those that were marked who elsewhere are called the elect of God or those whom the Lord knowes and graunts to be his because hee hath signed them with his seale and as the scripture saith Written their names in the booke of life For as saith S Paul 2. Cor. 1. verse 21. 22 Jt is he that hath annoynted vs sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of his holyspirit in our hearts God then declared to Ezechiell that Jerusalem should be destroyed by the Babylonians but yet notwithstanding that hee would spare some small number of them which feared him and mourned for the iniquities of their fellow Cittizens In contrarie sence is that spoken in the Apocalips 16. verse 2. The Angell powred foorth his vyall and there fâ—liagreeuous and noysome soare vppon the mer which had the marke of the beast as much to say as the seruants of Antechriste Such in the liuely sence of this place as it is most manifest to them who read it with iudgement and without partialitie yet is it badly wrested and so phistically applied by these fellowes who would hereon build the signe of the crosse whereof the Prophet neuer thought in all the passage The second foundation is a gathering of places from some of olde times confusedly recited and for the most part chaunged and altered as it may appeare by that allcaged of Saint Athanasius for Saint Athanasius magnifying the vertue of our Lord Iesus Christ said Jt appeared heerem That although the Pagans mocked at his death and passion yet the signe of the crosse and inuocation on the name of Christ should chase away deuils and make their diuinations to cease But that which the placarde auoucheth neuer was spoken by Saint Athanasus to wit that God made great account of this Signe and he caused it to be forctold by the Prophet Ezechiell Notwithstanding we denie not that to authorize the preaching of the Gospell reiected as then by the Pagans who stretched then almost through the world that God did many miracles by the name of Chirst Iesus crucified And that is it which the same Athanasius declareth in the beginning of his booke against Idols After the comming of the Crosse all adoration to Images was to be taken away and by that marke all deuillish deceites should be shased away and the only Christ worshipped and his Father knowns and those which blasphemed him dayly eonfounded By which woordes is witnessed the vertue of Christ acknowledged in his crosse and not any naked signe it is then Sophistrie to take seperately that which was spoken ioyntlytogither The second testimonie is of Epipbanius who speaking of one Joseph of Tiberias saith he was made a Christian in the time of Constantine vncharmed from the furnace and chopping of chalke to build a Christian temple in the Cittie of Tiberias Now we must not so slightly part from this testimonie because the placarde intends to proue hereby and in this example of Joseph that the Christians enemies haue themselues submitted to the signe of the crosse As for this Ioseph of whome hee speaketh he was not an enemie to the christians because he was a Christian and builded a temple vnto Christ now then it is very likely that whatsoeuer was done here in must needs be for the reasoÌ„ before named to wit if the charme were discharged by the power of Christ Iesus it was then through inuocation vpon his mightie name and not by any sillie naked signe If it happened by bad meanes one charme to be expelled by a counter charme as one venom or poyson is expulsed by another then God gaue efficacie to error to the end such as would bee deceiued so might be through their owne wilfulnesse The third is of Saint Gregorie in the third booke of his Dialogues and seuenth Chapter concerning a Iewe who beeing one night in the temple of Apollo where faith hee many deuils held their counsell hee made but the signe of the crosse and so was warranted from any harme Hee that in one word would vnwinde himselfe out of this place will say that such Dialogues are but filled with verie friuolous toyes But we e must bring in a more sound answere which is as hath been lately said that God did giue the strength of errour to Sathan whereby to deceiue men and Sathan seeing himselfe driuen from his Forte by Iesus Christ erected another Forte against the same Iesus Christ employing to such purpose the simplicitie of Christians in those times whose eyes he beganne in such sort to hood-winke that they might no more clearly see into the pure seruice of God Then afterward when Pagan-idolatrie began to decline day by day by the bright splendoure of true christian doctrine then the deuill steps in with idolatrie as greate or more daungerous in the midst of Christianitie so that the auncient Idols names were changed but the things themselues still continued and in flying before from the crosse hee hath done like them that draw backe to get more ground For if euer he inuented a strange kind of idolatry it was this which he brought in about the crosse Sathan finding an instrument in Christs owne