as may be instanced in all â—â—â—â—ticks of former times whereby the other three Patriarchical Seats of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem have been first corrupted and afterwards with Mahumetiâ—m overwhelmed as now likewise hath almost happened unto the Churches of Greece after they had been ten severall times unitâ—d to the Church of Rome and faln again from it who yet never arrived unto that fraâ—â—tick and witlesse folly of Protestants affirming the Succession of Popes in S. Peters Chair even almost since the Apostles time for 1000. years at lâ—ast past to have been Antichrist that single man and professed enemy of Christ mentioned by S. Paul who is certainly to be received by the Jews to raign in Hierusalem and tread the holy City under his feet to sit as a God in the Temple reedified by him to kill Enoch and Elias there the two faithful witnesses of Christ lying afterwards three dayes together naked in the Streets of that City the glory of whose raign is to continue but three years and a half called by Daniel and S. John a time two times and half a time numbred by forty two months or which is all one by 1260. dayes when Christ shall shorten the rage of his persecution for the good of his elect and kill this wicked man with the breath of his own mouth All which particulars contained in Scripture one by one can no more agree to the whole Succession of Roman Bishops than to the Turkish Emperours for these thousand years past nor indeed so much because these have had the possession of Hierusalem for many ages together and ever have been enemies to Christ and Christians whereas Popes have ever been his faithfull Servants his Vicars here on earth and chief Pastors of his flock by his own Ordination So as â—othing could have been devised more injuriously to Christ or more derogating from his glory in redeeming us than to affirm as in effect they do that the Devill timely prevailed against him for the overthrow of his Church and that also by the Roman Bishop and Chaire of Peter whereon as a Rock he promised to build so firmly as hell gates to wit no power of men or Devils should prevail against it In the mean time if ad Thess 2. we will with holy Fathers and all antient or modern Interpreters examine that obscure place of S. Paul concerning the mystery of iniquity working in his time it was not understood of Popes but of Hereticks beginning then to rise and preparing a way for Antichrists coming for which cause they are called by S. John Antichrists as by corrupting the true faith forerunners of him And never any Sect or sort of Hereticks did perform this wicked Office against Christ his Church more than modern Hereticks have done in their pretended reformation of our Church and Religion Whose malice against the Bishop of Rome is so far extended as even that blessed Apostle himself whose Chair they succeed in is so undervalued by them that they seek to deny many especial privileges of our Saviours love towards him magnified by all ancient Fathers and Interpreters of Scripture before them as his having been from his first calling by the imposall of a new name designed by Christ to be the head foundation of his Church and under the title of his Flock thrice commended the same to his government prayed for him that his faith might not faile willing him to confirm his Brethren He prayed not In quaest Novi testamenti q. 75. saith S. Austin for James or John or any of the rest but for Peter alone that his faith might not faile because on him as a sure foundation next to himself the firmity of his Church chiefly depended So as from this Text the unâ—rring judgment of him and his Successors in points of Faith hath been as well by ancienâ— Fathers as later Divines rightly gathered Neither can it be convinced that any Bishop of Rome hath as a private Doctor erred in any point of Faith much lesse guided the Church amisse by falsly declaring any point or practice of Christian Doctrine And if amongst such a multitude of most Learned Holy and eminent Persons which in the See of Rome have from age to age succeeded each other some few have been blamefull in their lives as one amongst the twelve Apostles was a Judas and another amongst the first seven Deacons is commonly held to have been horribly vicious in his life and doctrine yet prejudiced not the sanctity of the rest nor the holinesse of their Function for why should the glory of other good Popes come to be obscured or the high authority of that See be lessened by them Such scandals being some of those gates of Hell which were permitted by Christ to be opened against his Church but never to overthrow it Yet I may truly say here that in numbring and naming such Popes Protestants have notably erred and with great malice made Boniface the eighth and other