Exomologesis, or, A faithfull narration of the occaision and motives of the conversion unto Catholick unity of Hugh-Paulin de Cressy, lately Deane of Laghlin &c. in Ireland and Prebend of Windsore in England now a second time printed with additions and explications by the same author who now calls himself B. Serenus Cressy, religious priest of the holy order of S. Benedict in the convent of S. Gregory in Doway.

CHAP. XVII.

Necessity of the Authors examining the grounds of the Roman Church.

Severall advantages acknowledged to be in that Church.

1. THus like Noah's Dovo wearying my selfe in flying up and down, and finding •••• rest for the soale of my foot, I was at last forced to returne into the Arke, seeing what ever be∣came of the English Church, I Now found rea∣son enough not to thinke my selfe safe enough

in it. Yet it was a good while before I got any sight of the Arke, and after I saw it, I did not hastily suffer my selfe to be received into it, till I saw there was no other way to escape drowning left me.

2. My first thoughts after so successelesse a search of a Church were, not doubtingly, but sollicitously expostulating in my mind, where is the effect of that promise of Christ, that the gates of Hell should not prevaile against his Church? And, Behold I am with you till the end of the world? I wondered that the Fathers should so unanimously interpret the Church to be that City seated on the top of a mountaine: For I had in vaine sought both mountaines and Valleyes, and could not get a sight of it. But I concluded that certainly the fault was in mine owne eyes, which some mist or disease had blinded, and not in want of visibility in the Church, since all the Promises of God in Christ are in him, YEA, and in him AMEM. And therefore that no preconceits of assurance or demonstrations ought to hinder me from ex∣amining the pretentions of the Roman Church, as well as the rest: That it was utterly im∣possible that the Promises of Christ should faile, but that it was very possible that both my selfe and Mr. Chillingworth might be mistaken in be∣leiving those arguments to be demonstrations, which were not: That perhaps he did not under∣stand fully the minde of his adversary M. Knot: Or perhaps that the opinion and expression of Infallibility combated by Mr. Chillingworth was but an interpretation given by a private Doctour of his sence of the Churches doctrine, & so the

arguments against it not proceeding directly a∣gainst the Church: However that it was very reasonable, just and requisite seriously and di∣ligently to examine the true state of that questi∣on, which if the Roman Church could to my understanding justifie that she had not err'd in, there would presently be an end of all my tra∣vells and doubts about other particular contro∣versies. For who will question or suspect the truth of that Witnesse or Judge in particu∣lar speeches or assertions, that has once in grosse approved himselfe to be Infalli∣ble?

3. Had it not been for this point of the Chur∣ches Infallibility, and some Philosophicall Ob∣jections against the Reall Presence, &c. I had not lived thus long out of the communion of the Roman Church; for I alwayes acknowled∣ged that there were in it very many advantages and excellencies, to which no other Church had the confidence to pretend. As 1. I could not deny (having withall the Confession of the most learned Protestants) that the Religion of the present Roman Church is the very same Religion which Saint Augustin the English A∣postle by the Mission of Saint Gregory the Great planted in England, when he converted it from Paganisme; so that me thought it was some∣what an extravagant thing to separate now from Rome for those very points, by the em∣bracing of which England became Christian; Especially considering what persons Saint Gre∣gory and Saint Augustine were, of what sublime holinesse, and profound learning, and how that Religion was confessedly conffirmed by Di∣vine

Miracles. 2. I could not but admire and infinitely approve the ingenuity of the Roman Church in obliging all her children to interpret Scriptures, and to conforme their beleife to the generall consent of Fathers: Indeed the Prote∣stants, in England especially, made honourable mention of the Fathers, but none but Roman Catholiques proceed thus farre. 3. That if we defined Haeresie and Schisme according to the generall notion of the Fathers, viz. that Hae∣resie is a misbeleife innovated in points of Faith contrary to the Doctrine universally re∣ceived in the Church; and Schisme an uncha∣ritable division of one part from the externall Communion of the whole; Of all Churches in the world the Roman could with least reason and justice be accused of these two sinnes, for first, She only receives and preserves the ancient pra∣ctise, and all the Councells and Synods of the Church. Secondly all other Sects apparently broke from her Communion, and all Haere∣tiques were of her Religion before they innova∣ted and introduced new opinions. 4. That the method by which the Roman Church de∣cided all emergent controversies, namely by the authority of the present Church, however I was then perswaded there was some usu•• pation in it, yet de facto ended all disputes, and produced an admirable unity in that Church. A blessing which not only reason, but manifest experience showes to be impossible to be a••∣ceiued in Protestant Churches, where scripture interpreted by private judgement is the Rule and Iudge, for hitherto never has there been made an agreement in any one controversie among