house wherewith to chase the same Christ out of it if it were possible for him The fourth is of Nazeanzen who reciteth that Julian the Apostaâ—a figured himselfe with the crosse when he saw himselfe lost in an obscure place by euill spirits whereto one might answere as before but I heare one tel me that the example of such a miserable wretch ought not be alleaged for establishing any doctrin in the church for this were as if one wold proue Christ to be the son of the liuing God alleage the words spokeÌ„ by the deuil saying Thou art Christ the son of the liuing God Math. 8. verse 29. Mark 5. verse 7 To whoÌ„ our Lord imposed silence not willing to haue him a Preacher of truth who was the very father of lies In like manner they who by this deed of Julian the Apostata wold authorize the signe of the crosse mistak theÌ„selues too much ought to know that such an example is no way allowable As likewise is not their imitatioÌ„ who not beleeuing in God nor in the blessed Trinitie place before these names of God the trinitie the Angels Prophets the beginning of the gospel according to S. Iohn make mightie signes of the crosse for furthering their enchantmeÌ„ts Herehence it appeareth seeing such wicked enchanters charmes serue their own turn with euil means which simply are things no waies receiueable hereby we may wel set down this coÌ„clusion Since Julian the Apostasta and such like made the sigue of the crosse therby was succored as is said it is apparant that this proceeded not of god but only came froÌ„ Sathan who would more more fold him into such deceits as eueÌ„ so appointed by the iust iudgement of god For this case hapning extraordinarily serued so much the more for confouÌ„ding the abhominable wretch as
Sathans sleights who dooth like to them as one saith which teache the way onward by going backward For he durst neuer bee so bolde to thrust himselfe into the Christian Church by the knowledge of Iesus Christ crucified onely but publishing the praises of the Crosse hee hath made woode stones and paintings companions with Christ Iesus defacing quite the spirituall seruice of God introducing carnall fashions sauouring rather of Paganisme then Christianitie Seeing therefore all power vertue and dominion appertaines onely to him that sits vpon the throne we ought to see him not injuried in the least part of his right but likewise if it may be to engraue in mens harts a more deepe consideration of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ At the beginning of the Gospels preaching GOD sometimes would haue it knowne by extraordinarie meanes wherfore if then it pleased him to expresse his goodnesse in such sorte to his chosen it ought to bee acknowledged and his gracious support to bee thankefully remembred But if it hath pleased him that such as yet see slenderlie shall become more blinde or indeed altogether starke blinde it ought to be reckoned as his iudgement and so to bee obserued for a trueth for trueth is not trueth except it bee so quite throughout And to speake with Nazianzen If a precious stone loose his value by reason of some crack or vnsightlie flawe it is not to be doubted but that the puritie of Christian doctrine will be much impaired by the mingling or leauen of erronious teaching attributing to the signe or figure the vertue of him who would haue his Crosse fixed in our bearts and not tyed to our habits or planted either in fieldes or Citties These matters first heere noted haue vrged vs to resolue such allegations as are contayned in the first placard the Title whereof is Of the vertue of the Crosse The intent whereof is to shew that the materiall signe of the Crosse hath many great and goodly vertues where contrarywise all true Christians doo maintayne that all vertue and power ought to bee attributed to him crucified thereon This proposition is vnderpropped with a place out of Ezechsel the 9. v. 4. and by some other auncient passages but when the weakenesse of such a building shall be discouered it wil presently appeare howe easie it is to ouerthrow what soeuer is founded thereon Now to iudge rightly on this place wee cannot doo beter then to set downe the very words of the Prophet to the end we may thereby be ledde to the true sence In our language we deliuer it thus word for word with the Hebrew text Goe through the middest of the Cittie euen through the middest of Ierusalem and set a marke vpon the fore-heads of them that mourne and sigh for all the abhominations that be done in the middest thereof In this sence and in the selfe same words hath the Greeke translation yeelded them as likewise S. Hierome noteth that the seuentie Enterpreters and Aquila and Symmachus haue done the selfe same For as Thau in Hebrewe signifieth a marke or signe and is taken from the word Thauah that is to say to signifie or designe so true it is that Theodotion and the vulgar enterpretation haue held the word Thau taking it materially as it is spoken in the Schooles yet hereon many haue played at their