Answer to Campian the Jesuit, Reasons · Reason 3
EDMVND CAMPIAN. The third Reaſon, which is the nature of the Church.
SO ſoone as the Aduerſarie heard the Church named, hee waxed wanne: yet notwithſtanding hee hath deuiſed one thing, which I would wiſh you to note well; that thereby you may perceiue, the ruine and hard ſhifts of falſehood. The enemie perceiued that both in theaApoc. 2. Pſal. 7. Iſay q. & 32. Cant. 6. old and newbMat. 13. Epheſ. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 1. Tim. 3. Ioan. 15. Matth. 16. Matth. 18. Teſtament, there is eueryevery where*The scripture maketh honorable mention of the Church, therefore the Romane Church is that true Church of Chriſt, of which the Scripture ſpeaketh ſo … ten. honorable mention made of the Church, and that it is called a holy citie, a fruitfull vineyard, an high hill, a direct path, the only doue, the kingdome of heauen, the ſpouſe and bodie of Chriſt, the pillar of truth, the multitude vntounto which the holy Ghoſt being promiſed, powreth all things needfull to ſaluatiō. The congregation, againſt all which the gates of hell ſhall neuer ſo preuaile, that they ſhall vtterlie extinguiſh the ſame. The congregation, which who ſo repugneth, though he confeſſe Chriſt with his mouth, yet hath he no more to doe with Christ, then hath a Publican and heathen man. He durſt not ſay any thing againſt this openly, neither would hee ſeeme to gain-ſay that Church, whereof the Scriptures ſo often make mention. He kept craftily ſtill, the name of the Church, but the thing it ſelf by deſcribing it, he*This is falſe, for your definition maketh a true Church took quite away. For he hath portraied the Church with ſuch properties as doe altogether hide it and make it, as if it were Plato his Idea;cCaluin. Jnst. lib. 4. cup. 1. Num. 2.3. Apoc. 1.2 3. vnapt to be ſeene with the ſenſes, but ſubiect to the priuy inſight and ſpeculation of a very few men, ſuch onelyonly as by ſpeciall inſpiration, might in their imagination comprehend this arrie bodie, and could likewiſe with a ſharpe eye diſcerne ſuch as are members of this choſen ſocietie, what is become of truth? where is plaine dealing? what Scriptures? what iuſt iudgmentes, what Fathers deſcribe the Church in this ſorte?*Particular Churches are viſible: therefore the Catholik Church is viſible. There are Epiſtles in the Apocalyppes of S. Iohn written bydAct. 8.10.11. & ſeq. Chriſt himſelfe to the ſeauen Churches which were in Aſia. There are alſo diuerſe Epistles written by S. Peter, S. Paul, S. Iohn. and by others vntounto ſundry Churches. In the Actes of the Apoſtles, we finde mention made of many Churches begun and enlarged: what were thoſe? were they knowne to God onelie, and to his Saintes, or alſo to all ſortes of Chriſtians? But truly neceſſitie is a deadly dart; pardon them: for they that all theſe*This is falſe, our doctrine hath been deriued from Chriſt himſelfe vntounto vsus, by the faithfull of all ages. 1500 yeeres cannot ſpie out ſo much, as one time, one village, one houſe embrued with their doctrine, vntill that vnhappieeLutherus. Moncke by his inceſtuous marriage had deſtoured a Nunne, dedicated to God by former ſolemne vowe: or vntill that quarrelling SwizerfZuinglius. had conſpired againſt his countrie: or vntill that infamous runagategCaluinus. had vndertaken an vſurped authoritie in Geneua. If they will hauehave any Church at all, they muſt needes fetch the ſame out of blind corners, and challenge thoſe for their anceſtors, whom they neither knew themſelues, neither any mortall man hath ſeene, except they brage of ſuch forefathers, who were manifeſt heretiques, as Aerius, Iouinianus, Henri. Pantal. in Chrenogra.Heluidius, Vigillantius, the Image breakers, Berengarius, Waldenſis, Lothardus, Wyclife, Huſſe, of all which they hauehave begged ſome peices of their diueliſh doctrine. Maruaile not though I hauehave not feared theſe ſmoders, which if I ſhall once come to the cleare light, I ſhall eaſily expell. For this is our ſpeech together. Tell me, doſt thou beleeue as the Church doth, which flouriſhed theſe many hundred yeeres paſt? Yea verilie: let vsus therefore diſcourſe of our countries and times; what Church doſt thou beleeue? The congregation of the faithfull, whoſenames are vnknowne, but it is apparant that many ſuch hauehave been: Is it apparant that manie ſuch hauehave been. To whom it is apparant? To God; who ſaith ſo? we that hauehave receiued our doctrine from God himſelfe. This is a loude lie, how may I beleeue it? If thou were feruent in faith, thou ſhould know this as aſſuredlie, as thou doſt that thou art aliue: Can you refraine laughing when you heare ſuch fooliſh anſwers? All Chriſtian people are commannded to cleaue faſt vntounto the Church, they are warned to take heed, leſt they be ſlaine with the ſpirituall ſword: they are bid keepe peace in the houſe of God: to commit their ſoules in truſt vntounto this pillar of truth, there to make all their complaints to take for heathen all ſuch as are caſt out of this Church: and yet all that, hauehave ſo many men, ſo manie hundred yeeres, been ignorant, where that Church is, or who belong vntounto it; will they in darkeneſſe ſtill ſtand vponupon that point? that where or in what place ſoeuer the Church is, there are contained therein, onelyonly ſaints, and ſuch as are predeſtinate to goe to heauen: whereby it falleth out that if any man will refuſe to obey his prelate, he may thinke himſelfe to be blameleſſe in ſo doing: if hee perſwade himſelfe that his ſaid prelate hath committed any great offence, & by that meanes is excommunicated out of the Church. When I perceiued that my aduerſaries inuented ſuch deuiſes, and that they would not aſſociate themſelues to any Church, that heretofore hath been: and that when they were quite depriued of the thing it ſelfe, they would needes (though with much adoe) keepe ſtill the bare name in poſſeſſion, I ſolaced my ſelfe, with the hope I conceiued of your ripe iudgements, yea and I nothing doubted, but that aſſoone as you ſhould find out euen by their owne confeſſions, theſe their iugling trickes, you would ſtraightwaies, like plaine honeſt and wiſe men cut off ſuch fooliſh ſnares, framed of ſet purpoſe to worke your ouerthrow.