or at the best Uncertain and abfolutly Doubting? And therefore I cannot but T. p. 402 think that Prayer, in Goar, to Chryfoftom, a very plain piece of Modern Forge- p. 86. ry, there foifted in by fome Latinizing Prelates, Πάτερ Ιωάννη χρυσόςομε, πρέσβευε χρισῷ τῷ θεῷ σωθμώαι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν, Ο Father John Chryfoflom interceed with Chrift our God, that our Souls may be faved. It is indeed in fome Copies Printed at Venice, but it is not in any of my MSS. nor in Leo s. Turcus his Latin Edition; I am fure it is no part of Chryfoftom's own Li-r. p. 15. turgy.

p. 42, 43.

An. 1672. &c.

P. 74.

1.

I fhall now Examine how well these three Cautions abovefaid are observed by them, in that fingle Inftance of their Adoring and Worshipping the Cross. First, if there be no Divineness, or Power, or Virtue to be believed in it, how comes thofe Glorious and Marvelous Effects afcribed to it by the Cardi- De Imag. 1. 2. nal? It afrights, faith he, and chafes away Devils; it drives away alle. 30. p. 338. Difeafes and all Evils; it fanctifies all things upon which it is impreft or made; by it all Magick is diffolved, or made ineffectual. What greater Pow. Ibid. D. er can be ascribed to the Mightiest Angel of Light? For all this he gives us this threefold account. 1. When the Devil, faith he, fees the Cross, he remembers that by the Cross of Chrift (or by Chrift's fuffering upon it) he was T. p. 403. overcome, Spoil'd, bound, and weakned, and therefore he is afraid, and fleeth from it as a Dog doth from a Stone or a Stick with which he is fmitten. But does not the Devil know all this before and remember it, unless we put him in Mind of it by our imprinting the Cross or making the fign of it with our Finger? When we have renounced the Devil and all his Works at our Baptifm, and folemnly renewed our Promife and Vow at our Confirmation, and have been piously recommended to the Lord's Defence by the Bishop, and by laying his holy Hands upon us are certified of God's Favour and Goodness towards us, and publick Prayers have been made, that his Fatherly hand Should be ever over us, and that his mighty Protection should ever preferve us in Body and Soul; can the bare Mark or Sign of the Cross add any thing more to my fafe-guard or farther fecurity? Methinks it looks like too airy a Conceit, that we can fright or feare away Devils, by pelting them with our Croffes, as we chafe away Dogs or Birds with Stones. The wife Erafmus Colloquiis Expleasantly, but very juftly, Ridicules, the Circle, and the Croffes, and Ho-orcifm. by Water, and Agnus Dei's, and all the other Trumpery, quibus olim fe muniebant adverfus noxios Dæmones, which of old, in thofe days, were used as Arms and Ammunition against mischievous Devils; under the Perion of Faunus and the Parish Prieft, he there reprefents to the Life the Sottish belief and Practice of poor, filly, credulous Ideots concerning the wonderfull Power of the Cross.

The Cardinal's fecond reason is, that the sign of the Cross bath its effect against the Devil, ex opere operantis, from the Work, or Inward Intention, of the Worker, or of him that makes it. It is, faith he, Invocatio quædam, a kind of Invocation or calling upon the Merits of Chrift Crucified, and oppofing them against the Devil; fo that the Effect proceeds more from the Faith and Affiance and inward Devotion of the Perfon, then from the Character of the Cross it felf; as when we pray, the Effect is to be attributed to our inward Faith, rather then to the outward found of the Voice. When any Temptation from the Devil offers it felf to me, or when Troubles and Adverfities oppress me, or when any Evil either to my Body or my Soul feems to arife or come from him, if I feriously think of this Victory of Chrift, and immediately with all Humility and Steadiness of Faith, I do Fervently in Praycr or Meditation recommend my felf to God's moft gracious Protection and Deliverance, and heartily beg of him that all thofe Evils which the Craft and Subtilty of the Devil or Man worketh against me, may be brought to nought, and by the Providence of his Goodness may be utterly difperfed; I fhall ever think my felf infinitely more fafe then a thoufand figns of the Crofs made upon my Breaft or Forehead can make me. Such a pious Address as this to the All

Bbb 2

mercifull

12

Ț. p. 403. mercifull and Almighty God, without any Sign of the Crofs, fhall affuredly terrify and Confound the Devil, and difappoint both him and all his wicked Accomplices; whereas, that fign alone without this, will as little Fright or Affect the Devil himself, as it doth those wicked Men who are his Inftruments and Minifters.