Popes black and abominable in their lives who by the certain testimonies of most holy and learned persons living in the same age and time with them were very good holy and zeaâ—ous Bishops and wrongfully defamed by unconscionable wicked men professed adversaries unto them And should any Pope swarve in any point from the professed and known faith of Christs Church and in any publick manner profâ—sse his error there would not as our Adversariâ—s teach be wanting in the Church authority or means enough to â—eâ—ose or rather declare him to be no true member of the same and so no more hâ—ad thereof which is spoken of a thing in the ayre and that will never hâ—ppen Nâ—ither is it to be marvelled at that we Christians should bâ—lieve that the cheif Pastor and Head of Christs Church for whom himself prayed that his faith might not faile for the confirmation of his Brethren in their Christian and Catholick profession should be inâ—allible in his publick teaching sithence the High Priest of the Jews a type onely and figure of ours was to be so strictly followed and obeyed in his doctrine as the refusers of his sentence were by death and no lesse penalty to be punished and such as sate in the Chair of Moses and exercised that power which was provided by God for the instruction of his People were by our Saviours command notwithstanding their bad lives to be followed in their doctrine and can we think that he would leave his Church void of such an external and infallible means in all points and practices of faith to rely on For should the Churches teaching be held fallible and uncertain even scriptures themselves might be questioned in their authority approved as I have said before by her testimony and tradition as other declared points of doctrine And to say that this infallible authority should be more in the flock than in the chief Pastor thereof more in the body than in the head more in the family than in the father and governour
the Apostlâ—s â—â—â—e their Synaxes and meetings on Sunday called in the Acts by St. Paul after Act. 20. 1 Cor. 16. Apoc. 1. an Hebrew manner of speaking una Sabbati one or the first day of the week and by St. John our Lords day and by St. Ignatius who lived to see Epistol ad Magnet can 16. Apost Apolo 2. de coron milit lib. 7. strom hom 7. in Exâ—d Christ the chiefe and Queen of all dayes mentioned by St. Clement by St. Justin Martyr by Tertullian by St. Clement of Alexandria by Origen and other ancient Fathers as Apostolically ordayned and wont to be kept in memory of our Saviour's Resurrection And if the Apostles had authority to translate the Jewish Sabbaoth which was Saturday into our Sunday and command the observance thereof why should not other Feasts likewise certainly ordained by them Lib. 5. c. 13. be by us equally observed The day for example of our Lords Nativity mentioned by St. Clement and graced by many homilies and sermons preach'd thereon by many chiese Fathers The day likewise of the Epiphany the feasts of Easter Pentecost and our Saviours Ascension in their Apostolicall antiquity testified unto us and so are the feasts of St. Stephen St. Clemens lib. 8. constit cap. 39. of the holy Innocents and many dayes of Apostles and Martyrs kown to have been in Christs Church timely observed The church of Smyrna for example solemnly observed the day of St. Polycarp's martyrdome as Eusebius recounteth Origen mentioneth the Lib. bist 6. 15. the feast of Innocents celebrated in his time c. And if the Angels in heaven hom 3. in diversos rejoyce at the conversion of Sinners on earth why may we not as well rejoyce and praise God in the glorious martyrdome of his Servants and their happy entrance into heaven whereby God is more glorified and the number of blessed Souls increased ready to pray for us And whereas it is objected by our Adversaries that St. Paul feared the Galatians because they did observe dayes moneths and yeares willed the Colossenses also that no man should judge them either in meat or drinke or part of any festivity it is certaine that he spake of Judaical observances about meats dayes new moones and other like Festivities â—â— c. Mat. â— lib. 4. instit c. 12 n. 19 20 21. When Calvin likewise after his accustomed boldnesse concerning the solemne Fast in Lent mentioned by St. Ignatius and other chief Fathers after him as an Apostolicall institution exhorting people to a strict and religious observance thereof he calleth it a meere foolery and detestable wicked mockery of Christ and useth this brainlesse argument to prove it because forsooth Christ's miraculous fast without any meat or drink at all is obscured by it And for that we proudly adorne our selves with his spoyles onely because in a holy imitation of him we make fewer meales than we are accustom'd aâ— other times and