluntatem excitat saith Gratian. Adde to him z Bellarm. Bellarmine aspersio aquae lustralis vtomnis traditio quae traditur in forma concilij non in forma praecepti libera dicitur We see by these whence Canons of necessitie came in rites and ceremonies to wit out of an opinion that the Church hath power in such matters to take away christian libertie This opinion who will say is not popish vnto the auncient times vnknowne One of our latest writers of reverend and of great account proveth out of Socrates that holy dayes were antiquitus liberi and that therefore a Tho. Morton Apolog p. 2. li. 2. cap. 9. non imponendam esse christinis vllam necessitatem to which he addeth of his owne quod non docet papale iugum videtur excutere A plaine testimonie that necessitie in rites taketh away libertie that antiquitus there was in rites a libertie permitted and no necessitie imposed Lastly that necessitie in rites is iugum papale neuer heard of the church til Antichrist began to vsurpe over the libertie of christian men #Sect 23. Conformitie in Ceremon ought not to hinder peace though with diversitie of Ceremonie AGainst this second meane of peace aunciently vsed there is coÌ„formitie now opposed which our Opposites hold so necessarie as that this libertie forespoken of can haue no place or hearing But if she might be suffered to speak shee would iustifie first that varietie of ceremonies no way impeacheth the vnitie of faith but sometimes adorneth it in which faith the true peace of the church consisteth So Irenaeus to a Euseb hist lib. 5. c. 23. Victor dissonantia ieiunia commendat vnitatem fidei which how b Lib. concord apud Conrad Schlusselb tom 13
Henoticon to hushe the strife about the Councell of Chalcedon Anastasins to accord all partes establisheth an Amnestia and commaundeth everie one to preach according to the custome of his place Heraclius to pacifie the hott contention betwene the Orthodox that held there were two Willes in Christ and the Mouothelites that helde he had but one enioyneth silence to both sides These mixte conformities saith this Authour made for peace made all more warre then ever before which also hath followed of the like formes of late compoundings such as were the Sphynx Augustana compounding matters of Religion till there were a Councell The Lypsicum Interim where Christ and Beliall were made friendes The Pandora Francofurdiana and Cothurnus Neoburgicus where an Amnestia was commaunded ne dissidentes de quibusdam eapitibus confessionis Augvstanae se invicem damnarent We might come downe to the compositions that haue at diverse times been made betweene the Lutherans and the Orthodox which all haue sorted to like issue Our Reverend Governours may hope then to make peace by this mixture and medly of ceremonies but little faith can we haue hereof whē we make our prayers for them and for the publique peace of this Church which who so loved not from his heart O let him not prosper The Adulterie of the Crosse Chap. 7. THough the signe of the Crosse may seeme to be free from the sinne of adulterie yet being tryed by the seaventh commaundment Rom. 1.24 he will be found guiltie for that occasion which it contayneth of vncleannes First it occasioneth adulterie Apoc. 9.20 in that it is an abhominable Idoll it being a iust thing with the Lord to punishe the spirituall adulterie of the soule by giving the Idolaters over to defile their owne bodies the Idolaters of the sixt trumpet by name which are the Idolaters of the crosse so farre to defile them Apoc. 11.8 till Rome become as an Aegypt for the spirituall so a Sodome for the bodilie fornication Secondly suppose the crosse were no Idoll an Idolothite it must needes be because it pertaketh of that definition which the Iesuites deliuer a Rhem. in annot in Apoc. 2. sect 8. Though the creature be good by creation yet doeth it become an Idolothite and is made execrable by the prophane blessings of heretiques of Idolaters Now God giveth over to adulterie not onely for the Idolls sake but also for the Idolothites as doeth appeare by two examples The first is of the Israelites who being presented with daintie b Iosephus Antiquit. lib. 4. c. 6. dishes that had been consecrate to Baall Peor and not refrayning but eating of them were left by the Lord to commit vncleannes with Moabs virgins who brought these Idolothites to them The other example is of the Nicholaitans num 25.21 Apoc. 2.14.20.21 who defiling them selues with meates Idolotious were likewise by the Lord relinquished to like vncleannes Thirdly the verie monument of Idolatrie not detested nor abolished in the service of God is cursed by him for that honour which it giveth to forraigne Idolatrie and for that occasion which is in it to home superstition both for the present and for the time that is to come even as the doctrine of our own church teacheth which is cōfirmed by act of Parliament To throw out Images though vnworshipped out of the church in whose ranke we most worthely repose the crosse it reasoneth thus c Homil. ag peril of idolat p. 1. p. 16. Vsuallie spirituall and carnall fornication go together Againe d Ibid. p. 3◠p. 21. it