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Touching your first observation, How daungerous a thing it is, &c. Though J haue said sufficiently before, yet this one word I adde more by way of remembrance: That if humane invention be brought into the Church, either with a purpose to a••tract any thing from the in∣stitution
of God, or to equall them to Gods ordinance, or to obscure & darken Christs institution, or to impose a yoke or burden vpon mens consciences, or with opinion either of efficacy or necessity, or with mixture of impiety and su∣perstition, or that they should be estemed any otherwise of, then of things indifferent: then we confesse, that it is indeed a thing very dangerous to bring any humane in∣uention into the seruice of God: and that the cursse of God wil alwaies accompany such inventions. But on the contrary side, if they be brought into the Church, only as Ceremonies, to attend Gods institution, as orna∣ments for decency, order, edification, and admonition, or if the causes, ends, and vses, for which they were first instituted, remaine still: (all which circumstances concur, in our vse of the Crosse in Baptisme,) then we see no rea∣son, why they may not lawfully be vsed in Gods seruice; and hould them not only free from Gods curse, but also accompanied with his blessing, so long as they are retain∣ed and obserued with these limitations:
Touching your second obseruation, how a thing may be iustly reputed Popish & Antichristian, though it were before that monster of Popery and Antichrist were hatch∣ed. J must needs say, you bring vs to a pretty & strange speculation, and deriue the pedegree of Popish Anti∣christianisme farther, then he that began the Troiā war gemino ab ouo: for you fetch it from before the egge, & the Hen too, and make me to remember that vaunt of the Arcadians, that boasted they were before the Moone.
That a Ceremony, that is opposite vnto the Doctrine & Gospell of Christ, (as you wrongfully suppose this to be) may be Antichristian, before Popery, J doe not denie, for, Euen now, saith Saint Iohn of his times, there are ma∣ny
Antichristes: The mystery of iniquity began to worke betimes; Jt wrought in Simon Magus, and his follow∣ers, while Christ was yet aliue; Jt wrought in Elimas the Sorcerer, in the false Apostles, and in the Nicholaitans, in Menander, Ebion, and Cerinthus, euen in the Apostls times; All these were Antichrists: And any heresy either in doctrine or Ceremony, that they held against the truth & word of Christ was Antichristiā. But that a thing should be Popish and Antichristian, and that before Popery was hatched is in my vnderstāding as if you should haue said, The chicken was a bird before the Hen peeped out of the shell. As in other things, so in Antichristianisme, Tē∣pora sunt distinguenda: or else we shal make a confusion of all things, and so speake of heresies, as if all heresies were but one heresie: and those which St. Iohn calleth many Antichrists, were but one Antichrist, called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that Antichrist whom you conceiue the Papacy to be.
You proue this, a simili, as worshipping of Angels in S. Paules time, &c. Antichristian they might bee rightly counted, because they were against the truth, and do∣ctrine of Christ, Popish they coulde not, because neither was Popery yet heard of, nor had the Papacy yet imbraced those superstitions.
Againe, that a thing should be Popish or Antichristiā, is not in the thing, but in the minds of them that make it Popish and Antichristian. For this you haue bin oftē told, that no ceremony can be Popish & Antichristian of it selfe: Ritum aliquem Aaronicum esse vel Antichristianum, in nullis haeret Dei creaturis, in nulla veste, in nulla figura, in nullo colore, aut vllo Dei opere, sed in animo & professione, bonis Dei creaturis, ad impias significationes abutentium.
