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. XXIX.

The Objection from the overflowing of Arianisme in the Church, answe∣red.

Mr. Chillingworth's objection, That Christs promises are conditionall, an∣swered.

1. THis last objection concerning Arianisme, because even the-now-English-Prote∣stants think they have great advantage from it, I am not in so much hast to draw towards an end of this conclusion, but I can be content to set down S. Augustin's answer to it, with a short Appendix. It seems the Donatists took the advantage from some hyperbolicall language of S. Hilary concerning the great deluge of Aria∣nisme upon the Church, to enervate the promi∣ses of Christ, concerning the extension and du∣ration of it. To this S. Augustine, Ep. 48. thus answers, That time, concerning which Hilary wrote, was such, that thou hast thought that thou mightst privily assault such a number of divine testimonies, as if the Church were peri∣shed out of the world, &c. Hilary therefore ei∣ther blames only the tares, which were in the ten Asian Provinces, and not the wheat: or he thought fit therefore the more profitably, by how much the more vehemently, to blame the wheat, which by some default was in danger. For even the Canonicall Scriptures have this custom•• in reprehensions, that the word seems

to be addressed to all, when it reaches home only to some few.

2. For confirmation of this answer of S. Au∣gustine it may be observed, 1. That the violent brunt of that Persecution of the Catholiques by the Arrians lasted scarce four years, namely from the Councell of Ariminum to the death of the Emperour Constantius. 2. That during that time the Western Churches felt little change by that Persecution. 3. That those who subscribed the cunningly contrived Creed at Ariminum did not intend to prejudice thereby the faith of the Councell of Nice, since the new Creed was capable of a Catholique sense. 4. That e∣ven in the East very many glorious Catholique Bishops survived the fury of the Arrians 5. That the succession of Catholique Bishops was so far from being interrupted thereby, that S. Hierome who lived neer those times, professeth that in his daies there was not one Bishop in the Catho∣lique Church that was not a legitimate successor of those glorious Prelates of the Councell of Nice. From all which considerations we may rationally collect, that our Lord in this example gave a warning to the Rulers of his Church to be vigilant to prevent the like dangerous Heresies for the future; but withall to be confident in his promises, since he had been so carefull to per∣form them, that when Heresie had all imagine∣able advantages, yet he provided so for his Church, by putting an end to those tentations, that the succession of lawfull Bishops was not at all interrupted by them.

3. Beside these, Mr. Chillingworth produ∣ceth an engine (his friends know from what

forge) to invalidate, as he believed, all man∣ner of advantage, which Catholiques reap from the promises of Christ, concerning a per∣petuall succession of his Church, by saying, that those promises are onely conditionall, viz. If Christians would make use of, and im∣prove those meanes that Christ had left for the propagation of his Church; otherwise not.

4. But hereto the answer is very ready, For 1. All that is alledged is spoken meerly gratis, there being no warrant from any cir∣cumstance in those Texts, wherein such pro∣mises are contained, for such an interpreta∣tion; and therefore when plain Texts are, and have been interpreted in a sense absolute by all Catholiques of all times, a new unne∣cessary interpretation will certainly find no entertainment with any, unlesse it be such as make antiquity a prejudice to truth. 2. M. Chil∣lingworth applies this interpretation to fu∣ture times onely, not to passed or present; so that thereby it shakes onely our hope for succeeding times, not our faith for the passed or present; and therefore it is not availeable in the dispute in hand, concerning the Roman Catholique Church, which all English Prote∣stants acknowledge to be a true Church of Christ, defective in no necessary truths, all the fault being her superabundance.

5. And for this reason it was that general∣ly he was blamed, and I my selfe have often taxed him for serving himself of so scanda∣lous, and as we thought, so uselesse an in∣terpretation. But upon more serious conside∣ration,

I judged not him unreasonable for it, but my selfe, and others not quick-sight∣ed enough to perceive the necessity he had (though he never discovered himselfe plain∣ly to any man, as far as I know) to make use of so desperate a glosse: For doubtless he saw clearly, that if there were such absolute Promises of indefectibility and divine assi∣stance to the Catholique Church, none could with any justice challenge them, but the Ro∣man Church, since she only appropriates them to her present Communion, all others lay∣ing down their claim. The speciall allegati∣ons which she may produce, to prove her self in a speciall manner interessed in these promises I shall take notice of in the last conclusion. Lastly S. Augustine will afford us a satisfacto∣ry answer, who, to the like objection of the Donatists (viz. Men would not persevere, and therefore Christian Religion hath failed out of all Nations, except only the party of Do∣natus:) Answers him, As if the Holy Ghost was ignorant what would be the future wills of men, which yet foreseeing notwith∣standing foretold that the Church of Christ should endure for ever. De unit. Eccl. c. 12.