is verie agreeable as Paule teacheth that they which fall to idolatrie which is spirituall fornication should also fall into carnall fornication by the iust iudgement of God delivering them over to abhominable concupiscence Againe the Image retayned in the church hath annexed vnto it as an e Ibid. p. 3. p. 44. accident inseparable an f Ibid. p. 7. vnavoydable daunger of idolatrie as the g pag. 44. image came vnto vs from the Gentiles which were idolaters and as the invention of them was the beginning of spirituall fornication so will they naturally as it were and of necessitie turne to the origen from whence they came and most violently drawe vs with them to idolatrie Thus many wayes doeth the Crosse occasion the fornication of the body as a iust deserved plague of the adulterie of the soule which he committeth as he is an Idoll with which he partaketh as he is an Idolothite and which he occasioneth as he is a monument of Idolatrie Survey the continuall execution of this plague from time to time First whereas the papistes make h Io. Beleth de divin offic cap. 151. Heraclius the authour of their Idolatrie which they commit in the feast of the Crosses exaltation although we might proove he adored it not as they doe nowe yet omitting this defence we only will them to consider how little cause they haue to boast of him seeing the Lord did giue him over to commit incest by the marriage of his Neece and further punished him with so l Sigon de reg Ital. li. 2. an 629. Genebrad Chronol lib. 3. An. 616. straunge a disease as that when soever he vttered his vrine it sprinckled his face if a table had not been placed about his navell to drive it backe Secondly who are the greatest crosse coyners of christendome but the Popes whose open and impious tolleration of the stewes m Mat. Surclin in Tur co papism 3000 Romane harlotts being at one time enrolled in the exchequor booke of Paule the third that payed yeerely tribute to him sheweth how vncleane they are in body to omit perticulars as the famous Marozia of Sergius the Mathildis of Gregorie the seaventh the Lucretia of Alexander the sixth the Magdalena of Leo the tenth the Constantia of Paule the third the three last of whom were owne daughters or sisters and that which I am ashamed to speake of the Riarius of Sixtus the fourth the Germanus of Iulius the second the Hippolitus of Leo the tenth and last of all Innocentius de Monte who was the Ganymed of Iulius the third Thirdly who are the greatest Crossmongers of Christendome but the inhabitantes of the Monasteries who what they were for vncleannes bodily some of their owne doe witnes who report of their Cells that they are become n Synod Aquisgran de ordin rectotum c. 12. Aliacus de reformat eccles c. 4. F. Pie Mirandul in epistol ad Leon. 1◠meere stewes Fourthly who are the chiefe champions for the Crosse but they that write for it of whom Bellarmine belcheth forth his bodily filthines o Bellar. de Monach. lib. 2. c. 34 Est maius malum sic nubere quam fornicari speaking of a Votarie vnable to contayne Martiall was a speciall writer for the Crosse Nowe he when he was Vsher p Calfh ag Mart. art 5 fol. 129. of Wincester caused the boyes to know that
Parliament would binde no man because they sawe them controversed not only by private men but also by whole churches Now it is not vnknowne that our Reverend Fathers require a subscription not only to Faith and Sacramentes but also to the Discipline communion booke ceremonies and all things else so imposing articles of their owne which no subiect by the lawe is permitted to doe I say of their owne notwithstanding the Canon For seeing the statute lawe is against it no e Statut. 25 of H. 8. c. 19. canon no constitution ecclesiasticall can make it good Howsoever seeing diverse Ministers haue been repelled and deprived that offered to subscribe iuxta formam Statuti so farre forth as the lawe of the lande doth binde them it sufficiently appeareth we are denyed the benefite of lawe and that a transcendent power aboue the lawe hath been claymed whereby to wrong vs. And what wil be said to this that if we were bound by the lawe to subscribe as they would haue vs that then we must subscribe against the crosse in baptisme For they will haue vs to subscribe vnto the bookes of Homilies which are established by act of Parliament and to acknowledge no doctrine is contayned in them but that which is sound and true whereas we are able to prove plainly by the principles that are contayned partly in the homilie against the perill of Idolatrie partly in the homilie for Whitsentyde which handleth baptisme that no roome ought to be for the crosse in the service of God or in the sacrament of Baptisme as hath been shewed in seuerall places of this treatise Thirdly we complayne that we are put out from our benefices which are freeholdes by the bare and sole sentence of a Bishopp whereas the libertie of an English man is this to be put from his f Magna Charta c. 29. free-holde by none but by the verdict of 12. men And as we are wronged by the bare and sole sentence so also by the meere will and sole pleasure of a Bishop What lawe haue they