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.

Of the Adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the holy Eucharist.

9•• Let us now consider to what the church obliges all Catholiques in this point. If any one (saith the Councell of Trent Sess. 13. Can. 6.) saith that Jesus Christ the only Son of God ought not to be adored with the exteriour wor∣ship of Latria it self in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist; and that for that end it ought not to be proposed publikely to the people to be adored; and that those who adore him are Ido∣laters, let him be Ana••hema. Which worship of Latria is not given to the outward Symbolls of the Eucharist, but only to Jesus Christ him∣self there present.* 1.1 A certaine degree of respect (even by the confession of the Calvinists) is due to all outward instru∣ments of Religion, as to Cha∣lices, to the books of Scripture, to the water of Baptisme, and to the Species of Bread and Wine in the Holy Eucharist. And Catholiques allow no more: But the true object which a

Catholique adores with this sub∣lime act of adoration or Latria,* 1.2 is in the case in hand, Jesus Christ himself, who is to be adored eve∣ry where wheresoever he is present, and there∣fore likewise in the holy Eucharist, in the which the Catholique church knows and ac∣knowledgeth no other substance (as the Calvi∣nists desire to impose on them) but only Jesus Christ. And if they be Idolaters for this, the Lutherans are so too, who teach the same doctrine,* 1.3 though they expresse themselves in the point of the Reall Presence after an∣other new-invented manner: yet notwithstanding the Calvinists (when their worldly interests obliged them) could be con∣tent to comunicate with the Lutherans, and could swallow their pretended Idolatry, but out of fear and hatred of Catholique union make even the church her self a prejudice against her doctrine.

10. For mine own part (whilest I was a Pro∣testant) I professe I could never answer to mine own reason, why we should condemn the wor∣shipping of Christ, whom we professed to be present in very truth, without figures or fan∣cies. If he had not been there after a peculiar Sacramentall manner, I might lawfully not∣withstanding have worshipped him there, be∣cause I may and ought to worship him every where, as being God omnipresent: yea though his humane nature be locally present only at the right hand of the Father in glory, yet I may worship the man Jesus Christ every where; be∣cause

that person, which is God and Man, is e∣very where present (viz.) according to his divine not humane nature, and yet it seems when a new acc••ssion of another kind of Sacramentall truly reall presence is added to the former, though I acknowledge this later presence to be as reall as the former, I must be forbidden to expresse that I acknowledge and believe it any other way then by saying with my lips that I do so; I must then deny unto him (in that place, at his owne table and altar, and at that time, whilest are ce∣lebrated those mysteries, adorable even to An∣gells themselves) that worship and respect, which I would have given him at mine own ta∣ble, or whilest I was doing the ordinary works of my calling. But it will be said perhaps, you are not forbidden to worship him, but you must not worship him as present there. And why for Gods sake? Bid me rather believe that he is not after an epseciall manner present: But this is ty∣ranny and injustice in the highest degree, to command me to believe that he is as truly, (though after another manner) present there, as at the right hand of his Father; and at the same time to command me by my works to be∣lye my belief. No, no. Quàm magis ingenuè Peribonius! How much more ingenuous are the Socinians, then all other Sects! for whereas the rest would gladly pretend Antiquity, and take much unprofitable pains to make a Father now and then speak a word in their favour: The So∣cinians instead of puzling themselves to untye, cut asunder all such knots and difficulties, they with an impudent resolutenesse break through all obstacles. Let the antient church determine

what it please, and let the antient Fathers agree to speak as they have a mind, if what is spoken and decreed either suit not with what they fan∣cy that the Holy Ghost does mean, or (natu∣rall reason being Judge) ought to mean, or if the Holy Ghost in their opinions hath been si∣lent in it, without more a••o they presently re∣ject and condemn it; upon which grounds they strein not to alter all the language almost of the church, they know no such thing as a Sacra∣ment, they acknowledge no promises to, nor no ••ffects of such ceremonious actions, as the church and all Christians call Sacraments, they scoffe at the Reall Presence, and abominate the adoration of Christ in his Mysteries: Let S. Am∣brose (de Sp. 5. l. 3.) say, By his footstool is meant the earth, and by the earth the body of Christ, which every day we adore in the mysteries, and which the Apostles adored in our Lord Jesus. Let S. Augustine (in Psa. 48.) say, For he took earth from earth, both because be conversed here in very flesh, and gave us likewise very flesh to eat for our salvation. Now no man eats that flesh, but that he adores it first: And thus a way is found how the Lords footstoole is ado∣red. And again (Epist 120.) expounding that of the Psalmist, All the rich of the earth have eaten and worshipped, And they also (saith he) are brought to the table of Christ, and partake of his body and bloud; but they adore him on∣ly; they are not satisfied, because they doe not imitate him. Let S. Chrysostome (in 1. Cor.) say, This body the wise men worshipped in the manger, &c. Let us at least imitate those bar∣barous men, we, who are the Citizens of hea∣ven;

Thou seest him not in a manger, but upon the Altar; not a woman holding him in her armes, but the Priest himself present, and the Spirit abundantly powred upon the sacrifice presented there. Lastly let Theodorct (Dial 2.) say, The mysticall Symbolls are understood, which are celebrated and believed, and adored likewise, as being the very things which they are believed to be. What is all this to a Socini∣an, though all antiquity agree in the like lan∣guage, and not one Father explicitly dissent from it? But as for Protestants, not having the confidence to renounce the Fathers autho∣rity, they make it their task to prove out of such places, that the Fathers intended by such speech∣es, that it was Idolatry to worship Christ pre∣sent on the Altar. But-Nobis non licet esse tam disertis.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Daillé l. des Imag. p. 340. & 376.
• * 1.2

  Test. Doc. Sorbon.
• * 1.3

  Kemn. Ex∣am. par. 2. p. 92.