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.

Answere.

Though al that the Treatiser alleadgeth in this sectiō, should be graunted, yet nothing is concluded against our Crosse. For whereas his conclusion should be this, Ergo. the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme, as it is vsed in the Church of England, is an Idoll, he bringeth vs only this conclusion, Ergo. the signe of the Crosse, in the Church of Rome, is an Idoll, his argument is this.

VVhat soeuer the Church of Rome doth adore, with di∣uine honor, & whervnto it yeeldeth both interne cōfidence, & outward worshipp, is an Idoll,

But the Church of Rome doth adore the sign of the Crosse with diuine honor, & yeeldeth vnto it interne cōfidence, & outward worshipp, Ergo.

The signe of the Crosse, in the Church of Rome, is an Idol.

The Maior is false. VVhat soever the Church of Rome doth adore, &c For so the bread in the Lords supper, should likewise be an Idoll, because the Church of Rome doth a∣dore it, with diuine honor, and yeeldeth both interne confi∣dence, and outward worshipp therevnto, as is better obie∣cted, then answered in the first obiection. Againe, if vnto those words, whatsoeuer the Church of Rome doth adore &c. is an Idoll, you had added those words, in the Church of Rome, your Maior had beene true, & we should not haue denied it. But from secundū quid, to cōclude ad sim∣pliciter, (as you alwaies doe,) is too simple a Conclusiō to deceaue any man, that is but a meane Logician: wee cannot

graunt that their is, eadem ratio vrbis et orbis: nor that that must needs be an Idol in euery place, that the Church of Rome hath made an Idol within hir owne Iurisdiction.

Touching the Minor, we partly graunt it, and part∣ly denie it: we graunt it, De signo crucis materiali, such as were Crucifixes, of wood, stone, or mettall, & plaine Crosses of all sorts, without the Image of Christ. And so we vnder∣stand all your proofes, two only excepted, whereof you shal heare our answer by and by. De signo, or rather de cō∣signatione crucis immateriali, drawen in the aire, or vpon the forehead, without any print remaining, we denie it, and answere to your two proofes, the one out of Bellar∣mine: Signū crucis quod in fronte, Vel in aere pingitur, est sacrum & venerabile: the other out of Costerus. Christi∣ani summâ veneratione coluerunt signum crucis, quo se quotidiè muniunt. that there is great difference betweene veneratio, the word that they vse in those places, and a∣doration, the word that you applie vnto them; The first expressiing only a reuerent regard, that they haue of the signe; The other a religious worship, which you say, they yeeld vnto it. J wil not take vpon me their defence, nor iustifie their absurdities, for J willingly acknowledge, that they haue too too superstitiously thought of this consig∣nation also, and extended their summa veneratio, to the highest degree of supersticious opinion, in ascribing too much power, vertue and efficacy thervnto, as you declar∣ed in the second place of this Section. But yet J cannot be persuaded, that signum sacrum & venerabile, or sūma veneratio, as they call it, do signifie adoration, with di∣uine honor, or interne confidence, and outward worship, as you affirme,

Three things therefore I answere to the Minor. First,

That the Papists doe indeed very superstitiously deeme, of the consignation of the Crosse in Baptisme, that it is of vertue, force, & efficacy, which we do vtterly & in plaine tearme deny. Secondly, I suppose that the Treatiser will never be able to proue that the cōsignatiō of the Crosse in Baptisme, (evē in the grossest time of Popery) was ever made an Idol, or had any divine adoration, or interne wor∣ship or externe honour exhibited vnto it. For first, howe could it, the thing ceasing to bee, as soone as ever it was made? and then, who should worship it? The childe could not, the Priest & people reflected rather their devotion to their materiall wooden Crosses, and mettall Crucifixes, which they had ever at hand, then to this immateriall transient marke. Ac certum est, omnes ferè Idololatras so∣litos semper fuisse, ne{que} Deum, vel verum, vel falsum, vel vllam creaturam, externa adoratione colere, & adorare, ni∣si sub, & in aliquâ figurâ illum representante, and so farre only holdeth that, which you alleadge out of Tho. Aqui∣nas, that every effigies, or likenes of the Crosse, is to bee adored, with the same honor, that is due vnto the Prototy∣pon: namely, if it be effigies, a materiall shape or simili∣tude, which remaineth post opus, not the immateriall ef∣figiatio, or signing, that passeth, and leaueth no impressi∣on, after the Action. As for your allegations out of S^t. Paule, that covetousnes is Idolatry and that vnto the Sar∣danapali, their belly is their God, the comparison is not e∣qual. For the divine honor, that you conceiue to be foū∣ded in consignatione crucis, is groūded only vpon a thing transient, & imaginary, but contrarywise, the Idolatry of the covetous man, and felicity of the belly-god, are both founded in materiali obiecto, vpon a reall, & not vpon an Imaginary foundation; Auarus tribuit the sauris suis quod

proprium est Dei, & Sardanapalus saginae suam foelicita∣tem.

Thirdly, J affirme, that though Poperie hath estee∣med superstitiously of the Crosse in Baptisme, which wee confesse, and given divine honor vnto it, which we thinke may very probably be denied: yet our consignation in Bap∣tisme, is altogether different from theirs, as before hath bin declared in the answere to the Minor of the maine Syllogisme.

Notes

• Zanch de re∣demp. li. 1. c. 17
• Tho. Aqu p 3. •• 25. 4. cap.
• Eph. 5 6. Coll. 3.5. Phil 3.19.
• Zanch. de redēp lib. 1. cap. 17.