abstaine from fleshly meats most nourishing and pleasing unto us As Daniel to hasten the returne of his c. 10. Peoople out of their Babylonian captivity fasâ—ed and abstained from Bread desiderable or most desired by him And when he objecteth that in our fasts by abstaining from flesh we imitate the Jewes in the legal difference of clean and uncleane meats he lyeth against his Conscience for when he was an under-pastor of our Church at Naion he was bound to know and teach the contrary to wit that in Lent and on fasting dayes we abstaine from fleshly meats to mortify our selves not because we conceive such meats in themselves to be uncleane and unwholesome but because they are on such dayes by a just praecept of the Church and an ancient custome of all good Christians forbidden unto us And such as are sick or have any just cause freely doe eat them without any uncleannesse at all conceived of them And why is it that he and his fellows are such professed enemies to all publick fasts and other exercises of mortification used anciently among Christians but because under a false pretence of evangelicall liberty they seek after commodities of their belly Whereas our divine Lord himselfe promised that his children Mat. 9. should fast when he was taken from them and St. Paul counselled married 1 Cor. couples to make at times their and prayer more acceptable to God by living continently together as in other places he willeth Pastors and Guides of Souls to exhibite themselves Gods ministers in much patience 2 Cor. 11. in vigils injejuniis multis in patience in labours in watchings and much fasting And whilest that praecept did last of abstaining from bloud and strangled meats it was by all good Christians strictly observed Lib. 4. instit c. 12. n. 14. And if that be true which Calvin affirmeth himselfe that in the Church by the power of the keys Pastors for just causes may ordaine solemne fasts supplications and other exercises of Christian Piety albeit not expressed in Scripture and that this power was usually and lawfully practised not onely by the Apostles but Prophets likewise before them Why might not the Apostles also by the same power ordain the fast of Lent and Ember dayes Vigils also before great feasts for the glorie of God and spirituall benefit of faithfull soules throughout the whole Church constantly continually to be observ'd The Eighteenth Controversie Concerning Predestination WHerein Calvin's doctrines are horribly blasphemous in themselves and injurious to the knowne goodnesse and mercy of allmighty God for whereas he was said in Scripture not to have made Death Sap. 1. nor to rejoyce in mens perdition That he would have all be saved and none to perish 1 Tim. 2. but by penance to have all return unto him 2 Pet. 3. That God is never angry with any man saith Fulgentius but first offended by him Calvin expressely affirmeth Lib. 3. cap. n. 1. 2. c. 21. n. 4. him in sundry places of his Institutions of his own free will without any respect of their actions good or bad â—o have praedestinated the greatest rart of men to be eternally ib. c 23. n. 4. 7. 9. c. 24. n. 8. 1â— damned and ordained them to commit many and grievous sinnes that they might become vessels of his wrath sury and indignation justly executed upon them Yea and that Christ died not to save them or to purchase faith grace or any benefit at all for them And if you aske him with what justice Lib. instit c. 17. 15 Lib. 2. c. 4 Lib. 3. c. 23. In Mat. 13. God can punish sinners whom himself ordained to offend him yea which is more whom he incites moveth and enforceth so as they cannot resist him to commit such sinnes as are most hainous and displeasing unto him he will tell you that it is areanum Lib. 2 c. 8. n. 3. quoddam humanae mentis perspicacitatem longissime excedens a secret
lost or spent their lives in the service of him moving us by their very sight to a like practice of Piety Fortitude and other virtues eminent in them So as in honouring their Reliques we magnifie chiefly Gods graces in them Wherefore S. Ambrose speaking of Nazarius and Celsus bodies then found out newly by him and freshly as it were bleeding in their wounds why said he should not faithfull people honour their bodies sithence Devils do feare them which once with torments they afflicted Wherefore I honour that body which honoured Christ under the sword and which shall raign in heaven with him So as it is a notorious untruth of the Centurists first and of Calvin after Câ—nt 2. c. 3. l. de necessitate reformandi ecclesiam them when they affirmed the custome of honouring Reliques not to have begun in the Church during the first five hundred years after Christ for that Cajus living in the age next unto Lib. 2. Historiae c. 24. the Apostles as Eusebius recounteth told Proclus