derided our fathers in the christian faith for preaching beleeuing in him who was crucified vpon the crosse by which all vertuous and pure both men and times were so farre from being discouraged in their profession by the ignominie of the crosse as that thereby they rather reioyced and tryumphed in it yea the holy Ghost so farre honored the dispised name of the crosse amongst the Iewes that vnder it was contained all the suffering the merits the fruites and the comforts of Christs death From hence proceedeth a reuerend vse and estimation of the signe of the crosse in the Apostles time signing hereby not onely themselues when they met with the Iewes but their children which were baptised to dedicate them by badge as it were to his seruice whose benefits bestowed vpon them were contained vnder that name and procured vnto man by Christs death vpon the crosse But time corrupting often with staines of superstition the best things for if Christ tell Peter If I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with mee Peter will answere Lord not my feete only but my hands and my head so apt are we to ouerdoe that which wee finde to bee profitable vnto vs The signe of the crosse in the more ignorant times of the church that followed after became so loaden with a continuall and necessarie obseruation full of superstitious Idolatry as if it had beene for all occasions a compleate armour to euery Christian and that nothing could bee well either begun continued or ended that was not first hallowed with this signe From which ignorant opinion blemishing a thing of vertuous and good vse the Church of England desiring to free the signe of the Crosse doth not commaund or allow the publick vse at any other time but in Baptisme and that first as no part of the substance of that Sacrament adding any thing to the vertue or perfection of Baptisme Secondly nor as a meanes of admitting of any into Christs flock but as a lawfull outward ceremony and honorable badge whereby the Infant is dedicated to the seruice of him that dyed vpon the crosse In respect whereof the very name hath and shall bee honorable amongst all true christians to the worlds end and therefore your comparison of those in the conuocation for making of this Canon to them in the councell of ARMINE might haue beene well spared seeing the perticulers of both beeing duely waighed wise men may easily perceiue the beginnings the proceedings and the conclusion to bee farre vnlike and therfore I must tel you though not with so much seuerity as the cause deserueth you could not with all your studie haue found out a comparison more vnbefitting this cause more presumptuously iniurious to the King and the whole Church which that the reader may better vnderstand wee will briefly set downe as others haue done from the begining to the end the proceeding of that councell After CONSTANTINES death whose wisdom supprest the greatest heresy whose vertue taught the whole world religion CONSTANTIVS his sonne raigned one rather seeming not so euill as hee was then beeing in trueth so vertuous as hee seemed whom to haue setled in a right opinion in his Fathers time had beene a duety of good seruice toward God a meane of peace and quietnesse to the church of Christ a labour easie and peraduenture as pleasing as the suggestion of those who were the vnnaturall corruptions of a well disposed sonne of so vertuous a father CONSTANTIVS by the perswasion of the ARRIANS deuised to assemble all the Bishops of the whole world about their great controuersie but in two seueâ—all places the Bishops of the West at ARIMINA in Italy the Eastern at SELVCIA the same time amongst them of the East there was no stoppe they agreed without any great adoe gaue their sentence against heresie excommunicated some cheefe maintainers thereof and sent the Emperour word what was done whom doubtlesse it much offended not that an heresie of that nature could not from the authoritie of wisdome obtaine strength which it is like had not beene so much fauoured by him if hee had not esteemed the daunger in the word to bee little whilest their meaning as they pretended in sence was all one but I lay the greatest part of the blame for this euill vpon AELIVâ— LEONTIVS Bishoppe of ANTIOCH that fauoured the ARRIANS for mildnesse and yeelding in some Bishops made the whole church bee troubled with that herisy who scratching his head white for age said wheÌ„ this snow is melted there will bee much durt as if the bishops which were to succed him would not suffer the same Hymnes it is like of gloria patri agreeable to the Nycen councel which he did they had at Armine foure hundred which held the trueth scarce of the aduerse part foure score But these obstinate and the other wearie of contending with them thereupon by both it was resolued to send to the Emperour such as might informe him of the cause and declare what hindered their peaceable agreemeÌ„t there are chosen on the Catholick side such men as had in them nothing to be noted but boldnesse neither grauitie nor learning nor wisdome The Arrians for the credit of their faction take the eldest the best experienced the most warie and the longest practised Veterans they had amongst them the Emperour coniecturing of the rest on either part by the quality of them whom he saw sent them speedily away and with them a certaine confession of faith ambiguously and subtilly drawne by the