Answer to Campian the Jesuit, Reasons · Reason 7
EDMVND CAMPIAN. The ſeauenth Reaſon, which is the Hiſtorie.
THe auncient Histories of former times, do plainly diſcouer the true forme of the Primitiue Church, thither doe I appeale: as for the auncient Historiographers,Generales Historici. whoſe authority all the aduerſaries doe ſometime vſurpe, theſe are well nigh all of them. Euſebius, Damaſus, Hierome, Ruffinus, Oroſas, Socrates, Sozomenus, Theodoretus, Caſſiodorus, Gregory of Tours, Oſwaldus, Regino, Marianus, Sigibertus, Sonoras, Cedrenus, Nicephorus. What ſong, I pray you, doe theſe men ſing? a ſong in praiſe of Catholikes of their proſperous proceedings, of their interchangeable alterations, & what enemies they had; yea moreouer (which I would hauehave you wel to mark) theſe men which are our daily enemies for our Religion ſake,Hareticorū Chronica & Historica. Anno Dom. 1500. to wit, Philip Melangthon, Pantalion, Functius, and the Magdeburgeans, when they went about, to write either Chronicle or Eccleſiasticall History, they ſhould hauehave had nothing at all to write of for the ſpace of 1500. yeares after Christ, except they had gathered together the acts of thoſe men, that take our part, and put in writing the treacheries and outrages of the enemies of our Church. Conſider alſo the particular Historiographers of ſome ſpeciall countries,Historici certarum Gentium. who bended themſelues curiouſly and buſily to ſearch out the ſpeciall affaires of eueryevery ſuch people as they vndertooke to write of. Theſe as men deſirous by all meanes they poſſibly could to enrich and beautifie that worke they had in hand, omitted not ſo much as banquetting feasts, or long ſleeued coates, or ſtrange haftes of daggers, or gilded ſpurres, and ſuch like trifles, but they made mention thereof, if it had any ſmacke of noueltie. Theſe men doubtleſſe, if there had been any alteration in religion, or any digreſſion, from their former faith, which was in the Primitiue Church, that had come to their eares, many of thē would hauehave recorded it: if not many, yet ſome few of them at the least; if not ſome few, yet ſome one or other doubtleſſe would hauehave made mention thereof.*This is falſe, for many hauehave made mention of the corruption of the Church. But no body at all, neither friend nor foe, made any muttering, or gaue any inkling of any ſuch matter. As for example ſake, the aduerſaries grant (becauſe they cannot otherwiſe chuſe) that the Church of Rome, was once an holy Catholike and Apoſtolike Church, euen then when it deſerued theſe commendations ofaRom. 1. S. Paul, Your faith is ſpoken of throughout the whole world. I ceaſe not to remember you in my prayers. IbRom. 15. know that when I come vntounto you; I ſhall come in the abundance of the bleſſings of cRom. 16.Chriſt. All the Churches of Chriſt do greet you, for your obedience is ſpread abroad in all places. Then alſo, when S. Paul hauing freedAct. 28. liberty of the priſon, there preached the Gospell abroad. Then alſo, when S. Peter gouerned the Church, gathered together long agoe in that Citie of Rome, which hee called by thee1. Pet. 5. name of Babylon.*Campian acknowledgeth that Rome is Bayblon. The whē that ſame S. fHieron. in cap. ſemp. Eccl. & Papias apud E…ſ…b. 2. Hist. 15.Clement, whom thegPhilip. 4. Apoſtle ſo highly commendeth, was chiefe head of that Church: then alſo, whenhFren. lib. 3. cap. 3. Inst, lib. 4. cap. 2. num. 3. & in Epist. ad Sadol. vide Co…l in Anno 1523. Heathen Emperours, as Domitian, Nero, Traiane, and Antonius most cruelly murthered the Biſhops of Rome. Then alſo,*This is falſe, Caluin teſtifieth no ſuch thing. Caluin himſelfe doth witnes,*This is falſe, Caluin teſtifieth no ſuch thing. when Damaſus, Syticius, Anaſtaſius, and Innocentius were gouernours of the Sea Apostolike. For at this time he freely confeſſeth that men nothing ſwarued, especially at Rome from the true doctrine of the Gospell. At what time then hath Rome lost this faith ſo highly commended by S. Paul? when fainted faith which before ſo flouriſhed? In what age, vnderunder what Pole, vponupon what occaſion, by whoſe compulſion, by whoſe power, hath a new ſtrange Religion inuaded, not only that citie of Rome, but the whole world beſides? what outcries, what rufflings, what weeping and wailing hath it cauſed? were all men in all the world beſides in a dead ſleepe, while Rome, I ſay, Rome brought forth new Sacraments, new ſacrifice, and new doctrine of religion? There hath not been found any one Historiographer either Latin or Greeke, neither abroad nor at home, which hath vouchſafed ſo much as to make a little note in his bookes of ſo notable a matter, though it had been neuer ſo ſlenderly. Wherefore this is a matter manifest enough, if the Historie which is a faithfull witnes of antiquity, and the life of memory, do in many and ſundry places copiouſly entreate and ſpoake of that faith which we profeſſe: and if no History at all ſince the creation of the world do affirme, that, that faith which the aduerſaries do thrust vponupon vsus, was … allowed in the Catholike Church; then are all the Historiographers on our part, and the inuaſions of the aduerſaries are not friuolous, and ſuch as can make no man afraid, except it bee first granted, that all Christians throughout eueryevery age, hauehave fallen to groſſe infidelity and conſequently into the deepe pit of hell; vntill that Frier Luther committed aduoutrie with the Nunne Katherine Bore.