An ansvvere to a certaine treatise of the crosse in baptisme. Intituled A short treatise of the crosse in baptisme contracted into this syllogisme. No humane ordinance becomming an idoll may lawfully be vsed in the service of God. But the signe of the crosse, being an humane ordinance is become an idoll. Ergo: the signe of the crosse, may not lawfully bee vsed in the service of God. VVherein not only the weaknesse of the syllogisme it selfe, but also of the grounds and proofes thereof, are plainely discovered. By L.H. Doct. of Divinitie.

The Treatise. 1. Sect.

The vse of the Crosse in Baptisme is not a thing indif∣ferent, but vtterly vnlawfull, for this reason; It is against the Apostles precept. 1. Joh. 5.21. Babes keepe your selues from Idols.

Answere.

From the maine syllogisme, the Treatiser cōmeth to the proofe, first of his maior, and then of his minor.* 1.1 For so he telleth vs in the margent, and we must needes be∣leeue the margent, because it telleth vs so in Capital let∣ters. For otherwise if we looke vpon the words prefixed immediatly before his proofe, we shal finde a propositi∣on, that is nether the Maior nor the Minor of the former syllogisme, but a mixture & composition of them both, for it hath the tearmes of vnlawfull vsed in the Maior, & of the Crosse en Baptisme vsed in the Minor, & of a thing indifferent, never yet mentioned in either proposition. So that leaving that as an animal amphibion, and of the two, likelier to be the Minor, I rather beleeue the Mar∣gent then the Text. And that the Treatiser may in some honest sort seeme to conclude his fundamental proposi∣tion, I frame his argument after this manner.

That which is against the Apostles precept, Babes keepe your selues from Idols, may not lawfully be vsed in the ser∣vice of God.

But the vse of an Idoll is against the Apostles precept, Babes keepe your selues, &c. Ergo:

The vse of an Idoll is not lawfull in the service of God.

The Maior proposition I grant to be true, but vpon these conditions.

1 That you take the word against, in his proper signifi∣cation, for contrary or opposite vnto: & not for praeter be∣sides, or otherwise then the Apostle prescribeth, as most of your friends and favorites doe.

2 That herevpon you be not too insolent, and inferre this contrary conclusion, Ergo, Nothing may be vsed in the service of God, but that which is in the Apostles pre∣cept. For there are many things laudably vsed in Gods ser¦vice, whereof the Apostles haue giuen no precept. For whereas the Apostle S^t. Paul promised the Corinthians, other things will I set in order when J come, and yet ne∣ver after disposed, or set in order those other things, for ought that appeareth in any of his writings, our vndoub∣ted perswasion is, that both the Apostles left many things vnordered and vndisposed: & also in matters of Ceremo∣nie, belonging to order, decencie, and edification, there is alwaies a power left in the Church, to dispose, & order such things, according to the several times, places, na∣tures, and occasions of every Church.

To the Minor J answere, that the vse of an Jdoll, qua∣tenus an Idoll, that is, while it is an Idol, or as long as it re∣taines the forme, credit, and estimation of an Jdoll, is in∣deede against the Apostles precept: but this is no hinde∣rance, why wee may not vse that thing in Gods service, which is now reclaimed from the Idolatrous vse, though we certainely know, that it was sometimes vsed as an I∣dol, as before hath bin declared. For those things which are recovered out of the euil vses, wherevnto they were applied, and restored to holy vses in Gods service; Ipso

ministerio consecrata sancta dicuntur, in eius honore,* 1.2 cui pro nostrâ salute inde servitur.

But let vs now see how the Treatiser doth first explane the sentence of S. Iohn in this next section, & afterwarde confirme his explanation in the third.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Proofe of the Maior.
• * 1.2

  Aug. in ps. 113▪