Answer to Campian the Jesuit, Reasons · Reason 8
EDMVND CAMPIAN. The eighth Reaſon, which is the Paradoxes of our aduerſaries.
WHen that (most excellent men) I reuolue in my mind amongst many hereſies wherewith I hauehave to doe, certaine mōstrous opinions of ſuch as are fantasticallie giuen; I could not but condemne my ſelf of ſlouthfulnes and cowardlines, if making triall thereof, I ſhould bee afraid of any mans actiuitie and ſtrength: let him be as eloquent as yee would wiſh, let him be as much exerciſed as you would deſire, yea let him be one that hath throughly ſtudied all ſorts of books, yet must he needs be to ſeeke, both for matter and words alſo when he ſhall vndertake to maintaine thoſe his vnpoſſible propoſitions as follow: for (if he perhaps will giuegive his conſent) we will dispute of God, of Christ, of Man, of ſinne, of Iustice, of Sacraments, and of Manners, I will trie whether they dare maintaine their opinions, & ſuch ſayings, as they, lingring after their owne lure, hauehave bruted abroad by their writings. God graunt they will acknowledge theſe their owneaDe Deo. Cal. Inſt. lib. 1. cap. 18. lib 2. cap. 4. lib. 3. cap. 23. & 24. Pet. Mart. in 1. Sam. 2. Methanct. in cap. Rom. 8. VVittem. 1524. Sic docet Luther. in aſſer. 36. & in reſol. aſſer. 36. & in lib. de ſer. arbit. Praeſat. in anno Phil. In Apol. Eccl. Ang. Vide Ench. pre. an. 1543 axiomes:*This is moſt falſe, not any one of our men hauehave affirmed that God is the author of ſinne. God is the author and cauſe of ſinne, willing, prompting, making, commaunding, and working it, and their gouerning the wicked counſels of naughty men.*This is falſe, we do not ſo compare togither. The adultery of Dauid, and the treaſon of the Traitor Iudas, was as properly the worke of God, as the calling of S. Paul was. This monſtrous doctrine, whereof Philip, Melancthon was once aſhamed, yet Martin Luther from whoſe brest Philip ſuckt the ſame, as highly extolleth, as though it had been ſome heauenly oracle, and therefore matcheth his ſaid ſcholler in a manner with the Apostle S. Paul. I will demaund alſo what mind Luther was of whom the Engliſh Caluinists affirme to hauehave been a man ſent from God to lighten the Word, when hee razed out of the Letany vſed in the Church this verſe, O bleſſed Trinitie, and one God hauehave mercy vponupon vsus: then in order I will proceed to the perſon ofoDe Chriſt. Inſt. lib. 1. c. 13. nu. 23. & 24. Beza in Heſſ. Beza contra Schmidel. lib. de vnit. Hypoſt. dua. in Christ. nat. Christ, & demaund of them, what theſe Paradoxes meane, whereas the Catholike Church holdeth that Christ is the Son of God, and God of God.*Chriſt is Son of the Father, but God of himſelfe. Caluin ſaith that Christ is God of himſelfe, and Beza affirmeth that he was not begotten of the ſubſtance of the Father: alſo be it agreed (ſaith he) that there are in Christ two vnions conſisting in one ſubstance, the one of the ſoule with the fleſh, and the other of the Diuinity with the humanity. That place of S.cCaluin. in Ioh. 10. v. 30 Iohn, I and the Father are one, doth not proue that Christ is God of one ſubſtance with God the Father: yea and my ſoule (*This is falſe, reade the anſwere. ſaithdLuther cont. Laton. Luther) cannot brooke this word (Homouotin.) Proceed yee forward,eBucer. in Lu. 2. Calu. in …ar. Eu. Christ from his infancie was not full of grace, but daily encreaſed in gifts of the mind, as other men vſually doe, and waxed wiſer through experience eueryevery daie more then other, ſo that in his childhood he was ſubiect tofLuth. Loſſ. Hem. Mela. in Euang. de. 1. poſt. Epiſt. Marl. in Matt. 26. Cal. in Har. Euan Brentius in Luc. par. 2. Hom. 65. & in Catech. an. 1551. & in Ioh. Hom. 54. ignorance, which is all one as if they ſhould ſay that Christ was corrupted, with the ſpot and ſtaine of*This is falſe, for all ignorance riſeth not from originall corruption. originall ſinne. But listen and you ſhall know more pernitious doctrine then this. Christ when he praied in the garden, and plentifully ſweat both water and blood, trembled through feare, and ſenſiblie feeling of eternall damnation, vttered certaine ſpeeches without reaſon, and without conſent of the inward ſpirit, yea ſpeeches without conſideration through the vehemencie of his griefe: the which ſpeeches as vnaduiſedly ſpoken, he quickly corrected. Is there any more ſuch ſtuff? giuegive diligēt eare: Chriſt, whē he cried out with a loud voice, hanging on the Croſſe, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me, was tormented with the flames of hell fire, he let ouer-ſlip*This is falſe, neither Birutius nor any of our men euer ſaid ſo. himgCaluin. in Har. Euang. in eand. ſent. Loſſ. in Matth. 