pleasure For as the same Saint Hierome writeth Some haue saide that by the letter Thau which is the last of the Hebrew Alphabet is signified such as haue perfect knowledge Others say that by the same letter the law is vnderstood which in Hebrew is called Thorah of which word the first letter is Thau And finally the same Saint Hiereme leauing the Carracter vsed by the Propher searched the Samaritaine Carracters and saith that Thau among the Samaritaines hath the resemblance of a crosse but yet he sets not down at all the figure of this Thau of the Samaritaines Wherefore he perceiuing that this saying of his wold be further serched into addes imediately aftewards an other expositiō to wit As the letter Thau is the last in the Alphabet suen so sherby is represented those good people beeing the remnant of the multitude of the euilliuers But admit the letter Thau to be figured after the Hebrew Carracter or the Samaritaine Carracter by one onely figure yet is it easie to be seene that it hath a verie slender resemblance to an entire crosse For the Hebrew Carracter is made thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Samaritaine after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not the true figure of a crosse for it wantes that part aboue where the writing was fastened or title of the crosse as Lypsius hath well noted in the tenth Chapter of his first booke of the crosse That if the worde Thau had beene written with his Consonantes and one vowell as at this day it is read in the Hebre we text in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then it would haue much lesse resemblance But after the word let vs now come to the sence First of all it appeareth by that which is recited in the eight ninth chapters of Ezechiell that all there spoken of was represented in a mentall vision so that the things were not really done indeed In the second place it is a matter most euidēt that this Prophet was properly and particularly prepared or furnished against the Cittie of Jerusalem and the execution therof to be discerned when the Babylonians had taken and rased the Citie of Ierusalem leading some remainder of the people into captiuitie It is then beyonde reason that this which was spoken for a certaine time and place and for certaine persons should be turned and assigned else where which neuer was the intention of the spirit of God that then spake by the mouth of Ezechiell Moreouer it is no where to bee found that euer the Iewes were marked with any marke in the fore-head whatsouer and much lesse by the crosse which was a thing odious and ignominious then among all nations of the world that death beeing cursed amongst the Iewes following what is written in Deuter. 21. verse 23. That he was accursed who should bee hanged on a treee Now then the true sence of this passage in Ezechiell is that God declared howe when this great iudgement should be exercised on the cittie of Ierusalem they onely were to bee exempted who should bee marked by the spirit of God After this manner is vnderstoode what is read in the 12. of Exodus where the destroying Angel passed through the middest of Egypt and slewe all the first borne of the Egyptians but hee commaunded the Israelites to put the blood of the vnblemished Lambe for the Passeouer on the posts of their habitations to the end whē the Angel should passe by hee might see the marke of the blood and so passe on without offending the Israelites Likewise in the 7. of the Apocalips is mention made of
wel in his cōsciēce as before mē god himself The fift is of S. Augustine in his booke of 85 questions question 79. But this testimonie is falsly alleaged for it is not so read there as the placard sets it downe but rather in confirmation of that we haue deliuered in the two last witnesses yea that expresly the words are these Jf he wicked at any time obtaine somewhat by innocation on the highest God they begit for their bad desires and so this is not grace to them but the vengeance of God for the Apostle said not in vaine That God had giuen ouer such people to their owne hearts desires For that which our Lord said Sathan cannot cast out Sathan is not to bee esteemed false when any one hath cast out Sathan in vsing the names of some inferiour powers but it should bee vnderstoode that this was said to this ende albeit Sathan spare the bodie or the corporallsence he spares them but with intent to rule ouer the will and with greater glorie to triumph by the error of impietie These are the words of Saint Augustine which properly appertaine to the prodigious effects many times happening about the crosse For Sathan slies from the body to the ende hee may get entrance into the soule cares not for troubling the corporal sence because he would raigne altogither in the will or rather in the desire as faith the same S. Angustine The sixt is out of the first booke of S. Augustines confessions Chap. 11. yet impertmently alleaged For there S. Augustine declares nothing else but that beeing as yet