Things are good, saith he farther, not only in their natu∣rall effects, as bread in the effect of feeding, & strength∣ning of the body: wine, in the effect of drinking & heat∣ing: but also in their diuers significations & admonitions: Quae scriptura docet, diabolo, vel malis hominibus, eā fac∣tam esse potestatem, vt abusu suo vllam queant Dei crea∣turam, et bonam etiam significando et admonendo, per se malam facere et impiam? wherfore nothing can be said to belong to the Preisthood of Aron, but that which is vsed to that superstition, as if it were necessary and profi∣table of it selfe to saluation, euen now after Christ is re∣ueled; or wherby some occasion, to imbrace or retaine that superstition, or to trouble the concord of Brethrē, may be ministred: So likwise no rite can be called Anti∣christian, but that, wherby some profession, and commu∣nication with Antichrist may be shewed, or may serue to that profession or communication: And a litle after he hath these words, very pertinent and effectuall to this purpose: Eam enim libertatem &c. For if any man wil say that this liberty (of Ceremonies) may be permitted to no Church of Christ, he must needes yeeld to one or o∣ther of these inconueniences, Ether that nothing is grā∣ted to the Churches touching the Lords supper, but that wheteof they haue the expresse commandement of Christ, and then al the Churches must be condemned of wick∣ed boldnes and presumtiō &c. Or that there are not any Churches, which the Lord doth so farre free from al sus∣pition and abuse of his good creatures, that al the good creatures of God are pure (through true faith in his nāe) to them that are pure, yea euen in their signification; which who soeuer shall say, he therin must also denie, Christ to be that Lord, which he hath promised him∣selfe
to be to al men, that is, their deliuerer from al vn∣cleannes: Or that wicked men by their abuse can so pol∣lute the creatures of God, which are good of themselus, as they can serue no godly man to a godly vse: which is manifestly against the testimony of the holy Ghost: Rō: 14.14. 1. Cor. 8.4. et 9.20. 1 Tim. 4.4. Or certainly that it is not lawfull for Christians, to dispose of al things, for admonition of their Creator and ours, of his benefits to∣wards vs, and of our duties towards him: which is repug∣nant to that, that the holy Ghost teacheth every where, concerning the knowledg and worship of God in al his works, and doing al things in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, to the glory of the father.
This testimony of Mr. Bucer J haue therefore repea∣ted at large, because therein two things very effectual to this present questiō are delivered. First, that the church hath libertie and power to ordaine thinges indifferent in Gods service: And secondly, that no abuse of other men cā so pollute the creatures of God, as that the pollution should ever after cleaue to the creatures, as the Leprosie of Naaman did vnto Giezi: but the corruptiō remaining only in the mindes of them that did defile the creatures, they become againe pure, to them that are pure, that is, to the faithful. Whence it followeth necessarily, that no∣thing can be iustly reputed Antichristian vnto any, but vnto them that vse it to that end, that Antichristian pro∣fession may be advanced by it, or with that opiniō, that they that are Antichristian doe ascribe vnto it: whervpō it must as necessarily ensue, that seeing we in the Church of England, do not vse the signe of the Crosse in Baptism, to advance the professiō of Antichrist, nor with those o∣pinions that Popish Antichristes doe ascribe vnto it, ther∣fore
vnto vs it remaineth pure and cleane, & leaveth the Popery and Antichristianisme, that it had, sticking stil in the mindes and consciences of Popish Antichrists. The foundation therfore of your observation being thus sha∣ken, we will now trie the iointes and sinewes of your ar∣gument, whereby you would conclude this Ceremonie to haue bin Antichristian in the Ancients, and therfore must bee also such in vs. Against the Ancients you ar∣gue thus.
- That which was the beginning, as it were, of the whorish fornications, and made way for the beast, may well be takē for Popish and Antichristian.
- But the abuses and opinion of vertue, and efficacy, that the Ancients had of the signe of the Crosse, were the begin∣nings of the whorish fornications, and made way for the beast.
- Ergo The abuses and opinion of efficacy and vertue, that the Ancients had of the signe of the Crosse, may well bee taken for Popish and Antichristian.
To the Maior. That which was the beginning &c. It is true in thē, in whō it was the beginning of whorish for∣nications, and in whō it made way for the beast, as in Si∣mon Magus, Elimas, the Nicholaitans, the false Apostls, and the Heretiques: al which, no doubt, gaue the begin∣nings to the whorish fornications, and made way to the beast. Jn the holy fathers that did not so, it cānot be iust∣ly reputed Popish, or Antichristian, as hath bin declared in the last words before.
To the Minor: But the abuses &c. Jt is false: for the Antients did not abuse it, neither had any opiniō of ver∣tue and efficacy of it, as is shewed in the 12. sect: & ther∣fore your cōclusiō toucheth none but thē, that were for∣runners
of Antichrist; Jt cannot touch the Antient fa∣thers, that opposed themselues, to the first working of the mystery & resisted the Heresies, that made way to the Beast. Like vnto this is your reason that you make a∣gainst our present vse.