his Cataphrigyan Adversary that he could shew unto him in Rome the trophies of the two Apostles Peteâ— and Paul honoured by Christians And the Chuch of Smyrna in their Epistle of S. Policarps Martyrdome disciple to the Apostles themselves wont for edification to be read in Christian Churches according to S. Gregory Turinensis recounteth how the Jews got his body to be burned into Ashes and thrown into a River that his Reliques might not be honoured by Christians as were in that very age the De viris illustribus in Ignatio remnants of S. Ignatius bones gathered and sent unto Antioch as S. Hierome recounteth Eusebius likewise relateth De viris illustribus in Ignatio l. 7. cap. 14. great honours done to the body of Marinus by Christians and how miraculously Apphianus his dead corps was brought out of the Sea and cast on Lib. 8. c. 14. Lib. 13. praeparat Evangelit â— cap. 7. shore to have due honours yeelded unto it as being meet saith he elswhere that Gods Friends and Championâ— should have at their Tombes honours yeelded unto them Orat. in Theodâ—siâ—m Oâ—at in Julianum Catechesi 18. Saint Basil in sundry places teacheth this honour to be due unto the Reliques of Saints and so doth his Brother S. Gregory Nissen S. Gregory Nazianzen likewise and S. Cyril of Hierusalem S. Hierome also against Vigilantius particularly mentioneth how solemnly Samuels body was brought in time of Areadius out of Jury into Thracia with a continual procession of Bishops Priests and People honouring the great Prophet in his Reliques untill they brought it to Calcedon St. Et Homiliis de S. Babild S. Ignatio Iuliano c Chrysostom in many of his Homiles ad populum Antiochenum mentioneth great honours done unto the Reliques of Saints And Saint Austine in a whole Chapter together recounteth those great miracles which he had seen done at S. Stephens Reliques all condemning by their testimonies the contrary doctrine Lib. 22. de civit c. 8. of Protestants detesting destroying and defacing in several manners Saints Reliques whereas David telleth us that God will keep all the bones of his Servantâ— The Nineth Controversie Of holy Images kept and honoured by us AMongst other Heresies anciently condemned in Christs Church this against the Catholick use and veneration of Images hath been by modern Hereticks pernitiously again revived and fitly served them to make us with ignorant Persons seem guilty of Idolatry by yeelding as the antient Painims did a divine honour to stocks and stones and praying unto them as if they could hear us in which imputations they do slanderously and notoriously bely us abusing many waies simple Persons hearing and believing those assertions against us First for example holy Images representing Christ or his Saints or some other Mystery of faith are falsly called Idols by them for that an Idol according to S. Paul is nothing in the world meaning according to the person or thing represented by it to wit a God or something else made onely by imagination and Fancy Whereas the incarnate Sonne of God his blessed Mother Saints now glorified in heaven are in our Images or Statues represented still or such Mysteries of faith as were in the great worke of our Redemption really performed for example a Crucifix representeth Christ as he hung upon the Crosse painfully nailed unto it and dying for us more movingly so objected to our eys than if that sacred Mysterie were by an ample discourse declared unto us In which true sence St. Gregory called Images the books of unlearned Persons for this and other mysteries of Faith represented in them And our Adversaries must be stupidly absurd if from Scriptures themselves they learne not to distinguish Images from Idols in their proper signification Christ for example is oâ—t aid to be the Image but not the Idol â—â— the Father the mâ—n to be the Image not the Idol of God And there are many places wherein the word Idol in place of Image could not be but absurdly abusively used And who but can blasphemously affirm the two Statues of Cherubins in the inmost tabernacle covering with their wings the Arke and propitiatory Tâ—ble to have been Idols And whereas our Adversaries object against us that we cut off the second Commandement and divide another into two because our Images aâ—â—â—oâ—bid in it they bely us because in ouâ— Bibles the holy Tâ—xt is no lesse inâ—â—râ— than in theirs onely in our Cateâ—hi mâ—s and books written for the instruction of common Christians and Children amongst them we print not that which they call the second Commandâ—ment and we affirme to be a part and eâ—plication of the fiâ—st commanding particularly the Jewes not to make the likenesse of Calves or any thing â—lse least then prone to Idolâ—try they should yield divine honour unto it by adoring it as God himself of which