But fuppofe, the Sign of the Cross, when join'd with Faith and Prayer, may from them obtain a Glorious cffect; how will poor Idcots be benefited by making, this bare fign, without being able to make any fuch inward Reflections of the Merits of Chrift, or thinking of them in the leaeft? They have perhaps been told that it is a good thing to Crofs themselves upon all occafions; T. p. 404. but how many is there of them who understand this Invocation, or Calling upon the Merits of Christ, or think one Jot of thus applying them, when they heedlefly make this Sign meerly according to Custom, or the common Fashion. In the Houfes of fome Worthy Papifts of my Acquaintance here in England, when a mixt Company of them, and us Proteftants were fitting down to Eat at the Table, I have feen (inftead of Grace or openly bleffing the Food) their Priest covertly with his Finger to make a Cross, and perhaps he may add, in nomine Patris, in the name of the Father, or fome fuch other fhort Suffrage to himself; A Pricft or Man of fome Knowledge may perhaps join an Ejaculation with the Sign when he makes it; but a poor ignorant Creature, when he Croffeth himself, or his Table, or any thing elfe, hath no more Inward pious Reflection then when he makes his Leg, or moves his Hat to his Superior, or to any one elfe as they meet or pafs by him.

Give me leave here to take notice of a Custom which I have often obferved amongst the Greeks; when we have been Difcourfing in the Evening, or otherwife, if one of them being fleepy begins to Tawn or Gape, (efpecially if he be a Devoto,) he will certainly with his right Thumb make upon his Mouth a little fign of the Crofs. I once took an occafion to ask a Perfon of fome good fenfe (but a very Religious Man) what was the meaning of it; He told me very ferioufly, that when a Man is thus droufy, and his Mouth is thus often open, the Devil hath a great opportunity to enter him being in this carclefs pofture, or (as our waggifh Proverb hath it) to take him napping; but having, faid he, fet this powerfull Sign before our Mouth, the Devil immediately flies away and hath not power to poffefs us. I askt, if they used to add any words to this Sign, he antwer'd, fometimes fome will fay, w xαTagaμer&, or, "Ew TrioxaTagatC, (as we lay to a Dog, get you out out wicked one, or be gone thrice Accurfed, or the like. When any one mumbles over the Lord's Prayer, or any other, not minding what he faith, or quite thinking of fomething elfe, and fpeaks or repeats it to himfelf purely (as I may fo fay) Mechanically, or like a Parrot; at this time, I cannot but think, that there is neither true Faith nor Affiance nor Devotion in him; and how can we think otherwife of a Droufy Tawning Greek; (perhaps then well drencht Buxtorf.Synag. With Wine?) The Jews have in an Infcription (fet upon the walls of the Chamjud. c. 4. ber where one of their Women lics in,) thefe words, n, Chutz Lilith,

Out, or a way, Lilith; by which they think that they fright away a fhe Devil, which Deftroys or (as old Women with us fay of the Fairies) changes their Children; and fome of our Criticks will have thefe Latin words, Lilla, abi, abi, made from thence; and fay our Nurffes common Song to their Children when they rock them in their Cradle, Lullaby Baby, was jumbled from thence; but let this be as it will, I am fatisfied that not one Greck of a thousand mind the meaning of his Croffing his Mouth when he does it, more then the Nurfe or Maid mind what fhe faith, when the Sings her Lulla-by Baby. So this fhift will not do, for there is no real Faith or Affiance in the matter. Nothing is more common with Greeks (and many Latins ufe the fame Formality) when they write a Letter then to fix a Crofs before the first word; and in our Horn-books for little Children, there is a Crofs (after the old Fashion) fet before the Alphabet which is thence commonly call'd by us to this very day.

the

the Chrift Cross row. It is poffible that he who firft fet up this Fafhion might T. p. 404. then have fome inward Reflection upon it; but afterwards every one did it as a thing meerly in courfe, or fashionable, or gentile; as it is now counted to write in our Letters, Sir, at fome distance at the Top from the following words, and your Servant, as much beneath; and the Compofitor of the Prefs, when he fets the Crofs before the Child's Alphabet, hath no more any Religious thought in it, then when he adds, the &c. And per fe And at the end, which the Country School-dames commonly pronounce, Anpafian.

