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XLVIII. Of the Crosse, to Ananias.
That in this sort thou shouldst the Crosse
Luther saith, if he might recouer any parcel of the Crosse, he would cast it into the darkest & rankest sinke. Luth. in Postilla Ecc. Wit. fol. 148. 6. & 149. § 2. Beza from his hart detesteth the image of the Crucifixe. Beza in Colloq. Montispil. & in Ep. 8. 12. Puritans tearme the crosse the marke of the beast, not to be tolerated in Baptisme by a timorous conscience. See the suruey of Common Prayer pag. 100. 102. 103. and their short Treatise of the Crosse in 8. Amsterd. 1604. pag. 21.
When those Diuine Diuines, those more then men,
Those saint-like Sages Austin, Nazianzen,
Ambrose, both Cyrils, Athanasius,
Both Clements, Hierome, Epiphanius,
And al the rest of this graue learned troop
With reuerence stil before the Crosse did stoop,
And in their actions to preuent al feare
By the mysterie of this Crosse the rude are catechized, the font of Baptisme consecrated; with the signe of the same Crosse, by imposition of the hand, the baptized receiue the guifts of graces; with the character of the same crosse Cathedral Churches are dedicated, Altars consecrated, Sacraments with the imposition of our Lords words accomplished, Priestes also and Leuites by this are promoted to holy Orders, and generally al the Ecclesiastical Sacraments are by the vertue of this performed. Aug. ser. 19. de Sanctis Chrifost. hom. 55. in Mat.
The font was blest, the faithful al baptiz'd,
Churches therwith they stil did dedicate,
Altars, and Christ his body consecrate,
By the mysterie of this Crosse the rude are catechized, the font of Baptisme consecrated; with the signe of the same Crosse, by imposition of the hand, the baptized receiue the guifts of graces; with the character of the same crosse Cathedral Churches are dedicated, Altars consecrated, Sacraments with the imposition of our Lords words accomplished, Priestes also and Leuites by this are promoted to holy Orders, and generally al the Ecclesiastical Sacraments are by the vertue of this performed. Aug. ser. 19. de Sanctis Chrifost. hom. 55. in Mat.
By power and vertue of this sacred signe
Al Sacraments (our bucklers 'gainst hel's might)
Performed were, without
Which signe of the Crosse, vnles it be applied to the forehead of them that belieue, or to the water itself wherof they are regenerated, or to the oyle wherwith they are annointed, or to the sacrifice wherwith they are fed, not any of them is rightly performed. Aug. trac. 118. in loan. ser. 19. de SS. &c.
Let vs not be ashamed to confesse Christ crucified but let the signe of the Crosse be confidently imprinted with our finger in the forehead, and in al things els: Let there be made a Crosse when we eate bread, when we drinke, when we goe forth, when we come in, before sleep, when we lye down, and when we rise; when we goe and when we rest. Cyril Hierosol. Catech. 13. At the table, when we see lights, in our chamber, when we sit, what conuersation soeuer we be busyed in, we stil make the signe of the crosse in our forehead. Tertul. de Corona militis c. 3.
Before they rose, when they their rest forsak't,
When they were drest, before they tooke the ayre,
When they began to study, or prepare
To eate, or drink, or talk, or light to see,
Or what soe're they did, immediately
They with the Crosse against al future harme,
Their forehead, brests, and other parts did arme
Did euer Tyrant seek by threats or paine
T'enforce them from Christs holy truth refraine?
Lest they perhaps vnarm'd should loose the field
'Gainst threats and paine the Crosse was stil their shield.
Did any e're by magike art intend
To trouble them? The same Crosse was their freind.
Did any to them, vnder faire pretence
Of loue, giue poyson? Th'Crosse was their defence
They euer held, Good Zealous, doe not grudge
Heer to admit now an vnpartial Iudge,
Whether 'tis fitter I my selfe resigne
To their so general iudgement, or to thine?
What doe the diuels feare? What doe they tremble at? Doubtles at the Crosse of Christ, in which they were subdued, in which &c. Feare therfore & trembling wil surprize them when they see the signe of the Crosse faithfully fixed in vs. Orig. Hom. 6. in & Hom. 8. in diuersos Euangelij locos. Cyrillus Hieros. Catech. 13. Ephrem. ad Monachos paren. 2. Hieron. ad Psal. 85.