- That which hath since receiued farther impiety, and autority from the Antichrist, may iustly be taken for Po∣pish & Antichristian now.
- But the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme in the Church of England, hath since receiued farther impiety & autority from the Antichrist.
- Ergo The signe of the Crosse in Baptisme in the Church of England, may iustly be taken for Popish and Antichristian now.
The Maior of this argument holdeth true as the Ma∣ior of the former did, that is, in them in whome it hath receiued farther impiety, and authority frō Antichrist, Jn others in whome it hath not receiued farther impie∣ty, it holdeth not.
The Minor is false, for in the Church of England the Popish abuses of the Crosse, haue receiued neither fur∣ther impiety, nor authority, but contrariwise are al re∣moued; and the first sincere vse of the Antients is re∣tained: For we vse this signe of the Crosse, in truth, to no other purpose, thē we vse the name or worde Crosse, that is, only for signification and admonition; and seeing there is no other difference betweene thē, but what the word soundeth vnto the eare, that the signe representeth vnto the eie, why should there be more fault founde with the one, thē with the other? or why should our vsing of more outward meanes, for helping our infirmities, in remem∣bring Christs passion be misliked, Seeing in al other mat∣ters,
the more meanes we vse to helpe our weakenes, the better we reckon of thē: Ex quo nostrae redemptionis pre∣tium in cruce pependit, illud ipsum crucis vocabulum an tea ignominiosissimum, nobis Christianis factum est hono∣rificentissimum. Jf the word Crosse be so honourable, be∣cause our Saviour somtimes hunge vpon the Crosse, why should the signe of the same thing be so daungerous and pernitious? And therefore your conclusion no way hur∣teth the Church of England, but only in the vniust calū∣niation, that it laieth vpon it, and in it vpon the Ancients whose reputation, and integrity, touching the Crosse, standing good as for any thing you can say against it (it alwaies wil) it is not possible for you to fasten the Popish abuses, and whorish fornications of the Romish Anti∣christ vpon our Church.
The exhortation, wherewith you conclude this your Treatise is good, in Thesi vnto al men, & even in this par∣ticuler Hypothesis of the Crosse in Baptisme, to thē that are intangled, & defiled with Popish conceipts, & super∣stitions. But vnto vs, that are no waies partakers of those corruptions, you might very wel haue forborne it.
The feare of a curse, least being partakers of the Romish Antichrists sins, you should also receiue of her plagues, keeps you, you say, from his superstitious Idolatries: The feare of a curse, ought, no doubt, to be a great bridle to restraine all men from doing evil. But we invite you not to be par∣takers of the Romish Antichrists sinnes, but only of our society, in our innocent and harmlesse Christian Ceremo∣nies. Wherin if you fear a curse, you fear where no cause of feare is. If you fear a curse indeed, as you pretend, you shall do wel to translate this feare of yours, frō the harm∣lesse vse of the Crosse, wherein either there is no danger
at all (as we are perswaded) or no certaine danger (which your selues cannot proue) vnto the most certaine & vn∣doubted dāger of disobedience; whervnto, without al per∣aduenture, there is due a fearfull and seuere curse, as we are taught by the exampls of Corah, Dathan, and A∣biram in the booke of God: To which purpose also the wise preacher, that sought to find out pleasant words, & an vpright writing▪ euen the words of truth, doth aduer∣tise vs, namely to take heed to the mouth of the King, & to the word of the oath of God, that is, as the Geneua note doth well expound, it, obey the King, & keepe the oath, that thou hast made for the same cause. Nae perturbatè a facie eius abito: For this is radix rebellionis, saith M. Cart∣wright, Siperturbatè animo ferri se patiātur: vnde fit, vt pleri{que} a subiectione debita deficiant, cum ira, indignati∣one, ambitione, lucri cupiditate, ab officio discedunt; This is the roote of rebellion, if men will suffer themselus to be caried with discontentment, from the presence of the King: whence it commeth, that many men fall from due subiection, when they depart from their duty, either for anger, or indignation, or ambition, or desier of gaine.
1. Ioh. 2.18.
2. Thess. 2.
Coll. 2.18.
Bucer de sacris vest. ad Hopp.
Beza in defen. & reprehens. Sebast. Castell.
Numb. 16.1.
Eccle. 8.2.
Cartwright in ••. 1. cap. 8 Eccl.