The wife Cardinal feeing plainly that in thus making or marking the Cross, T. p. 405. the inward thought goeth not with it once in ten thoufand times, cipecially amongst Ideots, and Mechanicks, and meer formal Men, he at last confidently advanceth this fingular Notion as a finishing stroak, that this very Sign hath its Power, ex opere operato, purely from it felf only by its being made; and tells us, that the Devil is chafed away not by the Devotion or Faith of ut fupr. §. the Worker, or of him that makes it, but only by the fign it felf; The Iconoclaters in the seventh Synod fay the fame, the meer Sign xwpis euxns, with- T.7.P.453.C. out Prayer will do all. If fo, then first how can this confift with his former caution; In Worshipping Images, Pictures and Religious reprefentations, no Divinity or Power is to be believed to be in them? Thus to believe that a meer material Cross, or its Mark, or its bare Sign, in the Air, hath this Power in it felf to drive away the Devil, must be a great and dangerous Sin at least, if not plain Idolatry, by his own Rule. But to excuse all this, he appeals to matter of fact. The Jews and Heathens, meer Infidels, faith he, have driven away the Devils by the Sign of the Cross; But his Inftances of this are fo mean, that I may not fay trifling, as they by no means come up to his purpofe. I will begin with Pope Gregory's Tale of a Convert- Greg. dial. l. 3. ed Jew; you may read it fully and moft ingenioufly (after his ufual way) de- c. 7. fcribed by Angel. Gazaus, and, in my Opinion, more cleanly and modeftly; daus vas vacu for what the other calls the Nuns, Terga, Backfide, and her, Pofteriora, hin- um. der parts, he calls, dexterum humerum, her right Shoulder. Confider it well, if the Legend do not make you heartily laugh, I am confident the Poetical Paraphrafe upon it will. It is wonderfull indeed that the Devil knew nothing of the Jews being all the while under the fame roof, till fome of the little puny Greg. Imps were fent by him to feek who was there; as alfo that they could not Smell out any thing of that dreadfull Cross, formerly made on the Jews Gaz. Forehead, till the ftink of his Body (which was now much encreased by his Fear) had brought the Devilins to him.

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Orat. 1.in 7u

P. 71.

As to the firft Story in Nazianzen, of a crowned Cross appearing in the Entrails of the Beaft to Julian as he was Sacrificing, he faith indeed, that lian. p. 70.c.d. it was, guλλuevo Savua, commonly reported as a Wonder; but for his part he was in difpenfe, whether he should write it, or disbelieve it, there being fuch a mixture of Credible and Incredible things in it. Give me leave to make this fhort Reflection before I go any farther; a wife and a good Man may doubt of a frange report, though it is, guraueror, common in every bodies Mouth; but the Story in him, which the Cardinal chiefly aims at, is this, in fhort. Julian being at last addicted to Magical or, what we call, black "Arts, went down into a difmal horrid Cave, with a pretended Conjurer or Sophifter, to confer with Subterraneous Devils about future Events; and there perceiving ftrange Noifes, filthy Smells, and fiery Apparitions, and being ftruck with thefe furprifing Things, he betook himlelf to the Crofs, o Tarouov qaguanov, the old Remedy; and being fign'd with it, the fign prevailed, "the Devils were worsted, his Fears were diffolved. All this might be, as the "former was, guмsueror Javμa, only a common wonderfull Report; For Nazianzen tells it not upon his own Knowledge; nay, he calls all thefe Appearances above mention'd, λous Angous, old Wives Fables, mad, juggling Tricks of the Conjuring Impostures, as indeed many fuch Stories prove to be but meer Knavish contrivances of cheating or defigning Villains. Next it is plain that

