317 Ch. lxv. 1. The Cross in Baptism: Objections to it. his first profession, and broken the promise which he made to BOOK V. God in the arms of others. Of such as profaned themselves being Christians with irreligious delight in the ensigns of idolatry, heathenish spectacles, shows, and stage-plays, Tertullian to strike them the more deep claimeth the promise which they made in baptism 40. Why were they dumb being thus challenged? Wherefore stood they not up to answer in their own defence, that such professions and promises made in their names were frivolous, that all which others undertook for them was but mockery and profanation? That which no heretic, no wicked liver, no impious despiser of God, no miscreant or malefactor, which had himself been baptized, was ever so desperate as to disgorge in contempt of so fruitfully received customs, is now their voice that restore as they say the ancient purity of religion. in Baptism. LXV. In baptism many things of very ancient continuance of the Cross are now quite and clean abolished, for that the virtue and grace of this sacrament had been therewith overshadowed, as fruit with too great abundance of leaves. Notwithstanding to them which think it always imperfect reformation that doth but shear and not flay, our retaining certain of those former rites, especially the dangerous sign of the cross, hath seemed almost an impardonable oversight 41. "The cross," they say, "sith it is but a mere invention of man, should not therefore "at all have been added to the sacrament of baptism. To sign children's foreheads with a cross, in token that here"after they shall not be ashamed to make profession of the "faith of Christ, is to bring into the Church a new word, "whereas there ought to be no doctor heard in the Church "but our Saviour Christ. That reason which moved the "Fathers to use should move us not to use the sign of BOOK V. Ch. lxv. 2. 3. 318 Some Human Traditions allowed by the Puritans. "the cross. They lived with heathens which had the cross of "Christ in contempt, we with such as adore the cross, and "therefore we ought to abandon it even as in like con"sideration Ezechias did of old the brazen serpent 42." 66 [2] These are the causes of displeasure conceived against the cross, a ceremony the use whereof hath been profitable although we observe it not as the ordinance of God but of man. 43 For, saith Tertullian, "if of this and the like "customs thou shouldest require some commandment to be "shewed thee out of Scriptures, there is none found." What reason there is to justify tradition, use or custom in this behalf, “ either thou mayest of thyself perceive, or else learn "of some other that doth." Lest therefore the name of tradition should be offensive to any, considering how far by some it hath been and is abused, we mean by traditions 44, ordinances made in the prime of Christian religion, established with that authority which Christ hath left to his Church for matters indifferent, and in that consideration requisite to be observed, till like authority see just and reasonable cause to alter them. So that traditions ecclesiastical are not rudely and in gross to be shaken off, because the inventors of them were men. 66 [3] Such as say they allow no invention of man 45 to be 42 [Abridged from T. C. i. 135, 136. al. 170, 171. Beza, Epist. 12. Tract. Theol. iii. 220. Signi cru"cis ut olim aliquis fuerit usus, eam tamen esse et quidem adhuc "adeo recentem superstitionem, 66 euperstitionem maxime execrabi"lem, certum est, ut rectissime "fecisse arbitremur, qui semel is"tum ritum ex ecclesiis expulerunt; The sign of the Cross a significant Ceremony. 319 Ch. lxv. 4. mingled with the outward administration of sacraments, and BOOK V. under that pretence condemn our using the sign of the cross, have belike some special dispensation themselves to violate their own rules. For neither can they indeed decently nor do they ever baptize any without manifest breach of this their profound axiom, that "men's inventions should not be mingled "with sacraments and institutions of God." They seem to like very well in baptism the custom of godfathers, " because "so generally all churches have received it 46," Which custom being of God no more instituted than the other, (howsoever they pretend the other hurtful and this profitable,) it followeth that even in their own opinion, if their words do shew their minds, there is no necessity of stripping sacraments out of all such attire of ceremonies as man's wisdom hath at any time clothed them withal, and consequently that either they must reform their speech as over general, or else condemn their own practice as unlawful. [4] Ceremonies have more in weight than in sight, they work by commonness of use much, although in the several acts of their usage we scarcely discern any good they do. And because the use which they have for the most part is not perfectly understood, superstition is apt to impute unto them greater virtue than indeed they have. For prevention whereof when we use this ceremony we always plainly express the end whereunto it serveth, namely, for a sign of remembrance to put us in mind of our duty. 46 T. C. lib. i. p. 170. [137.] 