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. XXXI

Authority of the Christian Church com∣pared with that of the Jewish.

1. BEfore I leave this argument of the grounds of the Churches authority (and the foundation thereof, viz. Christ's pro∣mises of indefectibility &c.) because objecti∣ons against it are frequently taken out of the Old-Testament, namely from a comparison with the Jewish Church, which though it en∣joyed great promises, did notwithstanding fall into a generall corruption, both in faith and manners: It will not be amisse to set down for what reasons I rested satisfied, that none of those arguments ought to have any effect upon me, to shake my acknowledgement of the authority of the Christian Church so unalter∣ably grounded, and so universally submitted to.

2. The first reason was, because the Jewish Church had not such promises of indefectibili∣ty and security from Heresies, as the Christian Church apparently has. It is true, the Patri∣arch Jacob prophesied, that the Scepter should not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his knees till Shiloh came. But this promise; I assured my self, respected only the outward policy of the Jewish Nation, which was to remain in a distinct government, not swallowed up by other governments, but open∣ly governed by its own laws, as a Common∣wealth, plainly distinguishable from others till

the coming of the Messiah. 2. They were not furnished with those means of preventing and condemning of Heresies that the Christian Church enjoyeth. For the understanding where∣of, I conceived that the Civill and Ecclesiasti∣call Law of Moyses was to be considered in two respects, first in the plain litterall sense, and so it differed not much from the lawes of other Kingdomes, the end thereof being world∣ly happinesse, which is only in expresse words proposed in that law. Secondly in a spiritu∣all, allegoricall and typicall sense, and so it had Immediate influence upon the conscience and inward acts of the soul, which later sense was taken notice of only by extraordinary persons, as Prophets &c. Now for the execution of this law in the literall outward sense and notion of it, God left sufficient authority in the Priests and other Magistrates, threatning every one with death that opposed their sentences and de∣crees. And for the explication of any emergent difficulties, God left the Sanedrim together with a succession of Scribes, from whose lips the people were ordinarily to seek knowledge: Insomuch as our Saviour speaking of such Scribes sayes, They sit in Moyses his Chair; whatsoever they command you to observe, ob∣serve and do it, Mat. 23. But if we observe the dependance and limitation of that speech, the meaning will appear to be, that for the outward practises of Moyses his law, the Jews were to submit themselves to the established authority, yea even when they interpreted that law to the peoples disadvantage, as they did in the case of tythes mentioned by our Saviour in conse∣quence

of the former speech, including herbs' as Mint, Commyn, &c. among the Species tyth∣able, which Moyses his law did not expresse, not necessarily imply.

3. Such authority the Priests, Scribe•• and Pharisees had to explain the Precepts of his law for outward practise: But as for spirituall points of belief, Prophecies or internall sancti∣ty, it does not appear that they much medled with them, not one decision of the Sanedrim can be produced concerning such matters. In∣deed who should be the interpreter of such do∣ctrines? There were among them two princi∣pall factions, the first of the Nobility, that is, Priests, and those were generally Sadduces, as Josephus informs us: the other that popular fa∣ction of the Pharisees. Now I suppose the Sadduces, who denied the immortality of the soul, the existence of Angells &c. were very in∣competent Judges in spirituall matters, and yet the authority was principally in their hands: As for the Pharisees, they were the more Ortho∣dox of the two, but wanted authority. And to shew that neither party pretended that points of such a nature were within their cognizance, it is observeable, that neither of them extended their power to the condemnation or excommu∣nication of the other for such differences; For for such trifles as heaven or hell, &c. they gave free liberty of conscience to every one to believe what and how much any man thought fit. Therefore surely our Saviour never intended to extend the forecited Text to such decisions of the Scribes: For then the people had been ob∣liged to have submitted to that decree of theirs,

viz. that he should be excommunicated that con∣fessed Christ to have been the Messiah. Which Decree of theirs, though it seems to be about a principall point of Faith, yet the ground of making it was not to determine points of that nature; but because they believed, or at least said that they believed, that our Saviours de∣sign had been to destroy the law of Moyses and the Temple, and all the Rites which Moyses gave to the Jews, therefore as externall Magi∣strates, they provided by such a decree against sedition and rebellion.