now there is no danger among Christians and so no use of that part of the first Commandement and even Calvin himself Exod. 20 in his explication thereof is inforced to grant that all sorts of Images or Statues are not forbidden by it And it is well known to all learned men that many holy Fathers have as now we do divided the Commandements the ancient Hebrew Text having no division at all in it In the meane time concerning that reverend respect which is yielded unto Images by us First it is not absolutely due or given to the materiall Images or Statues themselves but as holy Persons and mysteries are represented by them unto which our minds and intentions in beholding them â—re carriâ—d So that in such acts the Imâ—ge or Statue is respectively honoured for the person or mystery represented in it and they are likewise honoured in them In which sense Sâ— Basil said Rex dicitur regis imago non duo Reges the image of a King is called the King nor is he and his image called two Kings nor is the honour divided
as a chief Protestant Doctor wrote thus to the Elector Brandeburg of her Elizabeth Queen of England hath with a temerity never before heard of made her self Papissam a she Pope in all Churches in her kingdome And all her Subiects must under great Penalties swear it to be so And had she not been for her power usefull in those times to the Hereticks of France Scotland and the Low-Countries in Rebellion against their Sovereigns she had been more than she was cried out against by them So as it is evident that in this change of Religion secular policy chiefly prevailed to the perpetual disgrace and shame of such as since have imbraced it And a mixture was made therein of many Religions as the Queen and her bad Councellors listâ—d wholy different from any other Protestant Reformâ—tions dâ—sliâ—â—d therefore extremely by all several Professors of them yet so by prejudice of opinion education and custome imbraced by many in their affection at least thereunto albeit the use thereof be in these times debarred unto them as with those foolish Idâ—laters they still cry out that their gods are taken from them some affecting it the more because it is forbidden unto them others also because the Elizabethian Church Service and Government carried a greater decency and outward shew of Religion with it than that which amongst later Sectaries is now used in a Song and a Sermon onely ended without any set form of praying together not barer of ceremony than void of devotion and many times in ex tempore praying and preaching wholly ridiculous like it so much as they cannot be drawn from it even now when it is taken from them by a prevailing power unexpectedly raised to depresse Protestants and Puritans together to end also Bishops and Bishopricks with them Insomuch as in these miserable times I deem it to be a needfull and high point of Christian wisdome for Dialogo ultimo contra Luciâ—â—rianos each one according to S. Hieroms rule to leave all new Sects and betake themselves to that Church which hath unalteredly continued one and the same profession of faith since the Apostles time whilest Novilists have in vain laboured to change it and are come themselves to nothing so as wise men will in succeeding ages with grief and compassion conclude and deplore the eternal damnation of such as have lived and died in the profession of them Was there ever for example any Heresie since Christs time so powerfully broach'd subtly defended so lastingly continued as the Arian Heresie for a long time together in so many parts of the world by whole Countries and Nations imbraced with such a shew of Scriptures making for it and other arguments produced by learned men to prove it yet we see now the same by all good Christians worthily hated and detested as all modern Sects of Protestants will after an age or two come to be abhorred and accounted to have been miserable Seductions of Souls and damnable professions of different beliefs before in the world not so much as heard of time and truth prevailing to discover the falshood of them The sixth Controversie Of the Holy Eucharist 1. PART Concerning our Saviours reall Presence therein PLâ—inly imported in these words when of brâ—ad blessed in his last Supper he said this is my body c. and of Wine this my â—loud of the new Testament which shall be shed for many in remiâ—sion of Sinnes ever literally understood and believed saith Luther Lâ—b de interpret vâ—rborum Caenae by Christian Pastâ—urs and People since the Apostles calling his Sâ—cramentariâ—n Adversâ—ries Corruptâ—rs of Christs plain words and muâ—derers of souls by new and false interpretations of them and I would have saith he these brave men who from Sense and Reason chiefly imâ—ugn the literal understanding of them to tell me why God by his