66

66

Julian

1

T. p. 495. Julian was then, als Ta Taura, but lately or newly inftructed in, or given to, thefe vile Practices; he had not quite thrown off his old Belief, but ftill thought that there was much in it; and therefore fign'd himself with the fign of the Crofs, which is there call'd his old Remedy; i. c. that to which he had been used whilft he was a profeft Chriftian; and it is very probable that he then used with it, in the name of God, or of Christ, or Jefus, or fuch like words (as I can cafily prove that it was the Custom in thofe days, as it is now with us to say on fuch occafions, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, c.) fo that here were many manifeft tokens of great Relicks of his former true Faith ftill refting in him; so that it was not the bare Croffing himself alone (which the Cardinal pretends to,) that did the Effect. Now for my part I must freely confefs, that what the Devils are faid to Act in this Tragi-comedy, in making noises and the reft, and then at last yielding, feems to me as meer a T. p. 406. trick of fome that had a defire to bring Julian back to his old Religion again, (whom they faw begin to dote upon Conjurers and Magicians,) as what Polus put upon Credulous Faunus in Erafmus; when he Acted the Devil's part most nicely, in terrifying him and then fleeing from him as occafion ferved. But I offer this only as my own Conjecture, and leave the candid Reader to judge for himself. It is enough that this Paffage doth not in the leaft favour the pretended Power of the bare Cross alone. Julian was indeed Learned and of great Parts, but when he began to Dote, and was inclin'd to believe these wild Fancies and Stories, he might be, for all that, as well impofed upon in thefe matters, as many learned Men, amongst us (to my Knowledge) have been, when they too cafily liften and believe every Tale of Witches and Apparitions of Spirits; That learned Mathematician J. Dee, I think is generally lookt upon as a notorious Example, of Wife- men's being deceived.

Haref. 32.

7, 8.

p. 131. D. p. 132. D.

S. 9, 10.

p. 134.

ων

31

Thus in Epiphanius the young brutish Lover, who endeavour'd by Courtfhip and Magical and Diabolical Charms and Practices to Debauch a Beautifull Woman, with all the Craft and Subtilty of the Devil and himself could not indeed in the leaft prevail against her; for he was not an Infidel, or Jew, but a Chriftian; he figned her felf, is voua xe78. In the name of Chrift, and by this fign, i wiews bonon, and by Faith he was delivered; there is nothing there attributed to the bare Cross alone, but to her Faith And the next Story there of Jofepus, a Jew, is altogether as far from his defign; For Chrift himself had appear'd to him feveral times, and exhorted him to believe in him; and when twice or thrice he was Sick, iray yanάuer àvéore, be promifing to believe did recover. At laft Chrift appearing to him told him, eis λngopogíar TiTews, for the Confirmation of his Faith, that, if he defir'd that in his name any divine Token fhould be wrought, ἐπικάλεσαι κ' αγὼ ποιήσω, he fhould call upon him and it should be done; he faid, call upon me, not make a Cross. He had Faith enough at least to try it upon a Mad-man, Met. 14. 31. diga av de, yet doubting (as Peter, and fome other of the Apoftles even after the Refurrection did,) and taking Water and figning it (not figning the Man) he faid in the name of Jefus the Nazarene, who was Crucified, come out of him, Devil, and let him be whole; which within an hour came to pafs; he alfo wrought another Miracle by making Fire burn which Magicians had hindred or quite put out. He was healed and evilly Treated by the other Jews, but at last when his Faith was compleated he was Baptized and was highly favour'd by Conftantine, to whom he related how the Lord had invit ed him by feveral repeated Vifions to embrace his Gofpel. Now I must think this Story far enough from proving that the Sign or Mark of the Cross alone in it felf drives away the Devil; it is plain that this Jew had fome Faith from the very beginning, though it was weak and but little as a grain of Mustard feed, which by degrees fprang up and daily increafed. But fuppofe that in Primitive or Elder times, God had gratified fome Jews or Heathens fo far as by the name of Jefus, or the meer fign of the Cross, they had Mar. 7. 22. done Miracles (as I have already taken notice that he did,) will any one

c. 28. 17.