in his mothers wombe he was marked with the marke of the crosse of Christ Iesus and seasoned with his salt That is to say that beeing the sonne of a good christian woman he was designed to be a Christian to receiue the outward signe therof agreeing with Saint Paul 2. Cor. 7 verse 14. That the children of the faithful are sanctified and the alliance with God is made to them and their posteritie after them The seuenth is out of the booke called The visitation of the sicke whereto one answeres that that booke is falsely attributed to S. Augustine as it hath verie well beene noted of long time by the learnedst Diuines and not long since by the doctors of Louaine in the impression of S. Augustines workes printed by Plantin at Antwerp the yere 1576. with priuiledge from the Emperor the kings of France Spaine The eight is out of 130. Sermon de tempore But that Sermon is likewise none of Saint Augustines but forged by some moderne writer as the same Doctors of Louaine haue also well noted in the self-same impression Yet notwithstanding in that sermon is no speech vsed of the signe of the crosse but there is said that the crosse sheweth the combat of Christ and the resurectiō declareth the triumph of him which we in like maner auouch and maintaine The ninth is out of the 12. booke against Faustus the Manichean Chap. 30 which place serues to confirme what wee haue alleadged in exposition of the words in Ezechiels 9. chapter For Saint Augustine makes an Antithesis of what was done vnder the law and what hath happened vnder the Gospell speaking thus As the doores and ports of the Israclites dwellings were marked with the bloud of the Paschal-Lambe to the end their perdition might bee auoyded so the people since are marked in the forehead with the signe of Christs passion to the same intent Which may as well be vnderstood of the bloudshed and all the sufferings endured by our Lord Jesus yea better and much rather then of the bare signe of the crosse The tenth is out of the booke entituled the difference betweene the Church the Sinagogue which alleadgeth the same place of Ezechiels 9. chapter before spoken of That booke is none of Saint Augustines neither carrieth testimonie of any good authour but rather it seemes the compiler thereof was some Courtier or Ciuillian so say the doctors of Louaine in the same impression The eleuenth is drawne from the nineteenth Sermon of the Saints but that Sermon is not as likewise these others Saint Augustines as appeares by the same Louaine Doctors the 9. Tom pag 700 2. C. The twelfth is out of the 22. of the citie of God chap. 8. where it is said A certain Ladie of Carthage was healed of a cankre in her brest hauing bin warned before in her sleep to be marked with the sign of the crosse by the first baptisd woman which should come before her But in the same place it is likewise saide that she before prepared her selfe for god onely in deuoute prayer to him to whom shee attributed her healing not vnto the signe the woman had made For it appeareth by the demaund made how shee was cured and the aunswere is returned by the heathen Phisition in these tearmes What a great matter hath Christ done in healing a cankre when he could raise vp Lazarus who had lien dead foure daies before It is then to God onely and not to the signe of the crosse that this healing is to be reputed The thirteenth is out of the exposition of 36. Psalme in these words In olde time offendours were crucified now no more is crucified the crosse was in honour and to his ende it was at his end inrespect of his punishment but now it remaineth with him in glory The aunswere is that hee speakes not of the signe of the crosse but shewes how Princes and Monarches hauing embraced Christ crucified did him honor in submitting to him their seepters crowns which they had especially prepared in honour of his crosse and passion wherof hereafter more shall be spoken The foureteenth is taken from the third treatise on S. Iohn in these words If we be Christians wee will haue some feeling of Iesus Christ We will beare in our foreheads the marke of him whereof wee will not blush a iote if we beare it likewise in our hearts the marke of him is the humilitie of him With this testimonie wee wil ioyne because of the breuitie al the other following which are about ten in number and because they very necrely iumpe all with this heere spoken that christians signed themselues on the forcheads we will then acknowledge that in times past this custome of signeing on the forchead hath bin brought in By whom or how it matters not for in things doubtful as this is it is best to followe the rule of Saint Athanasius If wee bee resolued saith hee let vs make our recourse to the Saints that is to the Apostles writings who had more exact knowledge of Euangelicall matters then we can haue Beside it is certain that neither Iesus Christ nor his Apostles haue made any mention at al therof if it had beene a thing either necessarie or expedient there is no doubt but they would haue done it Wherefore wee will say with S. Hierome That it is nothing else but prating