Arrians whereunto vnlesse they all subscribed they should in no case bee suffered to depart from the place where they were whereby many vexed with hunger and violent detention yeelded vp their conscience as captiue to those penalties that were vrged vpon them yet as it seemeth by some others what error soeuer was concluded in that councell was rather from the obscurity of the Greek word then from any penaltyes of which Saint Hierom saith thus Ingemuit totus orbis se ArrianuÌ„ esse miratus est Now what can there be in the late graue and reuerend conuocation of the clergie of England answerable to this councell First for any thing that I know there was amongst them no faction Secondly they dealt not deceitfully with the king to obtaine an allowance of what they concluded Thirdly no mn was vrged by compulsion or detained vpon penalties to giue his consent onely in this one thing peraduenture not vnlike that the councell of Nyce had on her side foure hundred whereas the Arrians these inuentors of new opinions had not foure score besides I doubt not but what was practised with the Emperour in this councel the contrarie was done with the King at the conuocation and so consequently you haue little reason to thinke that they were vsed as the good fathers at the councell of Armine for all men see that such as the Catholicks made choyce of as Embassadors for their part to the
Church wherein they liue we are content to allowe although you haue not fully expressed the intention of the Church of England in this point That to signe the Infant with the signe of the Crosse was to signe him with an ancient token of Christian profession that it is not a signe from God to men nor of men to God and therefore no idolatrous worship invented in our Church but of men to men as the Ring in marriage no part of the Sacrament no consecrating or operatiue signe no Symbolicall or sacramentall signe not so much as explicatory but a simple significatiue rite expres to the CoÌ„gregations hope expectation of that child which no maÌ„ can doubt to be the vertuous religious intention of our Church both because as you confes It is after Baptisme 2. It is saide wee 3. It is omitted in priuate Baptisme 4. And lastly the signe is omitted in the Lords Supper as not giuing either vertue to the Sacrament or holinesse to the action which were in these latter times vnsufferable errors superstitiously brought in by the Church of Rome wherein all indifferent men may see the moderation of our church which hauing left the ordinary vse of the Crosse in al actions at all times for which the practise of antiquitie might haue beene some warrant haue onely admitted the same in Baptisme as then chiefly requisite for a signification of that profession which at that time the Infant vndertooke and therein ment to continue for euer after In this sence which is the warrantable intention of our Church if you haue held it lawfull heretofore and now doe not wee may say as S. Paule to the Galathians Ye did run well who hath hindred you that you did not obey the trueth but wee will not censure you but rather hope better things of you desiring all men to remember the Apostles peremptorie conclusion If any man teach otherwise consenteth not to the wholsom words of the Lord Iesus Christ to the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doteth about questions strife of words wherof commeth enuie strife railings euill surmises froward disputations of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth which thinke that gaine is godlinesse APOLOGIE BVt now my Lord obseruing duely the 30. Canon made of purpose to explaine the lawfull vse of the crosse to which we are now tyed as to the iudgement of the church though for my reuerend opinion of that assemhly I could easily beleeue that in this explication they haue bin vsed as were the good fathers at the counsel of Arimine vnder great penalties I finde that our Church professeth to retaine it for the very remembrance of the Crosse which is precious to all that truely beleeue in Christ and in such vse as did the antique fathers and churches and by name that by that cerimony and honorable badge the infant is dedicated to the seruice of him that dyed vpon the crosse In which construction I do not see how I can subscribe vnto it as before I did for confessing that I grudged the name of an honorable badge remembring to what dishonorable Idolatry it serued of late and yet doth in Popery and being therupon attainted by the Peares and neighbour Churches is not yet restored in blood and think we may say of it as Iacob of Reuben Thou wast fair but hast lost thy bewty by clyming vp vnto thy fathers bed I protest against that memoratiue vse of it in the congregation and in the Sacrament to call to minde the Crosse of Christ whether thereby his sufferings or his Altar be ment as that which openeth a gappe to crossings in daily vse and crosses and crucifixes and so any Imagery in the church and worship of God and think that this which hath bin abused with spirituall fornication as a common harlot may easily proue in that vse a cunning baud to solicite the vnstable hearts of men to their old superstition and therefore seemeth to me to be against the second commaundement which forbiddeth all prouocations vnto Superstition as well as the seauenth doth all incitations to Adultery ANSVVERE FRom dislikes seeming as grieuous in shewe for