else For the Statute of Eliz. the 1. punisheth no bare omission with obstinacie and contempte of any one rubric of the service booke especiallie in them who receaue the whole body of it so farre foorth as a booke of mans framing may be receaued to omit that the booke for which we are punished now is not that communion booke which the Statute of Eliza. doeth establish but a newe one a diverse one a different one which when it was afferred to the most honorable Court of Parliament to be confirmed it was refused reiected cast out and disannulled Consider these thinges a while and then aske of thy selfe why doeth not a Crozier staffe appeare in the handes of a Bishopp as well as the crosse in Baptisme sith the lawe g Ordinat minist Anglican ap Bucer rubric vltim in the book of ordayning Minist p. 65. requireth the one aswell as the other Is it because there is a meaning not to vse that gentle direction which the vpper ende betokeneth but that rigour which the lower ende doeth signifie according to the auncient verse h Durant dâ—rit li. 2. c. 9 sect 40. curva trahit quos recta regit pars vltima pungit In Russia the bacculus pastoralis is cruciatus whereof our Governours should not be ashamed as longe as they loue so well as they doe the crosse in Baptisme But if they may spare them selues at their pleasure though they spare not vs yet me thinkes it can not but be hardly done of them to keepe the Staffe of this crozier still in their handes for a trunchion wherwith to strike and beate their fellowes The birde in the l Act. and monu pa. 374. parable of Iohannes de Rupe scissa is deplumed by those who first clothed her with her gay feathers when in the pride of them shee began with her beake to punge and to teare with her talants If our Reverend Fathers cease not to punche vs and to teare vs as they begin it is the duetie of every true christian Ezech. 3â— 16 to giue the Lord no rest in his prayer vntill he remember his mercifull promise to iudge betweene the fatt leane of his flocke And this we trust he will doe in due time against their expectation who according to auncient hipocrisie Isai 66.5 looke for a blessing from the Lord notwithstanding they thrust out as if the whole fault were in vs who for such small matters as these incurre our owne vndoeing But this is to mocke both with God and with man and that somewhat like to m Socrat. histor lib. 3. cap. 12. Iulian if I be not deceaued who when he had impoverished the christians laughed at them as at fooles because they would impoverishe them selves to haue the blessing which their Maister giveth to the poore Nowe who are we to be thus conformed vnto the first begotten of God who are nowe in heaven as now it is saide to vs what great matter is it to make a crosse to put on a Surplice so was it saide of olde to them what great matter is it to sweare n by Caesar Nay we are herein conformed to our Lord him selfe for so it was saide to him trueth what is trueth Iohn 18.38 Is that such a matter to be stood on Is he wise that will cast away him selfe for trueth And so much of the sinne of the ceremonies against the 8. commaundment The Slaunder of the Crosse Chap. 9. OVr ninth indictment against the ceremonies is the shame defamation which they throwe vpon our church vpon sundrie members of it against the ninth coÌ„maundment First they defame our church before the papist whose badges they are For seeing they make vs like the spirituall Egipt Rome Apoc. 11.8 as the foreskin vncircumcized Iosuâ— 5.9 likened the Israelites to the earthlie they must needes proue to be a shame of Rome to vs as that was A shame of Aegipt to them in regard whereof wee must humbly beseech our Iosuahs to take them from vs. a Ioh. Drusius in Provâ—rb Boâ— Sirae Qui honorat contemnentes se similis est A sino saith the prouerbe of the Iewes how base then doe the Ceremonies make vs honouring the papist by wearing his cognizance when he scorneth to communicat with vs in the least of all our rites and Ceremonies Secondly these Ceremonies doe disgrace vs before our brethren of the reformed churches Is it not much not to be able to hold vp the face before a brother But now the Crosse disableth vs to hold vp our crossed foreheades before our brethren of other churches who write it amongst the markes of the beast a Sam. 1.22 Looke then with what shame the Armenian armie looked on their brethren when they came home with faces marked with the enemies b Magdeburg centur 7. col 92. inke and with no lesse doe we looke on them because it
