Answer to Campian the Jesuit, Reasons · Reason 9
EDMVND CAMPIAN. The ninth Reaſon, which is the Aduerſaries Sophiſmes.
IT is an auncient Prouerb, that a pore-blinde man may be a King amongst the blinde. Amongst the ignorant ſort of people many times a coloured argument taketh place, the which the Philoſophers ſchoole doth hiſſe at. The*This is falſe: you can produce none of our ſophiſmes: and thoſe you ſpeake of are yours, not ours Aduerſarie herein much offendeth, but namely in foure kinds of fallaces he is well practiſed, which I had rather diſcloſe in the Vniuerſitie ſchooles, then in the common ſtreets, whither only rude people do reſort. The firſt fault is called Schiamachia, Schiamachia.which is a forcible ſtriking of the ayer, and beating of ſhadowes on this ſort, againſt thoſe that are ſingle and hauehave*Thoſe oathes and vovves are taken and made againſt the ſcriptures. ſworne and ſolemnely vowed to liue in Chastity, becauſe Marriage is good, but Virginitie is better. They bring ſcriptures that ſpeake very*Marriage is honorable in all conditions of men, therefore in Miniſters. honorably of Matrimony:1. Cor. 7. Whom do they pierce with their darts? Againſt the*All he can do are his duties, therefore there can be no merits. merits of a Christian man dipped in Christes bloud, without the which there is no merit at all. They recite testimonies, which commaund vsus to put our affiance neither in nature nor in the lawe, but in the bloud of Chriſt; whom do they confute? Againſt thoſe that honor Saints, as the moſt acceptable ſeruants of Chriſt, there are vouched whole pages of ſcripture, which prohibit the*They vvho vvorſhip many Saints, vvorſhip many Gods. Papiſts vvorſhip many Saints ergo. worſhipping of many gods? Such Arguments as theſe, which I ſee ſwarme amongst the Aduerſaries, cannot hurt vsus, well may they be loathſome vntounto you.
The ſecond fault is Logomachia, Logomachia.which is a leaning of the matter it ſelfe, and contentiouſly to ſtriue about a bare word. Find if thou canſt (ſay they) this word Miſſa, 1. Maſſe, or Purgatorium. 1. Purgatorie in the ſcripture. What if I cannot? Is there not a*A moſt fooliſh and vniuſt compariſon. Trinity, a conſubstantiality, or the perſon of God to be proued out of the Bible, becauſe theſe words Trinitas 1. a trinity, Homoouſios, 1. of the ſame ſubstāce, Perſona, 1. a perſon be not there found? Of great alliance to this fault is Literarum aucupium, when neglecting the common vſage and true meaning of the ſpeakers, which is the very life of the word, they cauill againſt the bare letters. For thus they argue: Presbyter 1. a Prieſt, is nothing elſe in Greeke but Senior, 1. an Elder. Sacramentum 1. a Sacrament, ſignifieth all kind of myſterie. But S. Thomas herein as in all other matters ſaith moſt wiſely, that in words we muſt marke not ſo much from whence, as to what purpoſe they are ſpoken. The third fault is Homonymia, Homonymia.which they moſt commōly vſe, as whē they ſay to what purpoſe was the order of*Heere is no Homonymy, for there are now no Prieſts in a Chriſtian Church. Prieſthood instituted, ſeeing that S. Iohn hath called vsus all Priests?Eſay. 48. So hath he alſo added this, We are all Kings and ſhall raigne vponupon the earth. Wherefore then were Kings ordained? Againe, they ſay, the Prophet biddeth vsus obſerue a ſpirituall feaſt, that is, that we ſhould refraine from our old ſinnes: Farewell all*Campian placeth faſting in the choiſe of meates, and obſeruation of daies, vvhichwhich in meere Iudaiſme. change of meates, and preſcript times of fasting. Is the matter ſo indeed? Then Moyſes, Dauid, Helias, S. Iohn Baptiſt, and the Apostles were ſtarke fooles, who ended their faſting from vſuall food after two dayes, three dayes, and certaine weekes, whereas their faſt from ſinne ſhould hauehave endured ſo long as they liued. What this fallacy is you hauehave now ſeene, I haſt forward. The fourth fault added to this,Circulatio. is Circulatio, a going about the buſh in this manner: Tell me (I ſay to one of them) the true marks of the Church. He anſwereth the word of God, and the pureſt ministring of the Sacraments. Are theſe marks to be found amongst you, ſay I? who doubteth of that, ſaith he? I vtterly deny it. Then quoth he peruſe the word of God. I*If you had conſulted with the vvord of God, you ſhould eaſily hauehave perceiued that it vvas ſo: but you conſult vvith the Church of Rome and not with the word. hauehave already peruſed it, and I thinke worſe of your ſide then I did before. Tuſh, ſaith he for all that the matter is moſt plaine; proue me that, ſay I: becauſe (ſaith he) we ſwarue not a finger breadth from the word of God. Where is thy ſharp wit thou braggeſt of? Wilt thou ſtill for thy proofe inferre that which is in controuerſie? How often hauehave I blamed thee for this. Wilt thou not awake out of thy dreames. Muſt thou hauehave a torch lighted that thou maiſt ſee to ſpeake? I tell thee once againe, that thou doeſt malitiouſly miſcōstrue the word of God. I hauehave for my witneſſes fifteene hundred yeares. Stand to the iudgement, neither thine nor mine, but of theſe 1500. yeares. I will ſtand, ſaith he, to the iudgemēt of the word of God.Job. 3. The ſpirit doth breath where he listeth. Behold what roundabouts he fetcheth, what round rings he treadeth. I know not to whom this iester and coyner of ſo many waste words and fooliſh fallaces may be a terror; troubleſome peraduenture he will be: may it pleaſe your wiſedomes to tollerate his troubleſomneſſe; as for the feare, the cauſe it ſelfe hath alreadie quite taken away.