infinite and unconceiveable powâ—r cannot make the same body to be at once in many places sithence our Saviours râ—peated and expresse promises of giving us his flâ—sh to â—at and his bloud to drink plainly require this miracle to bâ— done by him for the fulfilling â—f thâ—m Not distributed by parts and in their proper formes as the Carpharnites carnalâ—y and grossâ—ly understand them but Sacramentally and hiddenly under the forms of Bread â—nd wine communicatâ—d unto us In which sâ—nse St. Paul asked of thâ— Corinthians the Chalâ—ice of benediction which we bleâ—â—e is iâ— not the communication of Christs blâ—ud and the Bread which we break is it not the participation Ep. 1. c. 10. of our Lords body to wit under the forms of Bâ—ead and Wine wont tâ— be consâ—cratâ—d by the Apostles themselves and distributed to the People according to St. Justins words where speaking of the Primitive Christians Apologia 2. ad Antonium in their Sinaxâ—s and publick meetings we receive not in them saith he common Bread and Wine but we believe them to be the Flesh and bloud of our incarnat Lord. For the Bread Serm de Coena saith St. Cyprian which our Lord gave unto his disciples was not in shew but in the nature thereof changed made flesh by the omnipotency of Christs words from whom we are warranted to drink bloud by Moses in his law so strictly forbidden And St. Catech. 1 3 4. Cyrill having affirmed the same Doctrine addeth albeit sense suggesteth the contrary unto thee yet let faith confirm thee that Bread and Wine after the invocation of the blessed Trinity are made the Body and Bloud of Christ and he who refuseth to believe In ancorato so of them saith Epiphanius loseth grace and salvation St. Ambrose likewise thus plainly Lib. 4. de Sacramentis c. 4 5. delivereth the same Doctrine Bread distributed at the Altar is Bread before Consecration but after Consecration of Bread is made the Flesh of Christ and let us certainly believe it But how can that which was Bread be made so by Consecration by what words then and by whose is Consecration made by those words of our Lord Jesus this is my body c. for when the venerable Sacrament is to be made the Priest useth not his own words but the words of Christ c. and St. Hierome to the same purpose that Bread saith he which our Lord brake and gave to his Disciples was as Epist 1â—0 quae est ad Hedibiam we believe his own flesh and the Challice which he blessed was his Bloud neither is it man now that consecrateth the Bread and Wine laid on the Altar and maketh them the Body Homil. de proditione Judae and Bloud of Christ but himself who was crucified for us Saith St. Chrisostome the words are pronounced by the mouth of the Priest but the Elements are consecrated by the power of Christs words and as the speech of God increase and multiply once pronounced hath force still to effect what he intended by them so have Christs words this is my body still power at all
between them because the honour done to the Image ascendeth to the exemplar And as in Images different persons are represented so are different honours yielded unto them For example to the Image of Christ a higher â—espect is intended by us then to the Image of any Saint because himself is therein honoured which our dull Adversaries either will not or do not understand and therefore they exclaime against us and make ignorant people believe that we adore a Crucifix as Christ himself Whereas according to St. Basil's doctrine Christ himself is chiefly adored because the honour ascendeth unto him Concerning the timely use of Images Act. 2. 4. amongst Christians St. Basil as his words are cited in the seventh generall Councel affirmeth them to Lib. 7. hist dap 4. have been ordained by the Apostles themselves so as Eusebius mentioneth how the woman at Paneada cured of a bloudy flux by our Saviour with the touch of his garment erected a brasse Statue of him with a miraculous flower growing under it curing all sorts of diseases when it rose so high as to touch his garment which she would not have done had she deemed it Idolatry to erect such a Statue or Image of our Saviour in memory of that great benefit received from him Neither would almighty God have miraculously graced the same if it had displeased him Tertullian Lib. deâ—pud mentioneth the Image of our Saviour carrying on his back the lost sheepe to be usually engraven on the Chaliâ—es and St. Methodius in the next age Orat. de re after him comparing holy pictures of Angels with prophane Images of the Gâ—â—tiles affirmeth them to have been made for the glory of God Minutius Felix likewise blamed the Gentiles In suo Oct. for hating Christ's Crosse as Hereticks now do albeit such a kind of picture was fastened on the top of the Imperiall Standard which complaint would not have been made by