against which our owne doctrine which is coÌ„firmed by act of Parliament alleadgeth many reasons The first is drawne from the original of the image and it hath this ground e â—â—omâ—â— ag peril of idolat p. 1. what was ill at first rising can neuer prove good or profitable after Our Opposites say the crosse may be turned to good vse howsoever it hath ben abused heretofore therefore must they not subscribe vnto this homilie because the rising of the crosse was evill at first in Valentinus and Montanus and here of late it arising out of the ashes of the Antichristian crosse hath according to the homilie not since grown profitable but hath rather looked backe toward Sodom ever since no whit breaking the Poets positioÌ„ Ortus quaeque suos repetunt The second is drawne from the nature of an image and it hath this grounde f Ibid pa. 3. pag. 36. good things doe ever by litle and little decay ill things by litle and litle increase as the image was g Pa. 50. first paynted after it grewe to be ingraved and at first it was vsed but in private houses after it crept into Churches temples where at first it was not worshipped but shortlie after it began to be adored first by the people that were ignorant at last by learned men and all None can denie but that all this downe right lighteth on the crosse that doeth consider howe from the beginning he hath increased by little and litle from heretiques to christians from vse private to publique from a signe to an Idoll and since that time that it hath ben refined amongst vs from a blocke offending the foote to a stone crushing even the whole body as is to be seene this day The third reason of the Homilie is drawne from the proanes of men to idolatrie For the image is an h Ibid pa. 3â— pag. 45. harlot and man is no otherwise bent to the worshipping of it if he may haue it and see it then he is bent to fornication in the companie of a strumpet For a l Pag. 46. man given to lust to sitt downe by an harlot is to tempte God so the setting vp of an image in the Church and the sitting of people by it is in this proanes of mans nature nothing better then a temptation to idolatrie Nowe if any will say sayth this Homilie that this similitude proveth nothing yet lett Gods worde out of which it is taken prove some thing with them Doth not the word of God call idolatie fornicatioÌ„ doth it not call a paynted Image a strumpet with a paynted face be not the spirituall wickednesses of an Idolls inticing like the flatterie of a wanton harlot be not men and women as proane to spirituall fornication as to carnall It must needes followe therefore that as it is the duetie of the godlie m Pag. 48. Magistrate lovinge honestie and hating whoredome to moove all strumpettes especially out of places notoriouslie suspected or resorted vnto by naughtie packes so after the example of the godly Kinges Hezechias and Iosias to drive away all spirituall harlottes I meane Idolles and Images speciallie out of suspected places Churches and Temples which are daungerous for idolatrie to bee committed vnto images when they are placed in them Damascene hath these wordes of the holy Sacrament n Damas de orthodoxfid cap. 14. Let vs goe to it with ardent desire vt oculis labijs frontibus impositis divini carbonis participes efficiamur Nowe as a good signe ordayned by God is a fiery coale to inkindle love when the senses are stricken by it so a signe evill ordayned by man such as is the signe of the crosse and an harlot such as is every image else is not onely a coale to heate but also a fire to enflame with lust as it is in the Comoedie accede ad ignem hunc calesces plus satis The fourth reason is drawne from the inveterate love which men commonly beare vnto their old customes so that the people having heretofore honoured images and the crosse is an image that hath ben honoured they will never bee wayned from them as long as they haue them they will honour them This wee see in the Iewes saith the o Pag. 2. p. 13.14 homilie they haue bene so long envred to the rites and ceremonies that nowe they cannot tell howe to leaue them which if God abolished to take all occasion from them then how much more ought all Images to bee abolished which are no ordinances of the Lord but deuises of man brought in thorâ—ugh blinde zeale and deuotion Here let me turne to our Opposites a little who thinke there is no neede to suffer in the cause of the Ceremonies against papistes as yet First the doctrine p Pa. 2. p. 8. of the homilie is we must follow the example of the auncient Fathers by name of Epiphanius who remoued euerie Image out of the church assoone as they spied it because though yet they were not worshipped yet they were likelie in time to breed lust concupiscence to Idolatrie Secondly the doctrine of our q Ibid. p. 13 church inhibiteth out of Euschius to keepe an Image indiffereÌ„tly that is in a coÌ„tinued sequence of yeres times without interruptioÌ„ so that by it a maÌ„ must suffer rather theÌ„ suffer by his fault cerem so deeply infected to runne on without interruption as nowe it is purposed these shall doe The first r Pa. 3. p. 27 reason of our homilie is drawn froÌ„ experience past present we see it come to passe saith it that the Christians entertayning the rites and ceremonies of the heatheÌ„ fell to the heathens idolatrie also which s Pa. 2. p. 19 Serenus foreseeing threw all Images out of the church which course if it had ben pursued all idolatrie had ben overthrowne whereas their suffering in the church by Gregories meanes who commanded them to stand though ne forbad them to be worshipped insnared both the West and the East in a publique adoring of them that by lawe as when Gregorie and Leo the third made a decree in the West Irene the Empresse a lawe in the East