P. 333.

Rom. 11. 33.

dare

dare fo far pofitively to expound the unfearchable Judgments and ways of T. p. 406. God paft finding out, as to fay it was only to give fuch Power to that meer name or fign, as whoever he was that used them should do thefe Wonders? Is it not more plain that God by permitting thefe Practices did often use them as pure Seeds of Faith, both to the Practifer (as it was in this Jofepus) and

to the Obferver or stander by? When the Difciples told Chrift of one that caft Mark. 9. 38, out Devils in his name, he faid, forbid them not, for there is no Man which 39. Shall do a Miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me; he that is not against us is on our part; as if he had faid, he at leaft gives occafion to others to think and believe on me. It is plain that the Sons of Sceva, Act. 19. 13, 19. Vagabond Jews, and the Men of curious Arts at Ephefus, did not fo much mind the common good of Mankind, or the Glory of God by their Exorcifms, as they did their own Profit and vain Reputation; they only defired (as Simon Magus did) eives Twas μegares, to be, or be accounted, great Men, or act. 8. 9. 10. the Power of God; you fee therefore that God fuffer'd not, opus operatum, 19, their meer naming of the Lord Jefus to have their defired Effect, but quite the contrary; and fo to any droufy Greek or other Ideot, that only formally makes a Cross, or Signs himself with it; the Devil may justly fay, the Crucified Jefus I know, and his Victory over me I know, but who art T. p. 407.

thou?

The cafe amongst us, who are already profeffed Chriftians, is quite different from what it was then amongst the Jews and Heathens; Ideots, and Wizards, and old Wives amongst us, who make the sign of the Cross, or write it, or the name of Jefus, or the first or fourteenth verfe of St. John's Gofpel; or the like, to fright away the Devil, or to care or defend any one; perhaps understand it not, or however Then think no more of the true God, then they understand or think of Apollo, when they hang Abracadabra about ones Neck to cure an Ague; or Cardan's Amulets for the falling Sickness and pain in Defubtil.l. 19. the Head; they make them all meer Charms and nothing elfe. The Jews to

this day have the name of God, w, Schadday, Bountifull or (as we render Gen. 17. 1. it) Almighty, written on their Mefufan, or little Parchment Rowl, which isc. 28. 3. &c. put in a little hole in the left Hand poft of their doors going out, which the Religious touch with their Finger going out and coming in, faying withall, may God preferve my going out and my coming in, from hence forth and forever. I am confident no Jew of Sense will deny that the virtue of this performance lies in the Prayer; or will fay, that it is wholly in the formal Touch; though I believe many careless unthinking Jews may only use the latter; fo when any Chriftian Crofs himself, in a Morning, or at any other time, with lifting up his Soul to God in fome Short Prayer or Ejaculation, I must afcribe the Power to the Action of his Soul, and not to the outward Compli ment of the Body; There is fome Devotion in fuch a Jew and fuch a Chriftian; but if a Chriftian Mechanically or only Formally Croffes himself, and thinks no farther of the matter, (as thousands do,) I must think that he hath much lefs Devotion, and is far lefs fecure or recommended to God's Protection, then the poor Spainard, who (they fay) used every Morning only to fpread abroad the whole Alphabet, and defired God to compofe a Prayer out of it which would be acceptable, and to it he promised heartily to fay, Amen; or then a wretch that should only fay, God thou knoweft my wants and my mind better then I do; fo good Morning, good Night. Thus vain and ridiculous must I think the implicite Faith in Ideots, (which the School-men fo much boast of,) and their tacite Application of Christ's Sufferings and Victory, by the bare Sign or Mark of the Cross.

But the Cardinal still urgeth, opus operatum, the meer making of the Sign of the Cross, and faith, It is effectual, ex inftituto Dei, from the very InftiUt fur. G. tion of God himself. This I would very fain fee; God's word for it, would put the matter quite out of all Difpute. I am fure that Prayer without the fign of the Crofs, is commanded by him; and if it be accompanied with unfhaken

Faith,