them: In so much as the proper difference be∣tween Catholiques and Protestants is; that if two Catholiques be in debate about any question, both of them will agree to bee judged by a third, namely, the Church; and till that be done they breake not Com∣munion: But if two Protestants quarrell, each of them will interpret and judge both for him∣selfe and his adversary too, there being no um∣pire between them, nor any thing to oblige them to Communion. 5. That the sobr••st Protestants sometimes are not without some suspicion of guilt in matter of Schisme, acknow∣ledging at least that worldly interests had influ∣ence upon those Princes that begun separation first: a case never to be found among Ca∣tholiques. And when any such scruples arise in the mindes of Protestants, they never trouble themselves with seeing themselves divided from the Greek or Abissine Churches, but only the Roman. And very many among them, on their death beds at least, when all secular respects are silent, desire reconciliation with the Roman Churches. Whereas I believe there never was heard any one example of a Roman Catholique, which on his death-bed desired to forsake that Communion to be incorporated into a Prote∣stant Church. And 6. There was a sixth advantage far more prevailing with me then all the former (though at the first I had but an imperfect view of it) namely, the eminent rules of sanctity and spirituallity taught by most prudent and pious directors, and practised after a manner, that nothing in any of the Prote∣stant Churches approacheth neere unto it.

The story and Order of my information in this particular, I will reserve till the Conclusion of this Narration. For the present I will content my selfe with avowing that every day the more neare and faire a prospect I had of the beauty of Holinesse, my prejudices and objecti∣ons against that Church, in which onely such a jewell was to be found, diminished, till in the end I could not free my selfe from partialli∣ty, at least so farre as to wish that Truth might not be found separated from so heavenly a Companion. This Treatise being a Story rather than a controversie, I thought my selfe obli∣ged not to conceale my actions, though they might be obnoxious to be esteemed imperfect or faulty: and am content to heare and thanke whosoever will vouchsafe to reprove mee for them.

4. I will not deny but that these seemed to me very specious and alluring qualities, espe∣cially being of such a disposition, that is, one that above all things in the world abhorred quarrelling, one who though he durst not betray necessary truths by professing the contrary, yet in many cases would willingly have purchased peace with silence: lastly, one that alwaies sus∣pected his owne reason, and that was desirous to find out authority, which might deserve to have his reason submit it selfe to it.

5. Yet notwithstanding all these invitations, so prepossessed was I with the invinciblenesse of Mr. Chillingworth's arguments against the infallibility of the Church, joyn'd with an opinion that it was an essentiall requisite to Communion with the Roman Church to acknow∣ledge

infallibility in the notion that I apprehen∣ded it, that it was not without much violence to my selfe that I could obteine from mine owne reason permission to make a serious en∣quiry into the grounds of it. But at last, because I would not accuse my self afterward of want of ingenuity and fidelity in denying that to the Ro∣man Church alone, which I had performed in respect of all other Churches besides, even to the Socinians, Nestorians and Eutychians: and besides, the affaires of England growing every day in the greater decadency, I found that I was likely to be forced to a reall necessity of resolving that that Question, which at first I reflected on onely upon an imagined supposition, namely, Supposing the Church of England should come to faile, to the Communion of what Church I should then adjoyne my selfe?

6. A Question this is, which I am con∣fident never any one person of any one Sect of Christians before was effectively forced to determine: For never before was there any Religion so wholly appropriated to any King∣dome or Government, as that such a Govern∣ment decaying, the whole frame of that Church sunk, the professors thereof not being able to find in the whole world any Church into which, without renouncing their maine distinctive principles, they could enter. Since the time that it was Gods good pleasure to rejoyne mee to the Rock from whence I was hewn, leading me into the unity of his Church, I have con∣ceived that I might attribute this decay, and now almost vanishing of the English Church to a

double intention of almighty God, the first, To shew that when Religion, in substantiall doctrines especially, is framed according to inte∣rests of State, it does thereby as it were renounce, and exempt it selfe from Gods Protection, and by consequence not deserving his care, is not likely to be long-liv'd: the second, to the end to shew the curse that lies upon Schisme in ge∣nerall, it may seeme to have been Gods pleasure that that Church which had more shew of ex∣cuse than any other whatsoever, and that better represented a form of the Ancient and most glorious Church than any other Sect, should be the first that should be undermined, to the end that others seeing what has been done to a tre•• which had some greennesse in it, might thereby prophecy what shall become of their rotten and drye ones.