they should be worshipped Hereby came to passe which Serenus feared and Gregorie the first forbad in vayne so that indeed it is impossible any long time to haue images in publique churches in temples without idolatrie as by the space of litle more then one hundred yeeres betwixt Gregorie the 1. forbidding their worshipp and Gregorie Paule and Leo the 3. coÌ„maunding their worshippe most evidently appeareth All this being common to the crosse condemne we it rather then our owne church which thus t Pa. 3. p. 4â— adviseth It is trulie said the tymes past are schoolmaisters of wisedome to vs that followe and live after Let vs therefore of these latter dayes learne this lesson from experience of auncient antiquitie that Idolatrie cannot possiblie bee separated froÌ„ church
images but is an vnseperable accident to them as a shaddowe followeth the body when the sunne shineth so idolatrie followeth the having of images in the church Finallie as idolatrie is to be abhorred so are images which cannot be long without idolatrie to be put away and destroyed #Sect 2. Three replyes against the evidences of the Crosses Concupiscence AGAINST these evidences of the crosses concupiscence there are three things replyed First that the materiall crosses onely tempte like Idolls and Images and not the aereall which nowe we call the signe of the crosse We answer It hath been proved that the crosse aereall is an Image and an Idoll aswell as the materiall and in some respectes farre worse and all the reasons whereby our Homilie throweth other Images out of the Church to prevent their tempting beat directly against this Crosse First a Homil ag peril of Idolat pag. 3. pag. 13. sayth it the Image is in the church a tempter because it hath heretofore been worshipped and the aereall signe of the crosse hath been worshipped yea even adored with higher honour then any other representation of Christ materiall Secondly the Image cannot be placed in the Church without daunger of tempting because though we worshippe him not yet is he worshipped in sundrie places nowe in our tyme so is this aereall crosse What if he were not For seeing the Homilie casteth out of the Church of God not onely that which maketh love vnto it selfe but also that which maketh love to other things which it doeth countenance the signe of the Crosse must needs be cashired because though it tempt not to superstition towardes it self yet doth it towards the Idolls of crosses materiall whom it resembleth vnto the people graceth before them The third reason of the homilie proveth the image in the church to be a tempter in respect of time to come superstitiō being an inseperable accidēt to the image that is in the church so that though the crosse aereal for the present did not tempt yet there is daūger he wil sturre raise concupiscence in time to come Secondly our Opposites themselves will graunt that the aereall crosse partaketh of the inwarde idolatrie as well as the materiall doth we say it doth more for that vertue yea admirable vertue which the b Bellarmin de effect sacra c. 31. papistes repose in it ad producendos effectus spirituales and for that special helpe it hath against the Divell of which one thus c Ioh. Molan de decalog ca 4. conclus 3. Nota. 19. ea adhibenda sunt remedia quae adversus Daemonum illusiones vexationesque ecclesiastica sanxit authoritas vsusque firmavit vti sunt signum Crucis aqua benedicta c. It being so they must needes graunt likewise that it hath a power and vertue to rayse concupiscence towards inward idolatrie which is it small d Confess Eccles Mansfel ap Conra Schluilelba tom 13. p. 558. cum per Ceremonias Diabolus arcetur quotidiani lapsus eluuntur vt docet agmen Pontificium tum verò in perniciosam idololatriam vertuntur quā Deus prohibuit as one of the forraigne Churches teacheth I needed not gone over the seas for this our owne Church at home doeth e Homil pa 3. pag 98. teach vs that Idolatrie chieflie consisteth in the minde and in f Ibid p. 109 perticular it telleth vs that to ascribe a power of supernaturall effectes to any creature as the papistes doe to this signe is such an Idolatrie as may not be tollerated yea g D. Bils ag Apolog. p. 4 p. 344.345 our Opposites them selves are very large in their invectives against the idoll of the heart whē only God is not served as he should how much more thē should they inveigh against this signe which doth not only raise idolatrous fancies of God through conceaving worshipping of him besides his worde but also sturre vp idolatrous thoughtes cogitations towards it selfe for which cause if not in it then in nothing is h August de verb. dom secun Math. serm 6. Augustines counsell to be followed prius id agamus vt Idola in eorum cordibus confringamus Thirdly the effectes of the crosse aereall bewray that he is a tempter which in the people not wel reformed from their old customes are the same which l Ioh. Reynold de Idolotat lib 2. ca. 3. lect 26. 