a long time as vehemeÌ„tly persued by a great number we are now come at the last to that one point the Crosse in Baptisme wherein alone both antiquitie is thought to be too superstitious and this present age for following the same example vnexcusable of a dangerous vnsufferable idolatrie but as the Church of England hitherto hath not found it saâ—e to follow the reformation of those men who know no other means to purifie Churches but to pull them downe so in this shee esteemeth it safer and more vertuous to free the signe of the Crosse from the staines of superstitions contracted in these later and corrupted times rather then altogether to reiect the more auncient and purer vse thereof as men ashamed of that which was Saint Pauls reioycing at the Crosse of Christ. Wee are not desirous in things of this nature to satifie the Reader with empty words bâ— as farre as wee are able in truth to let all men see that both the Church hath reason to exact an obedience to that which it doeth lawfully command and that their curiositie is without excuse who either of singularitie or ignorance seeme to pretend holy reasons to warrant them in that which they doe refuse and surely it must needes bee thought an vnthankefull and ouer-bold accusation of those men who dare aduenture to accuse a whole Church a sincere and religious Church a Church wherin they haue bin borne nourished brought vp whose true doctrine hath bin the foundation of their-iudgements if they haue any rather then they will be thought to like others or in what things they refuse obedience to her Lawes not to be warranted by Gods word as the vnstained actions of a sanctified grounded pure zeale as if the Church of England which in the true opinion of the world is more setled more reformed more vertuous vnder the gouerment of so sincere and so religious a prince had by an vniuersall consent conspired as it were to increase Idolatrie and established constitutions for the vniust recalling of the iustly banished superstions of the Romish Church and therfore obseruing duely the 30. Canon made of purpose to explaine the lawfull vse of the crosse to which we are now tyed as to the Iudgement of the church you do not see how you can possibly subscribe vnto it as before you did We desire all that are indifferent to viewe the reasons and vses contained in that Canon and we doubt not but it will appeare that their motiues were sufficient to ratifie the vse of the Crosse in the intention of our Church and to free that learned and religious assembly from the imputation you lay vpon them by comparing it to the Counsell of ARMINE First Iewish and heathenish blasphemie
storie of Iulian when hee looked the intrals of beasts for south-saying inuenit crucem coronatam hee found a crosse with a crowne from whence some collected Christian religion to be perpetuall and that Iulian could not ouercome it others Angustias quasi carceres crucis but peradueÌ„ture more truely to signifie an euerlasting Crowne purchased by his death that suffered vpon the crosse besides in the garments of those Iewes which sought to reedifie the Temple at Iulians commaundement there were imprinted crosses as if that power that suffered ignominiously vpon the crosse would testifie the strength of his arme even in that which they most contemned shall wee then bee ashamed of that badge or bee vnwilling to dedicate our selues vnto his seruice by that sygne which was the note of his fearefull power to such as resisted his right hand and so farre honored by the holy ghost that it often expresseth the whole meritt of his passion by the bloode of the Crosse so that if strange conclusions be not vrged vpon vs It is neither to make Baptisme voyde to say wee are dedicated by the Crosse ascribing that to the signe which is done in the whole act nor to make it or Baptisme operatiue in that sence to say that by Baptisme and so manifested by that signe we are consecrated to gods seruice and that consequently our dedication by this signe is such as the auncyent fathers before poperye did vse But least the Innocencye of the auncient tymes should seeme to be a warrant for the simple vse of the Crosse among vs who thought it ever Honor and vertue enoughe to treade in the harmeles steppes of our forefathers you laye an equall burthen for this corruption vpon them as if nothing were ascribed to the Crosse in or out of Baptisme by the rankest Papists saving the very poynt of adoration but the fathers are as deepely ingaged in the same this If I had vttered the Church of Rome would Iustly haue thought that I had done them a great honor in allowing their superstitious abuse of this signe sauing onely in one poynt to be the verye same â—or vertue and power as the auncyenter fathers did ascribe vnto it so that whilst you desire to make the Church of England as guilty of superstition in the vse of this signe as they are now of the Church of Rome you Inconsiderately and perhaps vntruely make the rankest papists no lesse Ignorant in that poynt then the auncyentest and purest fathers haue bene before them whatsoever is capable of corruption as the best thinges and actions wherein man concurreth of necessity are for wee haue all corrupted our owne wayes commeth not vpon the sodayne to that height of euill but that more evident markes of the former Integritye remaine which in continuance of time are not onely blemished but whollye