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. XXIII.

Grounds laid to prove a certainty of Tra∣dition. Severall degrees of it.

1. SOme of the grounds laid by me in prepa∣ration to a distinct conception and satisfa∣ction concerning the Churches authority foun∣ded upon Tradition, and the certainty thereof, have been already occasionally, though somwhat before their due season, mentioned in the for∣mer conclusion, cap. 8. and 9. The substance of which, together with others pertinent there∣to, I will here, as in their proper and naturall place, orderly set down.

2. In the first place therefore, since all in∣formation of things past before our age can no

other way be had (excepting only extraordi∣nary or divine inspiration, not to be expected, or relyed upon, if pretended, unlesse it be at∣tested by miracles) but by Tradition from the times when such things hapned, yet arriving at us by the testimony of the present times and persons living with us: By consequence I had no difficulty, but that in the present hypothesis of Christian revelations the only immediate witnesse of them was the present church, and this either by orall profession, that thus she had received by information and practise of the precedent age; Or by writings of antiene times continued and daily transcribed, but all preserved and conveyed to us by the present church.

3. In the second place I considered that these divine Revelations, and doctrines of Christian Religion being of such a particular nature as that, besides the believing them to have been, we are obliged to assent unto and embrace them, as the only necessary means of avoiding eternall misery, and attaining to eternall hap∣pinesse. Hereupon it is, that the present church, our only witnesse of them, represents them to us, not only as the present age does the actions of Caesar, or books of Cicero, that is, with so much assurance that we cannot be reasonable men and doubt of them, yet by doubting or disbelieving them there is no losse to be feared, but only of our reputation. But she proposeth them to us as necessarily to be submitted to, and her self as an authorised witnesse, having received commission from the divine Author to oblige all men to believe her, as a proponent.

Which double capacity of the church, viz. 1. Simply a proponent. 2. As an authorised pro∣ponent, I conceived it very requisite for me to distinguish, and, at least, in my understanding, to separate the one from the other: For though Catholiques, who from their infancy have been brought up in acknowledging the grounded au∣thority of the church, have no need to distin∣guish this double capacity for themselves, yet in disputation with those Sects, which accept of Tradition, simply at least for books of Scripture, but deny such an obliging authority, and espe∣cially in explaining the manner of Resolution of Faith, I conceived and found, as to my self, great profit in this distinction.

4. In the third place, for simple Tradition I enquired whether, and upon what grounds it could be made to appear to be certain and ab∣solutely convincing. And upon mature consi∣deration, I was satisfied that they were ex∣tremely mistaken, who thought that there was no absolute certainty in any knowledge, ex∣cepting only such as we receive either immedi∣ately by our senses, or by evident discourse and demonstration of reason. For on the contrary I found that knowledge from report of Tradi∣tion might in some cases be as truly certain, as that from sense or demonstration. So for ex∣ample, before, I saw the City of Rome, I was most assured that there was such a place, and the reason was, because it was impossible that such a world of writings and persons, all which could not be led by interest to frame a lye, should conspire to witnesse such a thing, and not one person be found that contradicted

them. The like may be said of Tradition, or report of things past, when a whole age agrees universally to acknowledge a Tradition under that notion, neither friends nor enemies con∣tradicting, it is impossible that such a report should be false: Yea I may add further, when there are in the same age two Traditions of two considerable parties directly contradicting the one the other, it may fall out, yea sometimes it may be most assured, that both of them must in some respect be true. As for example, the whole Nation of the Jewes dispersed all the world over, do agree that they have received as a most sure Tradition, that our Saviour was an Impostor, and wrought all his pretended miracles by Magick and help of the Divell; on the contrary, all Christians through the whole world agree that they have received a Traditi∣on, that our Saviour was the true Messiah pro∣mised, and that he wrought all those true mi∣racles by the power of God, and for confirma∣tion of his divine doctrine: In this case these two Traditions being in respect of the partyes respectively universall, must necessarily be true, though in some sort contradicting, yet not in that wherein they contradict. For it is as cer∣tain that the Jewes received, and have continu∣ally propagated such a Tradition, though false in the root, as that the Christians have received the contrary: Notwithstanding reason may judge infallibly between them concerning the root of these Traditions, namely by demon∣strating that such miracles (acknowledged by both sides to have been wrought) were many of them of such a nature, as that they did ex∣ceed

all created power, and that the doctrine was so divine, so destructive to the divell, as that he was obliged in interest to endeavour the annibilation of it: and lastly, that nothing was either done or taught by our Saviour, but what was agreeable to the antient Prophecies, received by the Jews concerning the Messiah, &c. upon which grounds it will evidenly ap∣pear, that the Jews, who first received such a Tradition, were abused by the malice and per∣fidiousnesse of their ancestours, &c. And this is the only proper way of determining and de∣ciding the controversie between these two Tra∣ditions. But of this more hereafter.