68. our writers vse to bring to prove the idolatry of the pagans towards their images their idolls The Tyrians bewrayed they thought to haue helpe by the image of Apollo whē they bound it fast with chaines to keepe it fast sure to their citie against Alexāder who thē besieged it The Athenians bewrayed the like when they made an image to Victoria without winges to the end she should not flie away from them And the Sicilians when they cōplayned they had now no God in their cities to flie vnto because Verres had takē away their Images If the popishly addicted within this realme ar not in like feare to loose the power presence of Ch. vpon the losse of this signe then are we gulled not only by our owne experiēce but also by the prudence of our Reverend Fathers which hath resolved that it cannot be removed without a mischief for that the people will not misse it nor by any meanes leaue it which if it be true then even in their own cōfession they chayne it fast with the Tyrians clippe the winges of it from flying away with the Athenians cōplaine with the men of Sicilie in case it be taken from them against their wills The second replie to the premisses is that seeing they that be wise vse the signe of the crosse well inough it is indifferent so at the Magistrates pleasure whether he wil remoue it or no. especially for the sake of a few who are not to be regarded by him To this our m Homil. vb sub pa. 3. p. 13. homily first replyeth that if it doth hurt to anie it must be remooved that though a man receaue no hurt by it him self yet that he must forbeare remove it for other mens sakes as Paul cōmandeth 1. Cor. 8. the Magistrate him selfe not being excepted touching whom it n Ibid. 61. demandeth The good K. Hezechias did know wel inough that the brazen serpent was but a dead image therfore him self tooke no hurt thereby through idolatrie to it did he therefore let it stand because himself tooke no hurt thereof and last of all that there is daunger to the most wise by every idoll and by everie image in the Church as we see in o Pag. 50. Salomon him selfe the wisest Wherevpon it is thus concluded It is better p Pag. 51. even for the wisest to regarde this warning He that loveth daunger shall perish therein and let him that standeth beware least he fall rather then wittinglie and willinglie to laye a stumbling blocke for
ceremonies pa. 89. Bishop Elmar ioyned Adiaphoristes and Satanistes togither pa. 110. The Bishops please the papistes well in their opposition to the Ministers pa. 112. they hold not now as heretofore they were wont their authoritie over their brethren from the Prince or at his pleasure but evē iure divino which Q. Elizabeth would neuer indure p. 115. they deprive unprison excōm micate even their fellow-labourers in the Gospell when they will not in every trifle condescend to their opinion ibid. their Authoritie it selfe is such as will divide and rent the church as lamentable experience sheweth pa. 117. In Bohemia and in Russia the Communion is given to Infantes pa. 122. The Booke of the Gospell is by some made a very Amulet pa. 131. Bowing to the name of Iesus is condemned by the most learned of our church pa. 62. The Brasen serpent cōmeth not neare to the crosse in fruitfulnes of idolatrie pa. 61. C. The Ceremonies in controversie to wit the Crosse the Surplice are pretended to be smal and are avouched with very small proofes and yet there is no small adoe about them pa. 1.2 they are not to be accoūted small why pa. 2. if they prevayle now they will triumph more then ever before ibid. the superstition of them is exceeding great and wil be much greater if they be any whit coūtenanced ibid. they were never established to continue but onely tolerated for a season pag. 3. they ought to bee done away by the Magistrate ibid. they growe more and more intollerable on men that are lesse able to brooke them pa. 4. their removall is looked for and there is no difficultie but in the continuing and perpetuating of them ibid. they make against faith and manners and are not to be tolerated in a church ibid. the scandall and superstition of them cannot dy or be healed so long as they liue and haue rest pa. 5. they haue no meanes to maintaine life but the plasters drugges and salves which the Bishops and their dependantes minister to them ibid. they are not onely to bee left languishing but their breath is to be stopt as being humane presumptions burthensome to the church disvsed of al churches of God save ours in natute variable vncōmaunded in the word nay cōtrarie to the word ibid. many parishes here at home haue disvsed thē with the good cōtentement of the people pa. 6. the doctrine would prosper better if it were purged of these weedes ibid. pa. 68. they harden papists p. 7. their religious vse is totally vnlawfull pag. 9. they are popish knives wherwith the simple hurt thē selves pa. 16. they inslave vs to Antichrist of whom they are borrowed bring vs vnder the yoke of bōdage p. 20. they make our religion inferior to Antichrists ibid. they impeach our christian libertie diverse waies pa. 21.22 they are the instruments of crueltie murther in Gods habitation pa. 41. the scādal of thē is not small pa. 59. they cannot be vsed in gods worship service but they must needs grow to be worships in estimatiō parts of his service p. 60. therby we