built he made the tree to be cut downe but it could neuer be made to serue to any vse wherefore it was reiected and made a Bridge of ouer a certaine Lake When the Queene of Saba came to see Salomon shee would not goe ouer the Bridge became shee had been before aduertised in a vision that on that wood should one bee hanged who should destroy the Kingdome of the Iewes Which when Salomon heard of hee caused it to be buried very deepe in the earth in the place where a Poole was afterwarde made which Poole had the vertue of healing sickenesse by reason of the wood for it came foorth of the earth and floated aboue vpon the water at the houre when Iesus Christ was to bee crucified and therefore the Iewes made the crosse thereof Beholde what hath beene inuented and preached to poore people onely to make the crosse bee honoured as it is to be read in the 21. Sermon of the booke called The Sermons of the Disciple But let such consider that the auncient Christians vsing of the crosse in whatsoeuer matters by them mannaged was but the simple practise of Saint Paules meaning when he said J am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ For because euery one as well Iewes as Paganes mocked at Christ and his Crosse was become a scandall to some and folly to others the more they stroue to defame it the more the christians endeuoured to adorne it Heereup on they opposed the Crosse to all thinges and in all places as a moste honourable marke whereby they sufficiently declared that they would haue part of Christes opprobry to the ende hee might impart to them some of his glory And therefore said Chrisostome That Ensigne should bee more honoured then all the Crownes and Diademes could be For this cause the Emperours and Kings made applycation therof to their Crownes and Scepters so much the more to shame confound the Iewes Pagans whom S. Ambrose bringeth in thus speaking Wehaue crucified Jesus to the end the Christians may rise after death and that the dead may raigne We haue crucified him whome Kings shall honour Whence happened that the Princes which persecuted Christ became Preachers and their Vestiments serued to repaire the crosse that faith might shine foorth the more gloriously Vpon the same occasion it is said that the crosse should be a tree faire and splendant adorned with the purple of kings and more brightsome then the starres And Theodoret in the third booke of his historie chap. 27. writeth That by all the crosse should bee borne to testifie the triumph of Christ But all this while they attributed nothing to the crosse onely or the bare figure therof for Constantine gaue acknowledgement that the victoric which happened to him was through Christ and not the crosse and so he caused to be written on the crosses by him erected these three words Iesus Christ ouercame after that manner made his prayers of the crosse Helena likewise worshipped the king and not the crosse For else it had bin a Pagan errour vilde vanitie faith Saint Ambrose In this forte may christians honour the crosse for who makes any question but in our wars against the Iews or Mahumetists we may beare our Ensignes orarmes crossed for publicke testifying to the Infidels that wee are Christians and our aduersaries are miscreants andvoyd of faith So may the crosse be engrauē on money to shew that it is the coyne or stampe of a christian Prince So may the crosse be placed on the gates of Citties Castles or houses to deliuer apparantly that the Inhabitants in such places do make profession of christianitie So was it long since ordained that the instruments of contractes or bargaining made by publike notaries should be sealed and signed with the crosse as it is read in lib. de Cod. And in such like polliticke considerations we reiect not the vse of the material crosse As Constantine in the very same respect forbad to punish malefactours any more with the death of the crosse To the ende saith Saint Augustine in his 36. Treatise on Saint Iohn They should not be honoured by such a punishment For the same reason was it forbidden by the Emperor Theodosuts to engraue the crosse in earth and a paine decreed against all such as despised or cast the crosse at their heeles Now withall is to be remembred that then the crosse was but two peeces of woode thwarte one another hauing no shape of a crucifixe much lesse of the blessed virgine Marie as since then in diuers crosses the image of the crucifixe is on one side and that of the mother on the other as if she had borne companie with our Sauiour in his sufferings and she in some sort had wrought the redemption of mankinde Then they had not read the goodly disputation betweene the Cordeliers and the Jacobines in the time of Pope John the 22. of that name the Cordeliers maintaining that the crucifixe ought to be naked onely with a crowne of thornes the Jacobines iustified that hee was to weare a crowne on his head