The faith, doctrine, and religion, professed, & protected in the realme of England, and dominions of the same expressed in 39 articles, concordablie agreed vpon by the reuerend bishops, and clergie of this kingdome, at two seuerall meetings, or conuocations of theirs, in the yeares of our Lord, 1562, and 1604: the said articles analised into propositions, and the propositions prooued to be agreeable both to the written word of God, and to the extant confessions of all the neighbour churches, Christianlie reformed: the aduersaries also of note, and name, which from the apostles daies, and primitiue Church hetherto, haue crossed, or contradicted the said articles in generall, or any particle, or proposition arising from anie of them in particular, heereby are discouered, laid open, and so confuted. Perused, and by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England, allowed to be publique.

To the Christian Reader.

Christian, and beloued Reader, let me request thee to obserue well the first section of the proofe of this present proposition; and therein howe I speake of ceremonies, and traditions apparently impious, a∣mong

which I doe reckon papisticall Crosses, whereunto the Romanistes doe attribute diuine adoration, as elsewhere in this booke, and subscrip∣tion of mine, I haue declared, and could more copiouslie; but the re∣liques of a Libell of theirs, left in the parrish church of Euborne in Barkshire an. 1604, sufficiently shal expresse the thoughts of Papists touching their Crosse, and Crossing: whose words be these:

Nowe Ma. Parson, for your welcome home, Read these fewe lines, you knowe not from whom. You hold Crosse for an outward token, and signe, And remembrance only, in religion thine; And of the profession the people doe make. For more then this comes to, thou dost is not take. Yet holy Church tells vs, of holy Crosse much more g 1.1. Of power, and virtue to heale sicke, and sore; Of holinesse to blesse vs, and keepe vs from euill, From fowle feend to fend vs, and saue vs from Deuill; And of many miracles, which holy Crosse hath wrought, All which by tradition, to light Church hath brought. Wherefore holy worship, holy Church doth it giue; And surely so will we, so long as we liue. Though thou saist Idolatrie, and vilde superstition, Yet we knowe it is holy Churches tradition. Holy Crosse then disgrace not, but bring it in renowne. For vp shall the Crosse goe, and you shall goe downe.

Of this Crosse I spake, and mean••, and of none other, when I number it among things meerely impious, and vnlawfull. And therefore haue I not a little woundred at those my Bre∣thren, which drawe these words of mine in this section vnto the Crosse vsed in our church at Baptisme h 1.2, which I neuer thought, nor take to be either papisticall, or impious, because none adoration, not so much as ciuill, much lesse diuine, is gi∣uen thereunto, either by our church in generall, or of any mi∣nister, or member thereof in particular. If they haue no other Patrons for their not vsing, or refusing the ceremonie of the Crosse then my selfe, they are in an ill case. For both in my

iudgement, and practise I doe allowe thereof. This their peruer∣ting of my words, contrarie to their sence, and my meaning, telleth mee that other mens wordes, and names are but too much abused by them in that booke, to the backing of schisme, and faction in the Church, and State, which from our soules we doe abhorre.

Notes

• g 1.1

  Vide Coster. Iesuit. enchirid. Controuers. c. 11. de S. Cruce. pag. 358. &c.
• h 1.2

  Abrid. of the Lincolne▪ mi∣nist Apolog. vnto K. Iames, an. 1605. pa. 30.