scādalize the papists many waies p. 62 they are a manifest blemish to our Church pag. 67. they ar sacrilegious draw in much mischief pa. 68. they are Idolothyrs p. 69. they are as the bread of mourning nay as gal as wormwood to our soules pa. 70. they came not from heavē but frō the land of the vncircumcised are to be thrown away like a mēstruous cloth pa. 71. they hinder thē of the separat from ioyning in communion fellowship with vs pa. 73. they make the Ministers vnprofitable in the service of God of the church pa. 74. they drive out good Preachers so are within the censure of the Apostle pag. 77. they are vnwholesome to the soule pag. 78. they are Antichristes leaven pa. 79. they are fetcht from Rome and are too grosse a feeding for them that bee soule-sicke ibid. they hurt the Gospell many wayes ibid. they are a meane to reedifie poperie a roote of bitternes to defile many a stumpe of the popish tree remayning to make it reflourish againe pag. 80. they are the sinnewes of popery they breed discord and strife they keepe out turne out Preachers are verie scandalous in divers respectes ibid. they are trifling wares are to be cast into the Sea as being the occasion of much contention pa. 90. they are the wares of Rome no lawful traffique ibid. they robb many a worthy and able minister pa. 101.102 they defame our Church before the papist whose badges they are pa. 110. they disgrace vs before our brethren of the reformed churches ibid. they staine the principal members of our church making the very ancient vile ibid. whē Ceremonies cease to be profitable they are with out all sticking to be remooved pa. 6. The Christians haue of old bin slaundered to be dangerous to the state and all publike evills haue vsually bene throwne vpon their backes pag. 119. Christian libertie must be maintained pa. 7. Circumstances make things sometimes convenient and at other times inconvenient pa. 44 Conforming is a great deale more then tolerating pa. 50.51.67 The Conformitie of our Opposits edifieth the people to an vnholy kinde of obedience pa. 36 Conformitie with Pagans and Idolaters vnlawfull pa. 66. Conformitie to our ceremonies controversed is vnlawfull pa. 70. Contempt is not to be iudged of by a mans forbearing to doe a thing commanded but by his other cariage pa. 33.34 The Counsell of Laterane giveth power to the Pope to absolve subiectes from their fidelitie to their Princes pa. 41. The Crosse is not a thing indifferent pa. 8. it is an additiō to Baptisme pa. 19. it selleth vs to no litle servitude pa. 20. It is a meate vncleane pa. 32. It hath beene a guide like Judas of all the warres which the crawling frogges of the Dragons mouth haue at any time raised in the world pa. 41. It hath serued for an Absolons sactifice to grace conspiracies murtiners ibid. like a Saul it keepeth the clothes of the executioners of the martyrs p. 42. It hath shed much precious bloud which the earth will not cover ibid. not only the signe but the very name of it should be odious to vs ibid. It hath murthered many Ministers ibid. and pa. 43. it is an instrument of offence pa. 43. It is an harlot and stirreth vp popish lust pag. 56.140 it hath beene more idolized thē any of the popish images p. 60. It is a grand idoll of poperie sett vp in the midst of our Church whereas the very handmaides of it should not bee suffered so much as in the church-porch or belfray ibid. God hath accursed it to be a snare and so it hath prooved accordingly pa. 61. the soule of it being departed what maketh the dead carcase of it aboue ground amongst vs ibid. It is a grand hallower consecrator of all holy things
and actions pa. 62. It is to be abolished as well as other Images pa. 65. it must be forborne to avoid al shew of participatiō with the papistes in their superstitious idolatrous crossing pag. 69. it is the marke of the Beast Antic enseigne pa. 72. It giveth witnes of the faith of Antichrist whose marke it is pa. 73. The people are exceedinglie mad vpon it pa. 76.139 it is a monument of idolatrie a snare to infect the hart pa. 77. It is a lay mans booke which deserveth to be burnt ibid. it is an abhominable Idole an Idolothyte a monument of idolatrie p. 99. it hath no better ground then many other ceremo now disvsed by the papistes them selves and hath bene worse abused pa. 121. It holdeth his antiquitie by a very weak stringe pag. 126. it is no otherwise Apostolicall then the new porch which Herode erected was Solomons or the shooe of the Gibeonite auncient pa. 127. The age of it ibid. 134. the first devisers of it haue bin cōcealed as much as may be pa. 128. It is a badge of our faith taken from the blackest and grossest heretikes that ever were Q. pa. 1. It had a base beginning and grew from a custome to a ceremonie not only significant but also superstitious Q. p. 2. it is not onely a provoker to idolatrie but an Idol pa. 132. it is degenerated frō ancient vse and is not the same now which it was to the Fathers ibid. It was not known in the Apostles daies nor in the Primitive Church that next succeeded them pag. 133. it feedeth lust habituall and breedeth lust actuall Q. 4. p. 2. it is a