26. desperate ſpeeches, being no otherwiſe affectioned, then if he ſhould hauehave died an eternall death; if they hauehave any worſe ſtuffe then this, let them emptie their gorge. Christ they ſaie, deſcended into hell, that is, Christ after he was dead, tasted of the paines of hell, nowhithSchmidel. conci. de Paſſ & c… ua Dom. Aepinus Com. in Pſal. 16. leſſe then the damned ſoules doe, ſauing that he was to be restored againe; for as much as by his corporall death, he could hauehave profited vsus nothing, it was therefore requiſit that hisiCaluin. Inſtit lib. 2. cap. 16. Bren. in Catechiſ. 1551. ſoule alſo ſhould ſtriue with eternall death, and in this manner to tolerate the paine, and paye the ranſome of our ſins. And leſt peraduenture any man ſhould ſuſpect, that this eſcaped Caluin by ouerſight, the ſaidkInſtit. lib. 2 cap. 16. nu. 12. Caluin calleth you all forlorne knaues, if any of you, hauehave debated vponupon this*They who deny this doctrine to be full of comfort may worthily be accounted deſperate men. comfortable doctrine, oh curſed times! oh curſed daies! what miſerable doctrine hauehave you bred vp? Hath that precious and princely blood, which guſhed out of the torne pierced ſide of that most innocent Lambe Chriſt Ieſus (eueryevery little drop of which blood, for the worthines of the ſacrifice, was ſufficient to hauehave redeemed a thouſand worlds) reliened mankind nothing at all,1. Tim. 2. Apoc. 2.6. except the man Christ Ieſus the mediator betweene God and man had ſuffred alſo the*Which of vsus ſpake after that manner? ſecond death, the death of the ſoule, the want of grace, which is due only for ſinne, and detestable blaſphemie? In compariſon of this madnes.Bucer. in Matt. 26. Bucer ſhall ſeeme modest, though abſolutely he is indeed very impudent in that he taketh this word Infernus in the Creed only to ſignifie Sepulchrum, that is, a graue, by a very ouer thou art figure Epexegeſis, (which is a latter recitall, or rather by a fooliſh and fond figure, which is commonly called Tautologia,) that is an idle and ſuperfluous telling of one…tale often. Of the Engliſh ſectaries, ſome are accuſtomed to hang vponupon Caluin, whom they make their God, and ſome to take part with Bucer their great master. Some alſo mutter in their ſlieues against this article, dewiſing with themſelues how without cauſing of an vproare, it may be quite cut out of the Creed, that it moleſt them no more. That, that alſo was*This is moſt falſe, this was neuer aſſayed in our Church. attempted in a certaine aſſemblie at London, I remember one Richard Chenie, a miſerable old man, that was amongſt them told mee, who though hee was euilly intreated of theeues abroad, yet did hee not repaire home into his fathers houſe. And thus farre, as concerning Chriſt his owne perſon: now what ſay they of man? marry that thelDe Homine Illyri. in par. lib. de …t. Pec. col. Inſt. lib. 2. ca. 3 Sacer. de conſ. ve. Eccl. Aepin. de …b. & Pecc. Sanct. Rem. contra Cenſ. Col. De peccato. Image*This is falſe, we deny this directly. of God is cleane blotted out of a mā, ſo that there is not ſo much as one ſpark of goodnes remaining in him. His whole nature as touching all the whole faculties of the ſoule, is ſo quite altered, that no man not euen he that is lately chriſtened, nor any holy vertuous man, is any thing elſe inwardly, but meere corruption and contagion; but whereto tendeth this? forſooth to no other purpoſe, but that they who will ſnatch at heauen, by their onlie faith, leading their liues in looſeſt ſort, may accuſe nature, may despaire to attaine to vertue, and caſt off the burden of the holy Commandements from their backes. To this hathmJllyri. in vari. lib. de peccat. orig. vide Heſhis. in Epiſt. ad Illyr. An peccatū ſit ſubſtātia. Cal. in Antid. Conc. Trid. idem docuerat VViclef apud VVald. lib. 2. de Sacra. c. 154. De gratia. Illyricus the ſtādard bearer to the Magdeburgeans annexed, that his diuelliſh decree of originall ſinne, which he holdeth to bee the moſt inward ſubſtance of mens ſoules, becauſe (ſaith he) after the fall of Adam, the very Diuel himſelfe doth ſhape them anew, & tranſforme them into his owne ſubſtance. This is alſo an vſuall ſaying amongſt theſe abiects, that*This is moſt falſe, our men euer abhorred this doctrine. all ſinnes are equall; but with this condition, (leſt peraduēture the