him if the picture of our Saviour nailed on his Crosse had not been usuall amongst Christians St. Gregory Orat. de St. Theod. Nissen telleth how much pleased the people were to see St. Thâ—odorus his Chappell with holy pictures decently adorned and St. Basil his brother inviteth painters to expresse in a lively manner St. Barlaam behaving himself Hâ—m 8. victoriously in â—â—s torments more perfectly than he could declare them St. Austin speaketh of our Saviours Image Lib. de con Evan. c. 11. wont to be drawn with St. Peter and St. Paul in the same Table Neither are the Images of Christ and his Saints more fitly any where placed than in Churches for that as ill pictures are apt to raise ill motions in such as behold them so are holy pictures apt to cause in mens minds looking upon them pious thoughts and affections Neither are the simplest persons or very Children amongst us â—o stupid as to think them Gods or to yiâ—ld as our adversaries falsly pretend divine honour unto them as the Painims did anciently to their Idols And indeed the heresie of the Iâ—onoclasts under two or three wicked Emperours troublesome sin some Churches of Greece by Jews and Negromanticks first introduced and chiefly maintained was at length with so full a consent of the whole Christian world condemned and derested as the same Divâ—l surely was powerfull with such hâ—reticks as since again have revived it And as they chiefly detested the Image of our Saviour hanging on his Cross so is the same by Protestants chiefly hated and was at the first rising of their Sect pulled down in all Churches and solemnly burnt as the proper Dagon and God of the Epist ad Philâ—d Papists Whereas that holy Trophy of Christs victory as S. Ignatius calleth it and signe of our Redemption fearfull to our infernall Adversaries vanquished by the Crosse was so holily reverenced by the devouter sort of Christians from the very time of the Apostles as they usually signed their breasts and foreheads with it accounting themselves from all power of Divels protected by it so as Tertuâ—â—ian by an exaggeration affirmed Lib. de cor milit ca. 3. lâ—b 2. ad ux c. 5. Christians in his time by frequent making of this signe to weare out Catech. 4â— 13. their foreheads by which saith St. Cyril Christ triumphed over all infernall powers and made the very signe of Crosse terrible unto them willing therefore all Christians frequently on their breasts and fortheads to signe Lib de Is anima themselves with it And so doth St. Ambrose give the same advise and St. Epist 8. c. 6. Hierom writing to Demetriades a virgin willeth her that the exterminator may have no power to hurt her to guard her self by this sign as by the letter Tau which was a Cross in the old Hebrew Characters made in the Israelites foreheads they were from the Ezech. 9. killing strokes of the Angell protected Tertullian useth the same comparison and so doth Origen asking Lib. contra Narâ—i this question what do Divels feare and tremble more at than to see the Hom. 6. in Exod. signe of the Crosse by which their power was destroyed made faithfully by us St. Cyprian allso saith that Cont. Jud. lib. 1. c. 8. lib. 2. â— 22. Moses held up his armes in forme of a Crosse whilest Joshua overcame Amalek And that Ezechiel shewed how safe we are when in our foreheads we make it Saint Corâ—elius Pope saith that Novatian received not the Holy Ghost because he was never with the Seal of our Lord signed by any Bishop Epist ad Fabium Antiâ—chenum Lib. 4. c. 27. to wit in Confirmation wherein this Signe is essentially used Lactantius declareth the vertue of this Signe in many occasions and especially in dissolving Magicall Incantations and silencing Oracles And Saint Athanasius affirmeth the same to Orat. de incarnat Christi have been proved by many examples Saint Gregory Nazianzene recounteth likewise how Julian the Apostata in an Idolatrous Temple being terrified at the fight of many Devils raised by a Sorcerer before him ad crucem vetusque remedium confugit had recourse to the Orat. 3. in Julian Sign of the Crosse a sure remedy against them at the making thereof the Devils vanished before him Aâ—d to say as Protestants do that Devils fain this fear to make Christians continue in this superstition is a senselesse assertion as if Devils had been carefull that wiâ—ked Julian Christs professed enemy should leave his Superstition or as if that hellish Impostor could so easily deceive Christian Pastours and people using to make that Sign for 1500 years together yea and the Tract 3. in Jo. 36. in Psal 30. concione 3. Serm. 19 de Sanctis Apostles themselves who first as I have said caused this Sign in Administration of Sacraments and all sorts of blessings to be used as is by Saint Augustine in many places expressely affirmed And he who will