and a royall robe with all As for the honour done by some in this case they of olde crowned him simplye with flowers but it was for speciall instruction to the beholders for thus they intended that whosoeuer would haue the crowne and pertake in the reward he must first of all beare his crosse for so hath the Poet Prudentius written To beare the crosse must be thy paine If thou desire the crowne to gaine But in the end these matters grew so forward that the crosse was broght into the temples and saluted in these woordes O Crux aue Al haile O crosse which are but fond speeches Then inuocation was made to it saying Auge pits iustitiam reisque dona veniam Encrease the iustice of the good and pardon the offendors Likewise Crucem tuam adoramus Domine Lord we adore and worship thy crosse Which are indeede blasphemous speeches For to Iesus Christ onely shuld such a praier be made It is Iesus Christ who is the son he ought to be kissed and not the crosse of wood So that albeit wee may honour one another ciuilly following no more then is commaunded the inferiour to honor their superiours yet when question is made of religious or deuoute honor they are matters not according to giue all honour to one onely God and his sonne and yet to diuide a portion thereof to any man or a materiall crosse or any creature whateuer Yet are not these questionaries them selues fully agreed hereabout for one hath demaunded with what kinde of honour it is to be worshiped Some say that the verie crosse which touched the bodie of Iesus Christ oght to be honored with Latria seruice or by the means of Hyperdulia humble dutie but others beleue that it shuld be serucd with the honour of Dulia bond-seruice as much to say that the true crosse ought to bee reuerenced with the honour due to Christ and
other Crosses should bee reuerenced with such honour as seruants owe vnto their maisters And this is the resolution of the second placarde which like wise it becomes vs to consider of and briefly search into the bottome of it There are diuers places of our elders alleadged but without sence and quite from the Authors meaning that writ them For when they of olde time speake of the crosse they did not vnderstand thereby two pecces of wood th wart one another but the misterie of our redemption the true summarie accomplishment wherof was by the crosse death and passion of Iesus Christ And this equiuocall or double signification of the crosse beeing not perceiued by these Sophisters makes theÌ„ to erre and they cause other to do the like Heerevpon it was that Chrisostome said The crosse is the cause of al our blessednesse it is the christians hope resurection of the dead and a guid to the blinde c. And as for the materiall crosse behold what one hath written therof We honour not neither desire to haue such a crosse as the expresse wordes are to bee read in the 8 booke of Arnobius answering to the Pagans obiections which blamed the christians as if they had honoured the crosse of wood For the same reason Athanasius saith in his 16. question those which he writ vnto Antiochus That the Christians declared how they honoured not the crosse when they laid togither two peeces in such sort they acknowledged it to bee no more then wood and woulde not prostrate themselues before it as now they do setting vp crosses onely to be honored And heerevppon saith Epiphanius that passing by a village named Anablaiha and entring into a Temple where hung a painted cloath hauing an image thereon of Iesus Christ or some other Sainte hee rent the cloath in peeces because they kept it there contrary to the Scripture this is at large to be read in his Epistle translated by Saint Hierome Wherevpon the same Saint Hierome saith that no other image of God is to be honoured but that which is God with God as much to say as the sonne of GOD Which is the engrauen forme of the essence of God Hebr. 1. verse 3. and in this sence we holde with the testimonies alleaged in the placard But because the Church of Rome containes not it selfe within these limits but aymeth at a materiall crosse it is apparant that it maintaineth vnsufferable idolatrie And to the end it may appeare that wee wrong them not in saying so marke heere the verie words they vse when they hallow the wood of the crosse Digneris Domine benedicere hoc lignum crucis vt sit remedium salutare generi humano sit soliditas fidei bonorumque operum profectus redemptio animarum tutela contra saeâ—a iacula inimicorum which is thus interpreted Lord that it might please thee to sanctifie this wood of the crosse to the end it may be a healthfull remedie to mankind assurance of faith aduancement of good workes redemption of soules and a defence against the cruell dartes of the enemies Againe Crucem tuam adoramus Domine O Lord we adore and worship thy Crosse Againe O crux adoranda ô crux speciosa hominibus amabilis sanctior vniuersis quae sola digna fuisti portare talentum mundi Dulce lignum dulces clanos dulcia ferens pondera Serua presentem cateruam