Stoickes do quicken againe▪) that they be weighed in the ballance of Gods iuſt iudgement: as though God, which is as a moſt gentle iudge, would rather aggrauate, then eaſe our burden; and notwithſtanding that he is moſt righteous, he would yet exaggerate the offence, & make it more then it is in very deed. By this ballāce a ſilly poore Tauernour that killeth a cock whē there is no need, offēdeth God no lee, if he giuegive iudgment in his furie, then did that vile butcherly fellow being great with child of Beza his doctrine, that ſecretly with arpiſtolet moſt treacherouſly murdred that great noblemā of Frāce, the Duk of Guiſe, a Prince of rare vertue, which was the moſt horrible, & lamētable deed, that euer was doue in any time, within the compaſſe of the wide world. But peraduenture thoſe men that are ſet ſo eagerly in handling of the nature of ſinne,De Gratia. will ſhew themſelues great Philoſophers in disputing of Gods grace, which wil helpe to heale and cure this maladie.nLuth. in resp. contra Louan. Bucer. in Ioh. 1 VVel. in nat. Chriſti. Brent. hom. 12. in Ioh. Cent. lib. 1. cap. 4. De Iustitia. Good offices it ſeemeth, that they appoint for this grace, the which they impudently crie out to be powred into our harts, or to hauehave ſufficient ability, to withſtand all ſorts of ſinnes: and place it altogeter out of our reach, in the only fauour of God: which fauour (they ſay)*This is falſe, the grace of God begeteth iuſtification, and ſanctification followeth iuſtification alwaies, and neceſſarily. doth neither amend the wicked, nor purifie the corrupted, nor lighten thoſe that bee in darknes, nor inrich them that want good workes, but only doth hide that old heape of ſinnes ſtill remaining and ſticking within vsus, by Gods wincking thereat, to the intent that it be not imputed as deformed and odious in his ſight: with which their vaine imaginations they are ſo well pleaſed, that euen*This is falſe, we confeſſe Chriſt is eueryevery way full of grace. Chriſt himſelfe, for no other cauſe in their iudgements may be ſaid to be full of grace and truth: but becauſe that God the Father did wonderfully fauour him. What manner of thing then is Iuſtice? a certaine reſpectiue relation: not compoſed of the three Theologicall vertues, Faith, Hope, and Charitie, which do cloſe the ſoule with their beautie, but only a cloaking of ſinne, the which whoſoeuer can apprehend by his bare faith, that man is as ſure of his ſaluation, as if hee were already in preſent poſſeſſion of the endleſſe ioyes of heauen: but go to, let him dreame of this, yet how can hee aſſure himſelf of future perſeuerance vntill his death? whichoMatth. 12 Luc. 11. gift of perſeuerance whoſoeuer wanteth; he commeth to moſt miſerable end, though for a ſeaſon hee embraced iuſtice both ſincerely and zealouſly. Nay verily, except this thy faith (ſaithpInst. lib. 3. c. 2. nu. 40. Caluin) doth foreſhew thee thy perſeuerance ſo infalliblie, that thou canſt not be deceiued therin, thou oughteſt to account it as a weake and feeble faith. By this point I know him to be Luthers owne ſcholler: for aqLib. de capt. …ab. Chriſtian man (ſaith he) though he would, cannot*Luther ſpeaketh of the grace of Baptiſme which is not loſt by ſin. damne himſelfe, but only by incredulitie. I will make hast to the ſacraments:De Sacramentis. they hauehave leſt (O bleſſed Chriſt) no Sacrament, I ſay none, not two, not one; for their breadrCaluin. Inſtit. lib. 4. cap. 15. Cent. 1. lib. 1 cap. 16. Luth. lib. de cap. Babyl. Cent 2. & 5. cap. 4. Luth. aduer. Gochl. item Epiſt. ad Melanct. 10.2. & in Epiſt. ad VVald. Anabaptiſtas. is ſtarke poyſon. Their Baptiſme, though it be true Baptiſme, by their iudgement is nothing at all: It is not water of ſaluation, it is not a conduite of grace, and doth not make vsus partakers of Chriſts merits, it is but*This is falſe, we ſay not that they are only ſignes. onelyonly a bare ſigne of ſaluation. Therefore as concerning the nature of the thing, they eſteeme Chriſts Baptiſme no more then the outward ceremonie of Saint Iohn. If thou hauehave it, it is well,*This is falſe, he ſpeaketh not ſo of Baptiſme. if thou want it, it is no hurt at all: onelyonly beleeue, and thou art ſure to be ſaued before thou be baptized. What then ſhall wee ſay of ſillie yong Infants, who except they be holpen by the vertue of this Sacrament, can purchaſe nothing by their owne faith? Rather (ſay the Magdeburgeans) then wee will attribute any vertue to the Sacraments of Baptiſme, let vsus grant that there is faith in ſuch infants ſufficient whereby they may be ſaued, certaine ſecret motions of which faith they feele in themſelues; whereas without doubt, as yet they cannot diſcerue by any ſenſe whether they liue or no. A hard caſe ſurely for poore Infants: but if this ſeeme ſo hard, marke what medicines Luther will miniſter for it.