Answer to Campian the Jesuit, Reasons · Reason 2
EDMVND CAMPIAN. The ſecond Reaſon, which is the right ſenſe of the Scriptures.
ANother matter that prouoked me to vndertake this enterprize; and that enforced mee little to feare theſe my aduerſaries ſlender armies, is the vſuall inclination of my enemie in expounding the Scriptures, full of deceite, and void of wiſdome. Theſe things you Philoſophers would quickely finde out; and therefore I was deſirous of your audience. Let vsus demaund (for example ſake) of our aduerſaries, what cauſed them to deuiſe this new opinion, whereby Chriſt is*This is falſe, for we doe not exclude Chriſt from the Supper. excluded out of the myſticall ſupper? If they name the Gospell, we ioyne with them, the very words they are for vsus.aMatth. 26 Mark. 14. Luk. 22. This is my bodie, this is my blood: which words ſeemed tobLuther in epist. ad Argen. Luther ſo forcible, that when he earnestly deſired to be of Zuinglius mind, becauſe by that meanes he might hauehave wrought the Pope moſt displeaſure; yet notwithſtanding he yeelded, being ouercome and vanquiſhed by the moſt plaine text of Scripture, and as vnwillingly confeſſed that Chriſt is truly preſent in the moſt holy Sacrament, as thecMatth. …. Marke 1. diuels in time paſt being ouercome with miracles, with outcries confeſſed that Chriſt is the ſonne of God. Goe to then, the written word doth fauour vsus: the controuerſie is about the true meaning of the written word. Let vsus trie out this by the words thereunto adioyning:dLuk. 22. Mattb. 22. Corpus meum quod pro vobis datur, ſanguis meus, qui pro multis e…lundetur: that is, My bodie which is giuen for you, my blood which ſhalbe ſhed for many. Yet the matter goeth hard on Caluins ſide▪ and maketh very manifestly and plainely for vsus. What ſay they elſe? Conferre ſay they, the Scriptures together. Agreed. ThecIohn. 6. Matth. 16. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Gospels make for vsus,f1. Cor. 10. & 11. S. Paul accordeth alſo. The words, the ſentences, the whole connexion of Scriptures doe often moſt reuerently repeate the bread and the wine, a not able miracle, heauenly foode, his fleſh, his bodie, his blood. Here is nothing figuratiue, nothing obſcured by doubtfull ſpeeches: yet notwithſtanding the aduerſaries ſtand ſtiffely in their opinion, and neuer ceaſe wrangling. What ſhall we then doe? I hope antiquitie may be heard, and that the reuerend hoare head of Fathers of all former ages, to Chriſts time more nigh, & farther off from the time of theſe controuerſies, may be their iudgement, determine this debate, which we cannot end amongst our ſelues, being ſuspected one of another.*This is falſe, for in this cō trouerſie we willingly admit Antiquity as witneſſe. They cannot away with that; they ſay then they are betraied. They crie out for the ſincere and pure word of God: they vtterlie reiect all mens commentaries: trecherouſlie and witleſſelie done. We will vrge them with the word of God; they darken it: we call the Saints in heauen for witneſſes; they refuſe them. In few words this is their drift, that vnleſſe thou wilt ſtand to their owne iudgement that are guiltie, there is no iudgement to be had. And ſo they behaue themſelues in euerie controuerſie betweene vsus. As concerning grace powred into vsus from heauen, inherent iuſtice, the viſible Church, the neceſſity of Baptiſme, Sacraments, and ſacrifices, meritorious works of good folke; hope and feare, inequality of offences, the authoritie of S. Peter, the keyes, vowes, Euangelicall counſailes, and other like controuerſies, we Catholikes in ſundrie of our books, in our mutuall conference, in churches, in ſchooles hauehave brought forth many and waightie places of Scripture, and hauehave both tried and applied the ſame. They hauehave ſcorned at this. We hauehave alledged the interpretations of the auncient Greeke and Latin Churches; they hauehave refuſed them. What ſay they then? marry that M. Doctor Martin Luther, or elſe M. Philip Melanthon, or certainelie M. Zuinglius, or without doubt M. Caluin, and M. Beza hauehave faithfullie entreated vponupon theſe matters. Can I imagine any of you to be ſo ſtuffed in the noſe, that being forewarned, cannot quicklie ſmell out this ſubtile iugling? wherfore I confeſſe plainlie that I am deſirous to hauehave audience in the Ʋniuerſitie ſcholes, that after I hauehave called theſe Ruffian-like knights out of their dark dennes into the open and plaine field, I may before your eies diſcomfite them, not by my owne ſtrength, which am not to bee compared with the worſt of an hundred of our ſide, but by the puiſſance of the cauſe, and certaintie of the truth which we maintaine.