in tuis hodis laudibus congregaram O crosse which oughtest to be honoured O crosse which oughtest to bee regarded Amiable to men more holy then all Which only wast woorthie to beare the worlds talent Sweete woode which bearest sweete nailes and a sweet burthen Saue this present Congregation assembled in thy praises Againe Crux fidelis inter omnes arbor vna nobilis Nulla sylua talem profert fronde flore germine Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinet Faithfull crosse the onely noble tree among all other No forrest euer bare the like for boughes flowers and branches This sweet wood bare sweete nailes and a sweete burthen Wherein is to be noted that this Himne saith it is a tree albeit others namely the Canonists say that it was made of foure woods to wit of Palme of Cedar of Cipres and of Oliue-tree Of like stuffe is the French prayer which is vsually reade at all houres and is in the booke called Houres that which Michaell Joue imprinted at Lyons 1568 according to the vsage at Rome and is in this manner Saincte vraye croix adoree Qui du corps Dieu fut adornee Et de sa grand ' sueur arrosee Et de son sang enluminee Par ta vertu par ta puissance Garde mon corps de mal meschance Et m'ottroye par ton plaisir Que vray confez puisse mourir In English thus Holy crosse truely to be worshipped Which with Gods bodie was adorned And with his great sweate sprinckled And with his bloud illumined By thy vertue by thy puissance Keepe my bodie from all mischance And graunt if so thy pleasure be Truly confest that J may die Nor is it onely called the adorned crosse but likewise the adored crosse as on the holy Friday it is termed worshipped in regard of the adoration of the crosse as that day there So that if the time when the crosse is honoured is called holy the place likewise where the crosse is to be erected is also hallowed and the handes and fingers of them that erected it For there must bee some reason allowed to the circumstances and instruments as well in one as the rest or to speake as we ought he must needs be his crafts-maister that will not let the stench of such impietie be descerned or felt by them whose breath idolatry hath before poysoned Like follies and blasphemies commit they about the lance or speare wherewith the side of our Sauiour was pearced First that it was sent by the great Turke Baiazeth to Pope Jnnocent the eight of that name in the yeare 1490. if the account lye not of which holy speare the feast is celebrated on the Friday after the Octaues of Easter and thereto is appoynted this prayer following Aue ferrum triumphale Jntrans pectus tu vitale Caeli pandis ostia Foelix basta nos amore Per te fixi saucia Thus Englished Triumphant Jron be thou blest VVhich entring in the vitall brest Heauen gates didst open spread Holy speare do vs wound VVith the loue of him profound VVhich by thee was pearced dead So that whosoeuer will beleeue these people must likewise worship S. Lanthorne Saint Spunge Saint Ladder Saint Cord Saint Whippe and other instrumeÌ„ts wherewith the hang-men tormented Iesus Christ Let then these Sophisters bite their nailes as long as they please to ouerthrowe this shamefull taxation yet shall they neuer make of wood more then wood And because they blesse themselues with this wood bowing downe their heades before it and calling it the health remedie for mankinde wee
say that they are more blockish then wood if they will not acknowledge the great fault they commit in honouring the wood in stead of applying such dutie to him who bare our sinnes in his bodie on the crosse of wood We are not likewise ignorant of their goodly verses Effigiem Christ c. but we say it is also a drugge answerable to that which we call to bring one a sleepe For certainly this is to make the ignorant sleepie wheras such as receiue instruction out of Gods schoole do hold that seeing god in no case will be honoured by images it is a matter altogither intollerable that mē should haue any images to worship For Idolatrie is committed when we honour Idoles or honour God otherwise then hee would be honoured as appeareth by the Prophets speeches of them that worshipped in high places They are reprooued not for that they worshipped God but because they worshipped him otherwise thē hee had allowed in his ordenance For hee woulde haue but one place onely to wit the temple of Ierusalem where hee would be serued and they honoured him in woods and on mountaines This is the reason why the Samaritaines who called themselues the children of Iacob were reprooued because they worshipped in the mount Gartzin albeit they yet prepared themselues to God For this reason in the Elibertine Councell held in the time of the first Councell of Nice the 36. Canon were set downe these words It is ordained that in the Church shall bee no kinde of paintings to the ende that that which is honoured and worshipped should not be figured in any resemblance Their answere hereto is friuolous for they say They worship them not because