turned into another corrupt nature This is evident in that great and Antichristian defection of the trueth which was not all eclipsed or ouershadowed at once but Ignorance breeding superstition superstition never satisfying it selfe in the surmised acts of religion but erring in the excesse as prophanenes in the defect hath added daylye to the first corruptions that she is nowe as the heade of a smalle riuer which sendeth forth but one streame which cannot knowe her owne daughter in continuance of time being growne like vnto an Ocean by the manyfold additions of sundrie and strainge waters The Histories of former ages doe record vnto vs the beginning the increase the perfection of the grouth in the superstitious corruptions of the Church of Rome and howsoeuer all agree not when this defection beganne yet most men knowe that there was a time in the priatiue age of our fathers when few or none of the ceremonies of the Church were infected with such corruption as now they are So that the seueritie of those is ouer great who would wrap the fathers immediatly succeeding the Apostles time with the same superstition saue only in the point of adoration wherwith the Papists are iustly accused to bee infected at this day I confesse when the Papists are charged by vs to haue corrupted the truth by rehearsall of many false miracles done by the signe of the crosse they alledge the testimonies of all fathers saying which you confesse but I doe not that they haue esteemed no otherwise of the crosse then the fathers of the Church haue done before them Wee then say for satisfaction in this point that it had beene equall and right in you before the imputation of so much corruption to the blessed memory of those holy men to haue showed what the Papists ascribe vnto the crosse what the fathers and what wee No man can deny but that God after the death of his sonne manifested his power to the amazement of the world in this contemptible signe which peraduenture gaue iust occasion beeing the instrument of so many miracles that corrupter times as those that succeeded were did ouerburden it with fables and worshippe the one false the other Idolatrous both seruing to poyson the after ages with dangerous superstition the Church of Rome at this present differeth from the ancient fathers as we differ from them in making the very crosse wherupon Christ died to bee a relick and all other crosses to be as Images and lastly the vere figure made in the ayre to haue a spirituall and diuine vertue to cast out diuels and to worke miracles and as Bellermine saith Terret fugat daemones pellit morbos omnia mala sanctificat ea quibus imprimitur which vertues or some of which if God manifested in the crosse in the dayes of our forefathers to ascribe the same vnto now is not to say truly as they fathers did but superstitiouslie to err with the church of Rome as if the power of healing which followed annoynting in the primitiue church might be a warrant either for the annointing vsed amongst papists at this day or imbolden any man to say that nothing is ascribed by the rankest papist for that is your phrase to annointing but the fathers are as deeply ingaged in the same so that whilst our church professeth the vse hereof as the fathers did they neither tie themselues to the example of all nor can be iustly denyed to haue the warrant of the soundest fathers for the vse hereof For the moderate vse as now it is retayned in the church of England seemeth to be an apostolicall constitution being accounted as a thing auncyently generally receiued in Tertullians time who was within two hundred yeares after Christ and within lesse then a hundred yeares after Saint Iohn in which shortnes of time it were Iniury to think that a superstitious Idolatry should gaine that honor to be accounted an auncyent and a reuereÌ„d sygne And therefore in my opinion lesse excusable is their fault who laye the imputation of false dealing with his maiestie by the Bishops at the conference being informed but as you say
assured to be the blessing of our Land that then euen then there should be an increase both of papists and puritans as if both had discouered an extraordinary fauour to be showed to either but I can better satisfie my selfe in those of the church of Rome then in the other for all men in afflictioÌ„ which surely though not simply yet comparatiuely was their case are ouer apt to flatter themselues in all changes of a state that some thing will ease them but most especially then when they see fauours and mercies almost not denied to any But it is the distemper of euill humors that maketh false constructions or collections from a mercifull Prince Now for your selfe and others who inioyed your libertie fauour preferment and all other benefits with and beyond men of your owne time and perhaps of your owne worth yeelding your obedience and subscription to the gouernment and rites of this Church in the daies of Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie after a learned conference for satisfaction wherein the best and most Iudiciall that desired reformation yeelded after exceeding care and Zeale manifested in our dread Soueraigne after the most religious and sincere conuocation of the cleargie that euer was in this Church wherein the whole scope was a purer reformation of all that in manners and ceremonies waâ— thought faultie now I say to refuse to subscribe whereas