Page 506
ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IIII.
••. Seruing.]* 1.1 There can be no external vvorship of God nor association of men in religion, either true or false, vvithout the vse of corporal things or elements. The Heathen so vsed the crea∣tures of elements that they serued them as their goddes. The Ievves, of vvhom the Apostle here speaketh, serued not the creatures them selues vvhich they occupied in their ceremonies; but they serued the only true God vnder the elements: that is to say, being serullely clogged, yoked, kept occupied and in avve, vvith innumerable fleshly, grosse, and combersom offices about creatures. The Christians neither serue elements, as the one, nor be kep•• in seruile thraldom thereby, as the other: but occupie only a fevv exceding easie, svvete, seemely, and significant for an agreable exer∣cise both of body and minde.* 1.2 Vvhereof S. Augustine saith thus, li. 3. c. 9▪ de doct. Christ. Some fevv for many, most easie to be done, most honorable for signification, and most cleare and pure for to be obserued and kept, hath our Lord, him self and the Apostolical discipline deliuered. And li. de ver. relig. c. 17. Of the vvisedom of God it self mani nature being taken, vvhereby vve vvere called into libertie, a fevv Sa∣craments most holsom vvere appointed and instituted, vvhich might conteine the societie of Christian people, that is, of the free multitude vnder one God. And againe, cont. Faust. li. 19. c. 13. The Sacraments are changed, they are made caesier, fevver, holsommer, happier, the same he hath in the 118 epistle c. 1. and many other places besides. By vvhich you may see, it is not al one to vse elements, visible Sacra∣ments or ceremonies, and to serue them as the Pagans do, or to serue vnder them as the Ievves did, vvherevvith the Heretikes calumniously charge the Christians.* 1.3 And as touching the small number, facilitie, efficacie, and signification, vvherein the said holy father putteth the special difference: vvho seeth not that for so many busie sacrifices, vve haue but one: for Sacraments vvel nere infinite, but seuen: al so easie, so ful of grace, so significant, as can be possible, as of euery one in their seueral places is proued?
Here,* 1.4 let the good Readers take heede of a double deceite vsed by the Aduersaries about S. Au∣gustines places alleaged. first, in that they say he made but tvvo Sacraments, vvhich is vntrue, for, although treating of the difference betvvene the Ievvish Sacraments and ours, he namely giueth example in Baptisme and the Eucharist (as sometimes also for example he nameth but one) yet he hath no vvord nor signe at al that there should be no moe. but contrarievvise in the foresaid epistle 118 he insinuateth,* 1.5 that besides those tvvo, there be other of the same sort in the Scriptures. Yea, vvith water and bread, which be the elements of the tvvo foresaid Sacraments, he expresly nameth oile also (li. 2. cont. lit. Petil. c. 104.) the element or matter of the Sacrament of Confirma∣tion:* 1.6 which in the same place he maketh to be a Sacrament as Baptisme is. So doth he affirme of the Sacrament of Orders li. 1 de bapt. c. 1. and also of Matrimonie li. de bono coniug. c. 24. of Penance likevvise, he speaketh as of Baptisme, which he calleth Reconciliation, li. 1. de adult. conjug. c. 28. Lastly, by the booke de visitatione infirmorum in S. Augustine, li. 2 c. 4. by Prosper de pradictionibus p. 2. c. 29. S. Innocentius ad Eugubinum Io. 1. Cont. ep. ad Eugub. c. 8. S. Cyril li. 2. in Leuiticum, and S. Chrysostom li. 3 de Saterdotio,* 1.7 Extreme vnction is proued to be a Sacrament. It is false then that the Heretikes affirme of S. Augustine, by vvhose doctrine it is plaine, that though the elements or Sacraments of the new lavv be but few and very fevv in comparison of those in the old lavv, yet there be no fevver then seuen specified by him. Vvhich number of seuen the holy Councels of Florence and Trent do expresly define to haue been instituted by Christ, against these late Heretikes. See more of these Sacraments in their places. Act. 8. 1 Tim 4. Io. 20. Ia. 5. Ephes. 5.
The other forgerie of the Aduersaires concerning the elements or ceremonies, is, that S. Au∣gustine (ep. 119. c. 19.) should affirme, that the Church and Christian people in his daies (vvhere∣vpon they inferre that it is so much more novv) vvere so loden vvith obseruation of vnprofitable ceremonies,* 1.8 that they vvere in as great seruilitie and subiection to such things as the Ievves. He saith so in deede of some particular presumptions, inuentions, and vsages of certaine persons, as that some made it a heinous matter to touch the groūd vvith their bare feete vvithin their ovvne octa∣ues, and such like vanities, whereby some simple folkes might be infected, vvhich this holy Doctor specially misliked, and vvisheth such things (as they may, vvithout scandal) to be taken avvay. But that he vvrote or meant so of any ceremonie that the Church vseth, either appointed by Scrip∣ture, or Councel, or custom of the Catholike Church, him self denieth it in expresse termes in the same place, and in sundrie other: vvhere he allovveth al the holy ceremonies done in the ministra∣tion of the Sacraments and els vvhere. Vvhereby it is cleere, that the Churches most comely orders and significant 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pertaine not to the yoke of the old lavv, much lesse to the superstition of Gentilitie, as Heretikes affirme: but to the svveete yoke of Christ and light burden of his lavv, to order, decencie, and instruction of the faithful, in al libertie, loue, faith, grace, and spirit.
9. Vveake and poore.] Vvhether he meane of the creatures vvhich the Gentils serued (as it may seeme by the vvordes before of seruing strange gods) so the elements vvere