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
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
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