they put no trust in them To worship is to encline ones selfe thereto to make signes of humiliation and bowing the knees as may be seene by the scriptures manner of speaking which by bowing of the knee noteth idolatrie as appeares by the answere made to Elias 1. Reg. 19. verse 18. Where the true seruants of God opposed to idolatours are marked out by this That haue not bowed their knees before Baal nor kissed him with their mouths These kinde of words vseth the scripture for describing of idolatours that they bend themselues burne incense and kisse the hand or the lippes all which the church of Rome doth to images reliques crosses the conclusion then is manifest they are idolatours because they do the deeds of idolatours But that which is alleadged out of the 21. of Numbers maye not bee let passe lightly for if there be an example which formally and firmly plucketh downe the abuse committed about the crosse it is that of the brazen Serpent That was made by Gods commandement therefore it was no Jdol Now albeit that by the lawe generally God forbad to make the image of any thing in heauen the earth or waters vnder the earth so it is that not being bound to his law because he is aboue it it pleased him to dispence therwith euen as himselfe dispensed with the law gaue cōmandement to make this serpēt the figure of the exaltation of Iesus Christ lifted upon the crosse as himself witnesseth in the third of John verse 14. Not that it was eleuated on wood made crosse-wise as they vse commonly to picture it for it was lifted vp on a standard or poste as the text saith but because it was to bee lifted vp and they which by Gods commaundement looked thereon should be healed Now let vs see what ensues heereon From that instant till the time of the good king Ezechias about the space of seuen hundreth thirtie fiue yeares there was no speech at all of this brazen Serpent It happening then the people making obeysance therto worshipping it because it had been made by Moyses and was so kept for the space of 735. yeares Ezechias brake it and caused it to be burned From hence we gather if images in generall and especially that of the crosse were neuer made by the commandement of God but by the diffidence and presumption of men who thought God did neither see nor heare them except they had such images before their eyes especiallye such as haue beene brought in wee knowe not since when howe farre off ought they to bee from vs When it shall come to this point that they were not begun to any such purpose it is then euident that they ought to be taken away as Ezechias did the Serpent because at first it was not framed to bee worshipped And because of the abuse which hath risen heereabout it were very necessary to be generally abandoned For Idolatry is no part of those things whereof one will say Correct the abuse yet holde the vse because in whatsoeuer sort the I doll is taken yet it is as nothing And when question is made for reformation of such disorders wee should follow the saying of Iesus Christ in Math. 19 verse 8. Jt was not so from the beginning If then at the beginning when the Apostolique Church was pure and truth sincere the signe or forme of the Crosse was not made it was no where appointed saluted nor worshipped it was very ill done to bring in this corruption which can no way well be called a custome and much worsse is it to retaine it still There remaines one testimony out of the first book of Sozomenus Chap. 4. where it is said That the souldiers of Constiantne did highly honor his Standard made in forme of the Crosse and that many miracles were done among them which being consessed concludeth not that therefore wee ought to honour the material Crosse For say that they did honour it or did such things as ought not to be done it is resoluedly to be held that in such actions they are not to be imitated Considering the conclusiō serues to the contrary to wit if the Crosse ought to be honored because it did a miracle It followes then that the Crosse which neuer did miracle ought not to be honoured Now it is most certaine that of an hundred thousand crosses 3. cannot be found that did any miracle no though wee should alleadge their own accounts the effectes shewed by them with the histories which these exorcistes doe confirme Witnes the example of that so holy renowned doctour Picard other Sorbonists who in the yeere 1552. could not by their exorcismes Crosse holy water chase a spirit out of a maidens body in Paris No more could the Munke of St. Benet brought to Roome by the Cardinall Gondy in the yeere 1554. driue forth the cuill spirits cut of the bodies of 82. maidens notwithstanding all his coniurations for the space of sixe monethes together as Bodinus saith in in the 3. booke Chap. 6 of his Demonomanie So then all those Crosses of Roome which surpasse other in holinesse and miraculous vertue by reason of the sanctity which is there obtained hauing no more power then those of the Munkes haue little duety to be honoured for