5. In generall therefore I found that a full unquestionable certitude might be had of some Traditious; as to give one example more, that there was such a man as William Duke of Normandy, who conquered England, is most certain, not any Englishman or other that ever heard of it, but believes it, and would impute frenzy to any man that should call it in questi∣on. Now the reason why this is so certain to every one, is this; because all men living at this time, who either are inquisitive into times past, or c••pable of information do agree; that this particular was told them by their Predecessors, as a thing come to them by Tradition, and so the men of the former age of that before them, thus ascending, till we come to the age wherein he lived, and was personally known and seen by his Subjects. Now it is impossible that all men of any age should both agree together, and actually effect that complot, to deceive their children with a lye, under the notion of Tradi∣tion,

Add to this; that the present age affords us books and Records descending from hand to hand, and written in severall ages between that time and us, which testifie the same thing. As likewise there are in the generall practise of England, Lawes, Customes, Priviledges, &c. all which are acknowledged to have had their Originall from the same Author. This is an example of one of the highest degrees of Tra∣ditionary certitude that may be of a thing pas∣sed so many ages since, being confirmed by O∣rall Tradition, Universality, Records, lan∣guage, and practises or customes.

6. An inferiour degree of certainty in Tra∣dition (yet certainty however) is, for example, that there was such a man as Alexander the Great. This is a thing most certain, and yet it wants many of those arguments of assurance in the former example. There is indeed a kind of Orall Tradition of this likewise, yet not arriving unto this age and climate of the world by such a generall succession as the former, by reason that Alexander having li∣ved in a quarter of the world remote from us, we are not descended from the men of his age, who knew him; yet, it may be, some of them or their children coming to Rome delivered this, and so some Romanes conveighed it a∣mong these Western parts of the world. There are no customes or practises among us relating to Alexander; so that the main arguments of certainty are, 1. Positive, that is, writings dispersed abroad, made by antient Grecians and Romans, all testifying the same thing. 2. Negative, not one man appearing in this

age, nor to be heard of in the former, that de∣nied it, or so much as called it in question.

7. A yet inferior degree of certainty in Tradition may be exemplified in some writings, as in S. Clements first Epistle to the Corinthi∣ans, lately published and printed in England. For that there was such an Epistle written is testifi∣ed by all Antiquity, and was assuredly believed by all learned men in this age before the pub∣lishing of it: But it is, now near eight hundred years that it ha's been missing in the world, for Photius, I think, is the last writer that takes notice to have read it. Of late this Epistle was found in an ancient Manuscript in the King of England's Library, sent him for a present out of the Eastern countries. Now the certitude that this is the same Epistle anciently acknow∣ledged and read in the Church, appears in this: 1. That the characters of the Manuscript are very ancient, (yet I do not believe it to have been written by that glorious Virgin Martyr S. Tecla, as the credulous Grecians would pretend;) so that if it had been counterfeit∣ed, it was done in times, when the falsity might have been discovered by unquestioned copies. 2. That the stile is agreeing with the ancient simplicity and gravity of Apostolique writings. 3. That the subject is the very same that those ancient Fathers, who speak of it, do mention. 4. That all the extraits and passages, which the Fathers of the Church do quote out of S. Clements true Epistle, are found in this. Upon which grounds it may be truly said, and I believe no man will contradict it, that this is certainly S. Clements Epistle.

8. It is likely that besides these degrees of certainty, more upon consideration might be found out: but these I esteemed enough for my present purpose. Now by certainty I intend not certitudinem rei, for so nothing that is or hath been is in it self more certain then ano∣ther, for even a thing that ha's its existence from free or casuall causes, when it is, is as cer∣tain as any other thing produced by causes ne∣ver so determinate, efficacious or necessary: But certitudinem quoad nos, that is, our assurance that it hath been: And a thing I call more cer∣tain, in this notion (not which ha's less doubt or suspition of not being, for if there be any ra∣tionall suspition, there is no certainty, no not in the lowest degree: but) that which ha's more wayes to prove it self to be certain then ano∣ther.