Before the Ensigne of the Crosse t'appeare;
That Crosses can euen with their very sight.
A certaine man called Ioseph, a Patriarch among the Iewes, become a Christian, did take a vessel of water before them al, and with a lowd voice, imposing with his owne finger the signe of the Crosse vpon the vessel, & calling vpon the name of Iesus, said thus: In the name of Iesus of Nazareth, whom my forefathers crucified, be there power in this water to confound enchantments and magike &c. which done, al the enchantments were forthwith dissolued. Epiph. Her. 30. cont. Ebionitas.
Streight to dissolue the slights of diuelish art,
That Crosses had wild beasts to mildnes brought
Of miracles wrought by the Crosse read Theodoret. in vita S. Iuliani, & vita S. Martiani, & in Philotheo cap. 9. Hieron. in vita Hilarionis, Tert. de scorpiac. Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 22. c. 8. Victor Vticens. de persecutione Wand. lib. 2. Gregor. Mag. lib. 2. Dial. c. 3. Sulpicius in vita S. Martiani with infinit more.
How great a terrour this signe of the Crosse is to the diuels, he may wel know, who hath seen how, adiured by Christ, they fly forth of the bodies which they had possest: for as he with a word &c. so now his followers cast those foule polluted spirits forth of men, both with the name of their Master, and with the signe of his passion. Lactant. lib. 4. Instit. cap. 27.
That Crosses can our loose desires represse.
That such as ere to Crosses haue recourse
Need not to dread the power of hellish force.
They gaue vs counsel not to be asham'd
To vse that Crosse, wherwith hels pride was tam'ed,
Lest when that Christ shal in the fearful day
That glorious Ensigne in the ayre display
He our disdaine with death shal prosecute
And be asham'd to heare our shameles sute.
They priz'd a Crosse more highly farre then gemmes
Then gold, then pearle, then Crownes, or diadems,
And thought the Crosse which on the ground was worne,
More then the Crowne which Princes heads adorne.
Theodorus and Valens added the cause of this their statute to be Ne sacrum signum pedibus calcaretur, Lest the holy signe should be troden vnder-foot. l. 1. Codi. tit. leg. cum fit nobis. We ought to blesse our forehead and brest with the Crosse of our Lord, and we tread it vnder our feet. Paul. Diac. lib. 18. rerum Roman. It was a saying of the Emperour Tyberius 2.
Gaue special charge none on the ground should make
The Crosse, because they held it farre vnmeet,
That blessed signe should be defil'd with feet.
But it was then (though no-where now at al)
Wherfore let vs with gentle diligence ingraue the Crosse in our chābers, in the wals, in the windowes, in our foreheads. Chrisost. Hom. 55. in Mat. And in an other place he saith: It is on the wals and tops of howses, in bookes, in Cities, in townes inhabited and not inhabited. Quod Christus sit Deus. Ruffinus Eccles. hist. lib. 2. c. 29.
The same Crosse then the top of houses crownes
Adornes great Cities, graces countrey Townes;
Shines bright in holy Churches, no place free
From that deuotion-stirring mysterie;
Which to confirme since scriptures were not found,
Of these (to wit the making the signe of the Crosse in the forehead) and other such like doctrine, if you expect authority from scripture, you shal find none: tradition shal be alleaged to be the authour, custome the confirmer, and faith the obseruer Tert. de corona milit is cap. 3. the same saith S. Basil de Spiritu Sancto c. 27.
And yet thy, Brother, zeale doth neuer doubt
And say that when the diuel doth depart
At sight therof, it is by magike art:
And (thou, good Reader, heer auert a while
Thy face, lest that this clause thy eyes defile,
And thou, sweet Iesus, pardone the words I hate,
I but thy foes blasphemous words relate)
And that more truely then a crosse, a Cow
Doth to vs al Christ crucified shew.
The spirit reueals al truth) how can it be
That such great men should walke so farre astray
And only thou find out the neer high-way?
Perhaps they al were fooles, thou only wise,
Thou to be blinded world a sunne did'st rise,
To chase al misty shades thou wast elect,
As worthier farre then they for to detect
Their faults, and best deseru'dst that vnto thee
The spirit should shew the truth. Yes verily.
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