before you had often done it vpon some suspicious feare without cause that the intention of the Church was altered I wish you could as wel satisfie others and the whole flocke of Christ then committed to your charge as I can beleeue that you are perswaded that you satisfie your owne conscience A wife and tenne children are strong motiues but to flesh and bloud thinke I pray you and thinke seriously of Christs Church how many of her children as farre as in you lieth are frustrate of nourishment by your meanes and thinke that the ground of this losse eyther to your selfe or to the family of Christ is your owne want of conformitie which more iustly is to be lamented by how much more God hath blessed you with excellent giftes but I trust the Church shall neuer need their paines that loue not her peace nor desire them to speake that haue not yet learned to harken vnto her voyce APOLOGY I Now beseech your Lordship to remember that most of vs haue beene peaceable in Israell and that if some mens rashnesse draw reuenge vpon vs Aemilius hath faulted and Rutilius is beaten one Mardochey hath not stouped and all the Iewes must perish for it And say we cannot conforme in euerie poynt you know who said the varietie of Ceremonies did commend the vnitie of faith and would God you would thinke that our labour in the Church might doe more good in one yeare then the Ceremonies will while the world standeth and though in your wisedomes you thinke the retayning of them to make vnto the Churches increase and benefit is it vnpardonable that wee should thinke another course better haue not our men sought Chyna by the North-east and by the North-west passages Doe not some Physitions set vpon the Chollicke by cold medicines other by hotte the one Sedando the other Discutiendo Doe not maryners seeke the safety of the ship by perswading some to hoyse sayle others to strike it in a tempest And what though now you haue great aduantage ouer your poore brethren yet may it bee good Counsell which Hanno gaue vpon Hannibals victory that it should be vsed as occasion of making the better peace with the Romanes Cum pacem dare potius quam accipere possent O my good Lord will it not bee enough to keepe safe and well fenced your iurisdictions and persoall dignitie not enough to deuide the honors to your selues and labours to vs Is their no feare that vpon the casting out not of Caananites but borne Israelites at once which this subscription will doe for I know you are nothing neare the reckoning in your owne diocesse wyld beasts should multiply and deuoure the land pardon me if I prophesy that when all is done and the heat spent your lordship will finde some want of vs as did Alexander of Paâ—meno King Henry the eight of his Cromwell and then perhaps either not a minde or not meanes to remedy that which might haue easily beene preuented In which your Lordships shall not be able to deuide eyther faults or comforts with vs seeng we as the Lord knoweth forbeare vpon the point of conscience your Lordships seeme to stand vpon tearms of your pleasures I say yours as perswaded that his excellent Maiesty would deny you nothing that you should ioyntly and earnestly seeke for the peace of the Church of God The Lord God direct your Lordship and your brethren as becommeth your great years learnings and functions as for me I shall pray alwaies for the Kings Maiestie and the state for you and the Church of God and henceforth striue to liue as an honest and peaceable priuate member of that Church in which I was not so happy as to stand a publike though honest and peaceable minister Your Lordships alwaies to commaund in the Lord IOHN BVRGES ANSVVER THere is no part of this whole Treatise which so vnwillingly I answere as this last wherein many things are vttered with so much passion as eyther our seueritie in replying must exceed the vsuall moderation which wee desire to hold or else we may iustly be suspected to betray the cause and the persons whom we should defend And therefore without any other answere we will only put you in minde of those harsh speeches which may peraduenture in this discontentment be agreeable to your fancie but are no way sutable to your cause nor verie well beseeming a man of your place First in these words I now beseech your Lordship to remember that the most of vs haue beene peaceable in Israell and that if some mens rashnes draw reuenge vpon vs Aemelius hath faulted and Rutilius is beaten one Mardochey hath not stouped and all the Iewes must perish for it Can you beleeue that your depriuation is a reuenge which some mens rashnes hath drawn vpon you Is the proceeding of the reuerend Fathers for the vnitie of the Church as if Aemilius had faulted and Rutilius should be beaten or can you in your own conscience compare it with the perishing of the Iewes for the not stooping of one Mardochey assure your selfe none of them are so transported with ambition nor so incensed with any particuler contempt offered vnto themselues which they could not easily haue remitted if their remissenesse in this had not hazarded the Churches peace And therefore doubt not but your selfe and others can well testifie that some of them haue dealt with your selfe and diuers in your case like fathers with their owne children leauing nothing vnattempted to reforme your opinion before they proceeded to giue sentence A dutie that lieth vpon their shoulders with