Porter that lettch in and a Purveiour that carieth in the Temptations that doe nourish men in Idolatry and superstition ibid. it increased by litle and litle R. p. 1. it is a coale to heate and a fire to inflame lust ibid. the aereall signe of it must be throwne out of the Church vpon the same grounds that other Images are R. p. 2. and pa. 139. it beareth the habite of a harlot and sitteth in the very place where spirituall fornication was wont of old to be committed p. 140. it tempteth like the painting of a womans face ibi it hath in it the shew of a wanton dalliance pag. 141. it rubbeth vp the memory of Crosse-idolatry both by worde and deed ibid. It breedeth in the simple an imagination or rather an image of a superstitious crossing pag. 142. It is beautifull in the eies of such as are popishly addicted and hath no necessarie busines to be presented to them p. 143. The Crosse whereon Christ died was buried as was Moses body in an vnknowne place to prevent idolatrie pa. 133. the invention of it by Helene is a very counterfait ibid. There were no Crosses in England till Augustine the Monke brought in his silver crosse pa. 133. It is as vnfitt to make a Crosse a memorial of Christ as for a childe to make much of the halter or the gallowse wherewith his father was hanged Q. 4. pa. 1. A Crozier staffe in the handes of the Bishop is required by law as well as the crosse in Baptisme pa. 109. Customes though never so auncient if they be evill are to be altered pa. 6.7.32 D. Dedication of churches amongst the papists is ridiculous and nothing like to that in Constantines time pa. 132. The Disagreements of papists amōgst themselves are greater then the differences amongst vs pa. 88. No Dispensation is admittable against Gods law pa. 48. Diversitie of customes spring from the diversitie of mens wittes pa. 92. Doles at burialls are defiled in poperie yet because the custome is auncient and the vse civil not religious they are suffred with vs p. 121 The Donatistes hold that the church is pure without spot and without wrinkle in this life pa. 113. they hold that the Magistrate may not compel to godlines nor punish heretikes ibid. they separated from their communion all that were not of their opiniō evē in the least points pa. 115. E. Easter-dayes observation bred much controversie in the church pag. 82. The Eldership neither hath not challengeth to haue any power to depose Princes as it is impudently wickedly slaūdered by some p. 114 The Elevation amongest the papistes is absurdly defended by the ancient shewing of the bread and of the cup pa. 132. No Episcopall authoritie bindeth any Minister without the warrant of the word pa. 86. The Eucharist is not necessarie to infants neither is it nowe administred vnto them although that custome continued in the church about 600. yeeres pa. 121. The Exorcisme of Baptisme is disvsed though in former times it hath bene vniversally receyued pa. 131. F. Fasting was equall and alike at all times in the primitiue church pa. 126. The custome of not Fasting betwene Easter and Whitsontide is disvsed though auncient pa. 120. The aucient Fathers had their errors pag. 122. we are lesse tied to them in ceremonies thē in doctrine and to their practise lesse then to their iudgement ibid. The Fathers advaunced the crosse vppon a very slender ground Q. p. 2. they cannot be iustified in their speeches cōcerning it ibid. they are censured by our Writers for ascribing to it power against the Devill pa. 131. Feastes at the sepulchres of the dead were altered though very auncient pa. 7. Feaste-dayes of Sainctes are worthy to bee abolished and why pag. 34. The Forehead of a christian man must not in Baptisme be defiled with any signe devised by man pa. 100. The Formalistes breake more farre more profitable Canons then the silenced ministers pa. 117.118 they take shaftes out of the quiver of the papistes the Adiaphoristes to throwe them at their fellowes which can not hurt but with the venime wherewith the enemie himselfe hath dressed them pa. 120. G. Gedeons Ephod not to be suffered for feare of future danger pa. 79. H. Our Hatred against superstitious ceremonies must be shewed in outward appearance pa. 93. In Hieromes time the church drew neare to her lees the burthensomnes of the Ceremonies made the estate of the christians worse thē the state of the Iewes pa. 128. Holy daies were in auncient times left to mens libertie pa. 91. Holy water banished out of the church porch for the holynes that was put in it pa. 60. Our Homilies condemne Images in churches vpon diverse good grounds so by consequent our ceremonies pa. 137. R. p. 1. Hony and milke in Baptisme though they be as ancient as Tertullians time are abolished by the papistes themselves pa. 120. The Hugonotes were straungely transformed in Fraunce by the Fryers who made the people beleeve they were monsters with Asses cares and swines faces and the like so are the silenced Ministers amongst vs dealt withall at this day by their Opposites pag. 111. Humane lawes binde not the Conscience pa. 21.31 the observation of them is left free to vs out of the case of contempt and scandall pa. 31.