*This Luther ſpeaketh vponupon their ſuppoſition, who affirme that children want all faith. Better it were, ſaith he, to omit Baptiſme altogether, for except the infant beleeue himſelfe, the waſhing of him in water is to no purpoſe at all. This tale they tell that ſtand wauering, what they may abſolutely affirme in this point. Why then let Baltazar Pacimontanus intrude himſelfe to ſtrike the ſtroke betweene them,Anabaptiſta. as an indifferent man, who being the firſt founder of the Annabaptiſts, when he could not conceiue in his minde that there was any motion of faith in yong children, allowed of Luthers ſimple ſhift, and abandoning the Baptiſme of Infants out of all Churches decreed that none ſhould bee chriſtened vntill hee come to yeares of vnderſtanding. As for the reſt of the Sacramentes, though that*the Pope of Rome. beaſt with-manie heads, ſpoken of in the Apocalyps, doe belch out many horrible blaſphemies againſt them. Neuertheleſſe becauſe they are common at this preſent and hauehave hardned our eares with the ſound thereof, I will here let them paſſe.De moribus. There remaine certeine peſtiferous fragments of heretical doctrine, concerning life and manners, whichſSerm. de Matri. lib. de …o. con. & aſſe. art. 16. Lib de vo. mona. Cha…. lib. in cenſor. ſuum Luth. Serm. de Piſ. Pee. aſſer. art. 32 Lab. de Ser. arb. & Ser. de Moyſe. lib. de cap. Babyl. Luther ſpued out vponupon papers, for to infect thoſe that reade his bookes, with ſuch poyſoned ſtuffe, as iſſued out of the ſtincking ſincke of his filthie breſt; liſten patiently, and bluſh for ſham, and pardon me for reciting them.*A notable ſlaunder, as all the reſt which follow be: reade the anſwere. If my wife will not come, or cannot, then let my maid come to my bed. For the vſe of a woman is as neceſſarie for euerie man, as either meate or drinke or ſleepe is: Matrimonie is better then virginitie, Chriſt diſſwaded and S. Paul diſſwaded Chriſtian people from virginitie. But peraduenture he will ſaye that thoſe are Luthers peculiar hereſies. I ſay they are not. They are alſo maintained by Charke, though faintly & fearefullie. Will you ſee any more of this ſtuffe? why not? By how much the more wicked thou art (ſaith he) by ſo much the more art thou nigher to grace. All good works are ſinnes; yea if God deale with vsus iudicially, they are deadly ſinnes, but if God deale with vsus mercifully, they are but ſmall veniall ſinnes: No man thinketh of his owne freewill any euill thought. The tenne Commaundements of almightie God, belong nothing at all to Chriſtians. God hath no regard of our workes. Thoſe only are worthie partakers of the Lords Supper which bring with them ſorrowfull, afflicted, tormented, confounded and vnconſtant conſciences. We ought to confeſſe our ſinnes, but it forceth not to whom. For if any man obſolue thee, though it be but in *This is falſe: for Luther ſpeaketh not this of eueryevery man, but of the Miniſters.ieſt, if thou beleeue that thy ſins are forgiuen thee, thou art abſolued. It is not the office of Prieſts, but of Lay men to ſay their daily appointed ſeruice. Chriſtian people are exempted from the lawes of men. But I thinke I hauehave raked deepe enough, and I feare me a little too deepe in ſtirring of this ſtincking puddle: wherefore now I will make an ende: and I would not hauehave you thinke that I hauehave delt vniuſtly in reprouing the Lutherans and Zuinglians iointly together: for the Zuinglians well remembring out of what ſchoole they came, wiſh with al their harts to be accompted as deare friends and louing brethren one with another: ſo that they thinke they hauehave great wrong done vntounto them when there is any difference put between them, except it be in one only matter. I for my owne part, truly doe thinke that I am vnworthie to take vponupon me ſo much as a meane roome amongſt a great nūber of choſen Diuines, which in theſe daies hauehave proclaimed warres againſt all ſorts of hereſies. But this one thing I know aſſuredly▪ that be I neuer ſo ſimple, I cannot by the grace of Chriſt he in any hazard, whiles that I ſhall contend againſt ſuch fayned▪ odious, fooliſh, and brutiſh deuices, ſo long as I hauehave both heauen and earth to helpe me.