47 T. C. lib. i. p. 171. [136] "The "profitable signification of the cross "maketh the thing a great deal "worse, and bringeth in a new word "into the Church, whereas there "ought to be no doctor heard in "the Church but only our Saviour "Christ. For although it be the "word of God that we should not "be ashamed of the cross of Christ, "yet it is not the word of God that "we should be kept in remembrance "of that by two lines drawn across "one over another in the child's "forehead." [In i. 80. al. 59, the same argument is employed against the surplice. Although 66 the we make it a great deal worse. "Church have authority to make significations, as it were to insti- 66 ceremony of crossing were conve"nient, yet to raise a doctrine of it "is unlawful: forasmuch as it is "not enough to teach the truth un"less it be truely taught, and that 320 Our Saviour authorized expressive Ceremonies. BOOK V. For why? Ch. lxv. 5. Seeing God hath no where commanded to draw two lines in token of the duty which we owe to Christ, our practice with this exposition publisheth a new gospel, and causeth another word to have place in the Church of Christ, where no voice ought to be heard but his. By which good reason the authors of those grave Admonitions to the Parliament are well holpen up, which held that 66 sitting" at communions "betokeneth rest and full accom"plishment of legal ceremonies in our Saviour Christ 48" For although it be the word of God that such ceremonies are expired, yet seeing it is not the word of God that men to signify so much should sit at the table of our Lord, these have their doom as well as others, "Guilty of a new-devised "gospel in the Church of Christ 49," [5] Which strange imagination is begotten of a special dislike they have to hear that ceremonies now in use should be thought significant, whereas in truth such as are not significant must needs be vain. Ceremonies destitute of signification are no better than the idle gestures of men whose broken wits are not masters of that they do. For if we look but into secular and civil compliments, what other cause can there possibly be given why to omit them where of course they are looked for, (for 50 where they are not so due to use them, bringeth men's secret intents oftentimes into great jealousy,) I would know I say what reason we are able to yield why things so light in their own nature should weigh in the opinions of men so much, saving only in regard of that which they use to signify or betoken? Doth not our Lord Jesus Christ himself impute the omis "ther doth it any more make a "sacrament, because it is in token "that hereafter he shall not be "ashamed to confess Christ cruci"fied, than your sitting doth at the "communion in token of rest, that "is a full finishing through Christ "of the ceremonial law." See also Def. 618, and T. C. iii. 227.] 50 [The original edition has "looked "for, or," but in the list of errata at the end "for" is directed to be substituted instead of "or." The present editor has ventured to insert the marks of a parenthesis.] 66 321 Ch. lxv. 6. Our Saviour authorized expressive Ceremonies. sion of some courteous ceremonies even in domestical enter- BOOK V. tainment to a colder degree of loving affection, and take the contrary in better part, not so much respecting what was less done as what was signified less by the one than by the other? For to that very end he referreth in part those gracious expostulations 51, Simon, seest thou this woman? "Since I entered into thine house thou gavest me no water "for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears, and "wiped them with the hairs of her head; thou gavest me no "kiss, but this woman since the time I came in, hath not "ceased to kiss my feet; mine head with oil thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment." Wherefore as the usual dumb ceremonies of common life are in request or dislike according to that they import, even so religion having likewise her silent rites, the chiefest rule whereby to judge of their quality is that which they mean or betoken. For if they signify good things, (as somewhat they must of necessity signify, because it is of their very nature to be signs of intimation, presenting both themselves unto outward sense and besides themselves some other thing to the understanding of beholders,) unless they be either greatly mischosen to signify the same, or else applied where that which they signify agreeth not, there is no cause of exception against them as against evil and unlawful ceremonies, much less of excepting against them only in that they are not without sense. And if every religious ceremony which hath been invented of men to signify any thing that God himself alloweth were the publication of another gospel in the Church of Christ, seeing that no Christian church in the world is or can be without continual use of some ceremonies which men have instituted, and that to signify good things (unless they be vain and frivolous ceremonies) it would follow that the world hath no Christian church which doth not daily proclaim new gospels, a sequel the manifest absurdity whereof argueth the rawness of that supposal out of which it groweth. [6.] Now the cause 52 why antiquity did the more in actions |